Olympia Snowe/Schwartznegger/Specter v. Limbaugh/Boehner/Palin

[Median Democrat]

I have been watching the Republican aftermath of the GOP election, and the hardcore rightwing are already blaming the more moderate elements of their party for the defeats they suffered in 2008. It is facinating, because the GOP has always had a libertarian, fiscal conservative element that is not nearly as offensive as the Christian Right, tax cut zealots who want to destroy government.

Rachel Maddow put it best that the radical right wing is like a vegetarian butcher: How can you trust them to run government when they are committed to proving that government does not work. Indeed, their incompetence is evidence that they are right.

I know many folks want to see the GOP grow even more crazy with Palin taking over. The problem is that Palin might actually win, and I see her as a closet facist. I would much rather have a more moderate Republican party that can actually provide thoughtful criticisms of Democratic policy. Instead, the primary voice for the GOP is still Rush Limbaugh whose show is now just a cess pool of lies and hate. Indeed, Limbaugh is just a hair removed from openly promoting instability in the government, and the downfall of a Democratic led U.S. If Maddow or Olbermann openly advocated for the failure of U.S. policy merely to gain a political advantage in the manner that Rush did, they would have long been kicked off the air.

So, does the GOP actually coalease into a rationale opposition? Or, do they degenerate further into knee jerk talking points?

[camera obscura]

1. It'll get worse before it gets better

Snowe is the definition of a RINO to the Freeper wing.

Specter could well be out in 2010 - although the Republicans might learn to love him if he's up against Chris Matthews.

as for Schwarzenegger, is he really that powerful on a national level?

The new, intellectual conservative movement will have to start with writers and figures outside of office - a new William F Buckley (not a guy I had a lot of love for but still someone who honored some kind of intellectual tradition) to counter the Kristols and Morrises. Then they can start recruiting new candidates. Then they can try and take their party back from the wingnuts.

[hlthe2b]

2. Yup... right now they are "addicted to the crazy..."

They may require a generational change before they get the clue.

[KakistocracyHater]

6. I agree

most likely nothing short of a new generation will change them.

[Sebastian Doyle]

3. Specter will probably retire anyway.

Assuming he lives that long, and I hope he does. Or at least long enough to tell the truth about what he REALLY knows about the JFK assassination and the Warren Commission coverup, which he was part of.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. The Grover Norquist wing is just as dangerous as the fundy wing.

The libertarian drown the baby idiots are deliberately out to wreck the government. The fundys don't want to wreck the government, they want to burn witches and they recognize the need for lots of government to get that done. It has never been an easy alliance and now it is looking like no alliance at all.

I'm just fine with the fundaloons taking over the Republican Party. That will put the remaining actual moderates out to pasture, further marginalize their base, and clear the way for a progressive future.

[TygrBright]

5. Snowe/Schwartznegger/Specter: One of these things is not like the others.

Specter is NOT a moderate. He's not anything but Specter. He's a loose cannon who will vote with the moderates one day and the worst corporate fascists the next. And somewhere off in lala land or even with the Democrats later that same evening, followed by some weird social-conservative exremist thing the next morning.

Specter, IOW, is a total wackjob. A SMART wackjob, yes. A high-functioning wackjob. A frequently amusing, often amazing wackjob.

But still a wackjob.

Snowe and Schwartznegger are basically moderate pragmatists who are relatively consistent in what they will and won't support.

Just sayin'...

helpfully,
Bright

[Libertyfirst]

7. I say we ask Sen. Snow to become a democrat. n/t

[Median Democrat]

8. In Any Event, The Real Battle Is Between The GOP Governors and Nutjobs

The GOP governors actually have the responsibility of governing, rather than blindly following idealogy. The recent press reports are that the GOP governors are going to make a play for control of the GOP through the election of a GOP chairman. However, the fundies and anti-tax zealots will vigorously fight to retain control.

[Xolodno]

9. I think this is proof that...

...the republican party will not recover in 2010. And the moderates (RINO's) will make sure of it by doing absolutely nothing. Why?

1. Most have already been removed out of office as they often were the ones filling the seats in areas that were not hard core right wing. In other words, they were the first casualties of an anti-conservative momentum.

2. The hard right is blaming them for the loss of the election when the moderates had to pander to the hard right to get their support (and money for the election) and thereby alienating more center minded voters. Sort of like, they were told to do a-b-c and when they got fired for doing a-b-c, its their fault for doing a-b-c.

3. They know full well that they have lost their way, but the hard right still has its blinders on.

I'm in California and its pretty interesting to see a republican governor openly state that taxes have to be raised or face cuts that people don't want to see. Of course thats just an absolute heresy to the hard right.