Pelosi To Regain Gavel As GOP Rallies Behind Ryan

[SoDesuKa]

It's the kind of colossal mistake we don't often see - a political party willingly hurling itself off a cliff. I wonder what Nancy Pelosi herself thinks of it - does she wonder what she did to deserve such a gift? On the day after staunchly Republican NY-26 went Democrat in response to the Ryan budget, Senate Repupblicans overwhelmingly voted to stay the course. It's astounding behavior, and calls for some analysis.

Is it possible that Republicans know deep down that they're making it up as they go along? There's some evidence for that, as seen in Tim Pawlenty's stated commitment to lower taxes more than they've ever been lowered. But he's only one candidate who can be easily written off as a fool. The problem Republicans face is much larger than that - they're headed towards a cliff, they know it, and the only one among them who'll say so out loud is designated Court Jester Donald Trump.

The case can be made that Republicans are just nuts. With so many opportunities to back away from the Ryan budget, they're going out of their way to antagonize seniors, a voting bloc that consistently knows its own interest and votes accordingly. This is one for the history books. And it's happening in our times. Praise the Lord!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

1. I hope so

Republicans everywhere seem to be doubling down on "teh crazy". In the past, they've been content to just nibble around the edges so as to keep their "base" satisfied and avoid alienating large swaths of low-information voters (whom their policies tend to negatively affect) and prompting a severe backlash. However, since last year's midterm elections- aided by the so-called "Tea Party" whom they are now in thrall to- they seem to be going for the whole enchilada- proposing and, in most cases, even enacting some of the wildest, most radical and and anti-american proposals that only those on the right-wing fringe ever dared advocate and seem unafraid- if not bold- about alienating all kinds of voters (i.e. women voters, hispanics, et. al).
:puke:

[Historic NY]

2. Unfortunately I'm beginning to think it won't mean much it didn't the last time....

did it?

[NYC Liberal]

3. She goes in and out of favor here on DU.

One minute she's a horrible corporatist DLC Republican-lite, the next she's a hero.

[SoDesuKa]

5. 2010 Results Were One-Off

People have read too much into the 2010 results, which were caused by a stampede of low-information voters upset by the very threat that Ryan makes explicit - losing their health care in their old age.

The Republican Party seems to be in denial about how much of a tailspin they're actually in. Here and there some low-percentage stunt is going to succeed, but you can't depend on stunts to bail you out.

[FarLeftFist]

4. The RW has taken a rightward lurch into the looney bin.

They're not even hiding the fact that they are fascists anymore.

[SoDesuKa]

7. Looney Bin

Newt Gingrich called the Ryan budget "right wing social engineering," and was promptly escorted to the door for that remark. This indicates to me that the GOP won't sober up until they've hit bottom. Gingrich is hardly a Republican outsider, but they instructed him that the new definition of "loyalty" includes going along with whatever lunacy holds sway at the moment.

These folks are going to be howling at the moon for quite a number of years to come.



Land of the Midnight Sun

[madrchsod]

6. the republicans are so far to the right that nixon would be a liberal today

[SoCalDem]

8. I don't see Steny Hoyer lettiing that happen again

He's been waiting a very long time

[deacon]

9. They're taking a beating at the top but seem to making inroads state by state. Problematic. n/t