RollingStone.com - The GOP's Crackpot Agenda

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-gops-crackpot-agenda-20111207

The top Republican candidates share a single, radical vision: to trash the environment, shred the safety net and aid the rich.

Tim Dickinson

December 7, 2011 8:05 AM ET

all rights, 2012 ought to be a cakewalk for the GOP. Unemployment is pandemic. Riot police are confronting protesters in public squares and on college campuses. In an epic fail of foresight, the Democratic convention will be held in one of the world's banking centers, Charlotte, North Carolina – setting the stage for violent clashes not seen since the streets of Chicago, 1968. "I hope they keep this up," gloated Grover Norquist, one of the Republican Party's most influential strategists. "Hippies elected Nixon. Occupy Wall Street will beat Obama."

But don't go writing the president's political obituary just yet: He may wind up being resurrected by the GOP itself. The Republican Party – dominated by hardliners still cocky after the electoral sweep of 2010 – has backed its entire slate of candidates into far-right corners on everything from the environment and immigration to taxation and economic austerity. Whether the GOP opts for Mitt Romney or an "anti-Mitt" is almost entirely beside the point. On the major policy issues of the day, there's barely a ray of sunshine between any of the viable Republicans, not counting those who have committed the sin of libertarianism (Ron Paul) or moderation (Jon Huntsman). No matter who winds up with the nomination, it appears, Obama will face a candidate to the right of Barry Goldwater

[CBHagman]

1. First time I'd read the Grover Norquist quote.

I've been hearing for a while some noises that Charlotte 2012 could turn into Chicago 1968, Part II, with riots and police crackdowns. I hope that convention organizers are looking at the big picture and not falling prey to worse ideas, and that we won't get any and all variations of the split-the-vogte model, activists pursuing a strategy that gets them the opposite of the desired result, etc.

[kenfrequed]

2. Norquist wants OWS to end

And he wants Democrats to fear it and run for the hills away from it. The OWS movement is reframing language and perspective and reminding people to think in terms of class and to start to think closer to their economic interests. All President Obama has to do is stand up for populist causes and fight and the whole thing will turn his direction. (of course it would help if he sticks by the progressives as well after reelection)


The Republicans know that nothing they say economically is even remotely populist, rational, or reasonable. Norquist of course would speak out like this as he knows that if OWS gets much larger than his political obit will be hammered out and his ridiculous lassiez faire, economic suicide machine will be recognized fully for what it truly is and thereby draw to a close a truly ridiculous period in history.

[Vincardog]

4. it would help if he (Obama) sticks by the progressives as well after reelection. That would be what

puts the nail in to coffin of Conservthemselves.

[CBHagman]

5. I don't see evidence that OWS has really caused a sea change.

At least I don't see it yet, and in this short attention span world I don't have proof yet that it will cause a big shift in voting patterns.

What I do see is Republican overreach, and of course a very complicated set of economic problems.

[kenfrequed]

6. What would be "the evidence"?

Suggesting it is merely Republican overreach ignores financial industry problems that were not dealt with, an increasing disparity between the wealthy and poor, and a longstanding retreat away from both traditional progressive issues and constituencies that have been the hallmarks of failure in the Democratic party for the last thirty years.

It is a nice meme and works wonderfully to deprioritize progressive reform and excuses the Third Way pseudomoderate pap that some of the corporate funded think-tanks put out lauds praise on.

As to clues to changes:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-creamer/progressive-victories-in_b_1084529.html

OWS started up on Sept 17th and started growing and snowballing as people got more and more involved and engaged. OWS has been about progressive economic concerns as much as anything and that is currently driving people to the left as they become more and more aware oh how the Dow Jones and Nasdaq and the Fortune 500 and the wealthiest fat cats are people that have nothing in common with them and people they are not likely to become.

[CBHagman]

7. Creamer talks about Republican overreach.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-creamer/progressive-victories-in_b_1084529.html

Republican Governors who began these battles hoped to make a bold move to destroy union power. In fact, they have succeeded in creating their worst nightmare -- the rebirth of a labor movement.

He also focuses on voter turnout, framing the issues in moral terms, etc., but makes no reference to OWS per se.

[kenfrequed]

10. Uhm yeah...

But the issue framing was practically made public by OWS. The very ideas have been percolating on the left for some time but no damnable democratic pundits really moved on the issue. Most of the establishment democrats wanted the anti-bankster language to be done with as the Obama administration had more than a few Goldman Sachs people in prominent positions.

It took OWS to bring this up to the mainstream. I cited the article only to point out that some people DO think that there is a "sea change" or whatever wonkster term we choose to use for a political shift. I will point out, again that the article and the elections both took place after OWS.

[LongTomH]

3. The REAL Number One Item on the GOP Agenda!

Make this country a one-party state like the old Soviet Union.

I hate to keep repeating myself on this; but, this has been their real agenda for decades. Democrats should have paid attention when Phil Gramm talked about "hunting Democrats with dogs in the halls of Congress!" They really should have been paying attention to the creepier side of the hate rhetoric coming from the likes of Beckerhead and Limpballs.

[Ishoutandscream2]

8. Interesting that the article mentioned the 1964 election

Could a far right candidate find himself or herself (Bachman) on election night next year staring at a landslide not unlike what happened to Goldwater? It will be very interesting to see. Maybe it will be another 64. We can hope.

[deacon]

9. k/r