David Frum: Health care is the GOP's Waterloo

[sufrommich]

"We followed the most radical voices in the party and the movement, and they led us to abject and irreversible defeat."

"Conservatives and Republicans today suffered their most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s.There were leaders who knew better, who would have liked to deal. But they were trapped. Conservative talkers on Fox and talk radio had whipped the Republican voting base into such a frenzy that deal-making was rendered impossible. How do you negotiate with somebody who wants to murder your grandmother? Or – more exactly – with somebody whom your voters have been persuaded to believe wants to murder their grandmother?"

"I’ve been on a soapbox for months now about the harm that our overheated talk is doing to us. Yes it mobilizes supporters – but by mobilizing them with hysterical accusations and pseudo-information, overheated talk has made it impossible for representatives to represent and elected leaders to lead. The real leaders are on TV and radio, and they have very different imperatives from people in government. Talk radio thrives on confrontation and recrimination. When Rush Limbaugh said that he wanted President Obama to fail, he was intelligently explaining his own interests. What he omitted to say – but what is equally true – is that he also wants Republicans to fail. If Republicans succeed – if they govern successfully in office and negotiate attractive compromises out of office – Rush’s listeners get less angry.

And if they are less angry, they listen to the radio less, and hear fewer ads for Sleepnumber beds.

So today’s defeat for free-market economics and Republican values is a huge win for the conservative entertainment industry. Their listeners and viewers will now be even more enraged, even more frustrated, even more disappointed in everybody except the responsibility-free talkers on television and radio. For them, it’s mission accomplished. For the cause they purport to represent, it’s Waterloo all right: ours."


Complete editorial here:

http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/03/22/david-frum-health-care-is-the-gop-s-waterloo.aspx

[DCBob]

1. Wow.. going after Lord Rushbo...

This could get interesting.

[liberalhistorian]

4. That takes a lot of guts for republicans, I

will give him that credit. Frum had better duck for a long time.

[Richardo]

2. Fantastic, and spot-on.

:applause:

Thanks for the post :patriot:

[Berry Cool]

3. Very, VERY smart assessment.

Rush and Glenn and everyone else who enjoys whipping up teabaggers into a frenzy are probably thrilled that this bill has passed. They now have a reason for their troops to be really upset and angry and listening to their ads more and more. Meanwhile, the Republicans who actually have a stake in the party and what it supposedly believes in know they lost and that they lost in part because of Rush and Glenn and their hysteria.

[sufrommich]

6. I thought that was Frums most devastating assessment, hopefully

it will open some eyes. I hold out hope that there are sane republicans out there somewhere.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

5. "...and if they are less angry, they listen to the radio less, and hear fewer ads..."

Well, the freeps need to realize that Limbaugh is a BUSINESS, not their personal messiah, and that beyond subscribing to his show and buying his "merchandise," they are nothing more than cattle to him.