Obama Violates Law of Pendulum Politics

[Donnachaidh]

http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/robert-becker/35517/obama-violates-law-of-pendulum-politics

Now he's done it -- the most Republican of modern Democratic presidents has violated the cosmic political order, that inescapable fluctuation wherein one disgraced party triggers the inevitable, system-saving reversal. Since Ford lost to Carter, this pattern rules our politics -- a nicely balanced march of left-right-left-right. But now comes the Obama Deviation -- right follows right, thus undermining the natural, internal correction that keeps us from toppling over completely.

Offending not just his base but history itself, Obama is derailing the very back and forth (or for cynics switching which power elite rules) that preserves our residual democracy. In the old days conservative fiascos birthed liberal backlashes, and vice versa, the ebb and flow I once thought a law of our political nature. Until now.

Of course, I grew up long ago when parties were distinguishable -- one mainly leaning liberal (domestically) and promoting government for the majority (though not all) and one leaning conservative, full of business types fighting regulation but not core progressive taxation, antagonistic (but accepting the idea) of unions and certainly too much sharing of national wealth. But they did so without sabotaging national unity at every turn. Rarely were elections bare-knuckled battles, where the winner was the last one standing. Until the 1980's, fundamentalist know-nothings were less politicized and less organized -- rightly wary, since many had only average means, of today's incredibly knee-jerk alignment of their self-interest with that of the filthy rich.

In fact, vs. modern regressives, Republicans then were far less appalling, except on women's and civil rights. My least favorite, Nixon the Liar, started the EPA, cooled Cold War and nuclear tensions, even exited Vietnam. Contrast today's "anti-war" president, with a surfeit of stalemated wars he won't declare over, least of all end. Believe it or not, the post-Vietnam "Nixon Doctrine" granted U.S. aid (not troops or planes) only to allies whose own soldiers fought in self-defense. Ah, the good old days before our invading G.I. police spread across hundreds of bases and dozens of bloody "theatres."

More at the link --