He calls Bush “The Republicans Jimmy Carter,” and adds:
In Jimmy Carter’s defense, the coalition that FDR had assembled in the early 1930’s was fracturing before he entered office. But his sheer incompetence paved the way for Ronald Reagan to assemble a coalition of his own. That coalition was still intact when Bush entered office in 2001, but it is fair to say that it is now teetering and Bush himself was instrumental in causing it to crack.
Conservatives have swallowed hard during the entire Bush administration, from his excessive spending to the interventionist and incompetent foreign policy, but Bush and his cronies recent insults towards their base on the issue of illegal immigration is the straw that guarantees the final fissure.
That sounds about right to me, but the liberation now goes both ways. Conservatives tried to support a Republican Administration because they figured the alternative was far worse, but the rage they feel at Bush’s betrayal over the issue of illegal immigration is the straw that breaks the camels back. Bush can depend on his base no more, because he now has no base.
[…]
Republicans can take solace in one thing, though one thing only…
Go to Dogwood Pundit’s post, here, to see what solace Republicans can retrieve. Scroll down to the last paragraph.
It could be a bigger comfort than we can currently envision but right now that’s cold comfort indeed.
[Post ends here]
3 comments:
I think the actual good news is that both parties are equally incompetent. When you see how many Democrats believe the Gov't was involved in 9-11, I have to think that the Center is appalled with them.
As I see it, the conservatives feel betrayed by the Republicans, and the Center feels betrayed by both parties.
And with luck, along will come Fred. He'll get the conservative base, and can appeal to the Center. Even my brother, a UAW Democrat told me last night that he read an article about Fred and could vote for him.
I think that when Fred comes in, and gets some money, the race will be his to lose.
And if he can-and does- point out the hypocrisy and incompetence of the Democrats, then his coat-tails will be long.
While I'm not a "Republican", I tend to vote that way. I think Fred will save the conservative movement.
Meantime, I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Jorge has done his level best to destroy the Conservative movement. He is a bungling incompetent light weight unsuited to the office of President of the USA.
In my mind, he has replaced Jimmah as the worst president in the history of the USA. Jimmah destroyed the economy. Jorge is fiddling while our civilization burns.
I suppose he's a good man, but a dangerously incompetent one.
Dymphna
As I have pointed out at several places ( I don’t remember if one was here) Bush put together an uneasy coalition to get elected, and if he didn’t manage it right it right it would eat him alive. Bushbergers anyone.
The programs that all factions of the coalition could agree on were accomplished before the second term. The Dems are holding party discipline well enough that Bush can’t borrow enough Dem votes when he’s got three factions behind him. All the factions are dissatisfied with what they have gotten so far. And unless the Dems give them a gift it won’t happen
To aspects that are very relevant to the topics you cover.
1) As you remember the original Neocons were radical leftists who decided that the radical left was morally and intellectually bankrupt (Duh!!) The problem is that they still brought leftist baggage with them. They realized that the lefts way to spend money was useless at best even spent honestly. But they do not have necessary objections to large government spending on principle. So they will support large spending on projects. Granted there methods are better than the lefts but they are not inclined to ask if it is taking to large a share of the economy to be productive of their goals.
The Neocons idea of a Foreign policy is the basic Wilsoninism that has been the mainstay of the Democrats ever since Wilson invaded Mexico for reasons that do not make sense to me. They were the only ones who had a plan for dealing with the world after 9/11 when it became apparent that the original (more traditionally Republican) Bush plan needed modification.
2) . The traditional republican immigration policy is open immigration. The policy demanded by the base is the traditional democratic policy. Both parties were being inconsistent. The republicans encouraged but did nothing to organize the new immigrants. The Democrats were always against immigration but organized the ones who came. You remember the Reagan Democrats. One of the things they want is the traditional Democratic immigration policy. The republican leadership still likes it's old policy.
As Dogwood pointed out the Dems faction fight is at least as bad. Anyway as in the past 15 or more years 45% will vote republican and 45% democratic and it is anyone guess what the middle 10% will even consider important a year from November.
I don't like the situation any more than you do.
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