Saturday, May 2, 2009

GOP Reaches Out [with a withered rotting claw that grasps a jagged poison encrusted dagger that would stab at the soul of humanity]

This is fascinating to me. Republicans are scrambling to redefine themselves in the wake of their defeat in 2006 and again in 2008. According to this article,
“…a group of Republicans are trying to re-frame and re-focus the party.”
Because, as the article explains,
"According to a recent ABC poll, only 21 percent of Americans self-identify as Republicans. That's the lowest number since 1983. And only 39 percent of Republicans themselves [that's 39% of that 21%] say they have faith in congressional Republicans to 'make the right decisions for the country's future.'"
No shit, Sherlock.

It fascinates me because the Republicans still call themselves "conservative" with a straight face, and insist that's what they are. Okay, for the moment we will give them that: Because, if they really want to "re-frame and re-focus" the party, they must do one of two things:
  • They must either return to real conservatism, which they abandoned in favor of neocon adventurism and corporate plutocracy, or
  • They must stop giving disengenuous lip service to conservatism altogether, and admit that the Republican party wants to redefine its political ideology as "whatever it takes to return to power."

The article implies these Republicans want to attract moderates and independents to the party, after they recently left it in droves. But how can they do this without acknowledging that they need to abandon the policies that drove people away, and adopt new ones to entice them to return? And, how can they adopt new policies and still call themselves conservative? Unless, that is, they plan to abandon neoconservatism return to real conservatism, including fiscal restraint and sharply limited involvement in foreign wars. They must also resist new ideas, change, and forward-thinking; and those are some of the things that their lost membership felt was lacking in the first place.

It's okay if they want to re-frame or re-focus the Republican party; heaven knows it could use it. Frankly, I think most Americans could live with a government that included a balanced mix of fiscal conservatives and social liberals (I think that's how most Americans define themselves anyway). But this road show looks to me like a deperate attempt to entice swing voters with disengenuous pandering that belies their intention to continue in the same vein they have for years; the party of corporate powermongers and international strategy game players to whom we are simply pawns. Whoever buy the crap they're selling is getting played.

6 comments:

LeftyLadi said...

I so agree that most Americans would prefer a balanced mix of fiscal conservatives and social liberals. We actually had that mix at one point in history. Repubs need to lose the religious idealogues, the gun nuts and sessionists before moderates and independents will even consider getting back into the party. As the GOP now stands, polarization is rampant. The GOP should kick out the Sarah Palins, Joe the Plumbers, Michelle Bachmanns, Limbaughs, Hannitys and Becks, et al. Their "big tent" meme is laughable. Big Tent meaning neo-conservatives only.

SheaNC said...

All those characters you mention are so bizarre, it's no wonder they think Steven Colbert's TV persona is a real person. And those people are held in esteem by the right! Along with [shudder] Ann Coulter...

Mike of the North said...

I'm a "gun nut" and a hard core leftist..

( borders are an artificial construct, the IWW is my favorite union, George Galloway rocks, capitalism is a cancer that if not dismantled will eventually destroy the world. etc, etc, etc. )

where does that leave me?

Mike of the North said...

btw, the next word verification that appeared for comments was u-rear-a!

kind of reminded me of the little Italian guy in the movie Down by Law,

Buzzoffa!!!

And I'm not saying that anyone is a rear-a. It was just a funny looking almost word... ok, I'll shut up now.

SheaNC said...

Mike - Where does it leave you? Somewhere between the lofty ideals of a better world and the harsh realities of our brutish existence :)

SheaNC said...

"It is a sad and beautiful world..."