Originally Posted by James50

I agree and wonder how anyone could believe that insults are the way to persuade.

James50

Two points:

1. The GOP sound machine (Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, et al) have employed the corollary of that tactic (demonizing) to great effect for thirty years. If reason fails, then why not?
2. You assume that PW wants to persuade.

EDIT: PW made point 2 before i got there, and seems to argue point 1 very well.

Looks like the GOP is bringing out the big gun to try to pull Corwin through -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...cFiG_blog.html

American Crossroads going up with ads in NY-26 special election

American Crossroads, a conservative-aligned outside group, is launching television ads this week in the special election for New York’s 26th district, the latest sign that the race has tightened considerably.

American Crossroads will spent roughly $350,000 this week on broadcast and cable in the Buffalo and Rochester media markets. A second week of ads is already planned with Democratic ad buyers estimating the total Crossroads expenditure to be in the neighborhood of $650,000.

While the ad itself is not yet available, Crossroads spokesman Jonathan Collegio said that “this race has become artificially close because liberal Democrat Jack Davis is now trying to pass himself off as a conservative while the other liberal Democrat, Katie Hochul, is benefiting from his trick.” Added Collegio: “This ad buy seeks to expose the Democrat trick for what it is.”

The race for former Rep. Chris Le e’s (R) Upstate seat was not expected to be close. Arizona Sen. John McCain (R) carried the district by six points in 2008 and national Democratic strategists initially downplayed its competitiveness.

But, the decision by Davis, a well-heeled political gadfly who ran for the seat as a Democrat in 2006 and 2008, to enter the race as an independent aligned with the tea party has re-oriented the winning equation for both parties.

Davis has already loaned his campaign more than $2 million and polling suggests that his rise has complicated what should have been a relatively pedestrian victory by state Assemblywoman Jane Corwin (R). (Corwin has gone on the attack against Davis by noting his Democratic past in an ad.)

That splitting of the Republican vote has allowed Hochul a viable path to victory just two weeks out from the May 24 special election.

National Democrats have yet to invest in television ads in support of Hochul’s candidacy, but they have spent upwards of $50,000 in coordinated funds on the race and have raised a similar amount into her campaign.

It’s not clear whether the Crossroads buy and the perceived closeness of the special election will entice the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to buy air time of its own in the district.

“American Crossroads’ desperate ad buy for Jane Corwin shows ... the issues are effectively moving the needle in what should be safe Republican seat,” said Josh Schwerin, a DCCC spokesman in a statement after the acnnouncement.

The House Majority PAC, a Democratic-affiliated group formed earlier this year to raise and spend money in House races, said only that it is ”keeping very close tabs” on the contest.

The national Dems need to get behind this not only to possibly create a harbinger of death for the GOP in 2012 but put the House GOP back on their collective heels and bring disarray to their legislative schemes between now and the election. Gawd, sometimes when it comes to fighting the good fight, the Dems do come off as a bunch of clueless teetotallers. Blah...

Also, I was partially wrong in my reading of this. The t-bagger candidate is taking a significant draw from the GOP standard candidate. Here the Dem goes after both of them –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU2lH...layer_embedded

Originally Posted by playwrite

Also, I was partially wrong in my reading of this. The t-bagger candidate is taking a significant draw from the GOP standard candidate. Here the Dem goes after both of them –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU2lH...layer_embedded

Are you making that judgment because the Democratic candidate put up an ad that attacked both, or do you have some other source of information? Seems to me that advertising the Tea Party candidate (even in a negative way) so as to raise his name recognition would be a good, if underhanded, strategy. That is, it's very much in Hochul's interest to try to turn this into a three-way contest.

Originally Posted by playwrite

Looks like the GOP is bringing out the big gun to try to pull Corwin through -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...cFiG_blog.html



The national Dems need to get behind this not only to possibly create a harbinger of death for the GOP in 2012 but put the House GOP back on their collective heels and bring disarray to their legislative schemes between now and the election. Gawd, sometimes when it comes to fighting the good fight, the Dems do come off as a bunch of clueless teetotallers. Blah...

Also, I was partially wrong in my reading of this. The t-bagger candidate is taking a significant draw from the GOP standard candidate. Here the Dem goes after both of them –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU2lH...layer_embedded

When Democrats have a chance to win an R+10 district, then either

(1) the Democrats have an unusually strong candidate

(2) the Republican candidate has a problem (like a scandal)

or

(3) something is wrong with the Republican Party.

Karl Rove sees a potential disaster in this district even if it is but one Congressional seat. I love to see that horrible man squirm.

Originally Posted by Brian Rush

Are you making that judgment because the Democratic candidate put up an ad that attacked both, or do you have some other source of information? Seems to me that advertising the Tea Party candidate (even in a negative way) so as to raise his name recognition would be a good, if underhanded, strategy. That is, it's very much in Hochul's interest to try to turn this into a three-way contest.

The TP guy pulled (I think) mid-20s on the poll that had the GOP gal pulling only low 30s - that's pretty significant and something I missed with my first brush.

Also, this is weird because the TP guy is a former Dem who is a little nuts but with a huge personal wealth. Apparently, he is pulling some away from the Dem but to a much less extent that he's pulling away from the GOP. But anyway, it makes the strategy of given him more attention a little complicated. The GOP gal has done a couple of commercials soley targeted on him - a wolf in sheep's clothes thingee (personally, I have a hard time with picturing any TP person putting on sheep's clothes)

Our Dem gal was on Chris Mathews just a few minutes ago. She came across really well - smart, tough and somewhat independent. Mathews asked for one example were she would oppose the House Dem leadership - she picked no increase in taxes on those making between 200k to 250k because of the hit on small businesses in her district. I disagree with her but for her district that was pretty smart. Also, I'm not so sure that was a message to the small business people but to NYC retirees to her district that make this kind of money in retirement AND still want their Medicare - because they paid for it, by golly! Not sure I agree with that either, but pretty smart on her part.

I hope I don't get slammed for "TP guy" or "GOP gal"


p.s. I'm really pleased that Mathews gave this some national airplay. The National Dems really seem to be asleep at the wheel on this. Kos has covered it of course since it was their polling, but even there it really hasn't caught fire. Early on in 2009, they seemed to be caught in the headlights with the swing to the Right, and now seem to be doing the dazed-and-confused thing again with this possible big swing to the Left.

Okay, sleepy Dems are starting to wake up!

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2...26.php?ref=fpi

Democrats Follow Karl Rove's Lead, Dump Cash Into NY-26

The three-way race to fill the vacant western New York seat vacated by Rep. Chris Lee (R) will get some more national attention in its closing weeks. On the day the Republican super PAC linked to Karl Rove announced it's going up with at least $350,000 worth of TV ads on behalf of GOP candidate Jane Corwin, national Democrats pledged to kick in their own hefty sum to bolster their candidate, Kathy Hochul.

A Democratic source confirmed to TPM that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) "is placing a $250,000 media buy in NY-26."

The dueling big-money ad buys set up a race to watch in the suburbs of Buffalo and Rochester, where the district is located. Normally a reliably Republican enclave, Democrats found a way in after Lee resigned amid scandal. Their way in came in the form of Tea Party candidate Jack Davis, a perennial candidate for the seat who last ran as a Democrat in 2008.

This year, Davis tried to run as both a Republican and Conservative, but was rebuffed and chose a Tea Party line instead. That set him up to split support with Corwin, who a recent poll showed running behind Hochul in the three-way contest.

Democrats would like to cast the race as a referendum on the House budget plan, which includes an end to Medicare as it's currently known -- a plan that voters have not seemed eager to get behind.

House Majority PAC, a Democratic super PAC considering putting money of its own in the race, told reporters earlier on Tuesday that the tight polls are a sign that even the GOP base is wary of the so-called Ryan Budget.

"House Republicans' budget that would kill Medicare and protect tax breaks for millionaires is about as popular as a root canal even in the most Republican districts as this," spokesperson Ryan Rudominer said in a statement.

I just hope Obama is smart enough to stay away from, as pbrower points out, this +10R

I'm feeling really f-in good about this. This AM, I called the DCCC and said I had a check to go for a grand for their Hochul folder. At first, they didn't know what the hell I was talkng about but they sure did everything they could to fake it and keep me on the phone. I feel a little dirty but its still feels good to think I might have help get some lard butts get off their chairs.

Here is a most interesting article about the Washington budget battle and its implications for the next election. It also footnotes some very interesting commentary on taxes, including a table of marginal tax rates since the passage of the 16th amendment. The author doesn't come right out and say it but he thinks there's a good chance Obama will wind up allowing all the Bush tax cuts to expire, which would solve a substantial chunk of the deficit problem, which would be very manageable if they had never passed in the first place. He may do that in the end because the Republicans simply will not compromise and allow any tax increases at all. He also thinks a shutdown is a very real possibility and I agree, even though I still hold my T-bills. . .so far my nerves of steel have paid off. .. .but. . .I don't know how long I'll stick with the strategy.

I listened to Limbaugh today. He is genuinely a bit deranged by the death of Bin Laden, which he clearly feels is a major embarrassment to folks like himself. He was reduced to 1) complaining that the Left wasn't complaining that Bin Laden had been summarily executed and 2) speculating that Bin Laden actually died while being waterboarded aboard a US ship. I do think Bin Laden's death has a good chance of finally breaking down the foreign policy consensus that has lasted all my life. A lot of Dems and Reps now favor giving up Afghanistan. But. . .it has survived much more, as Andy Bacevich points out.

Originally Posted by KaiserD2

Here is a most interesting article about the Washington budget battle and its implications for the next election. It also footnotes some very interesting commentary on taxes, including a table of marginal tax rates since the passage of the 16th amendment. The author doesn't come right out and say it but he thinks there's a good chance Obama will wind up allowing all the Bush tax cuts to expire, which would solve a substantial chunk of the deficit problem, which would be very manageable if they had never passed in the first place. He may do that in the end because the Republicans simply will not compromise and allow any tax increases at all. He also thinks a shutdown is a very real possibility and I agree, even though I still hold my T-bills. . .so far my nerves of steel have paid off. .. .but. . .I don't know how long I'll stick with the strategy.

I'm playing the same game as well, but hedging some with some PMs. It they kill the t-bills with this debt cieling idioacy, I'll be backing up the truck to load up for the longer-term depression that follows - I think that will make up for any temporary lose that occurs immediately before and after the idioacy event.

Originally Posted by KaiserD2

... I do think Bin Laden's death has a good chance of finally breaking down the foreign policy consensus that has lasted all my life. A lot of Dems and Reps now favor giving up Afghanistan. But. . .it has survived much more, as Andy Bacevich points out.

Gawd, I hope you are right about this meme b.s that I have had to listen to since I was a teenager. And for the immediate benefit you mentioned.

Maybe we will no longer have to live with the constrain of "only Nixon could go to China" that has needlessly hamstrung this country's foreign policy for so long. Those that have willfully and knowingly spewed this BS for so long will not change, but maybe a significant number of the people who have lapped this crap up over the years will finally now grow a brain.

Right winger blogs starting to freak -

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/0...g-to-sell-out/

Are New York Tea Partiers Really Willing to Sell Out?


There’s a special election happening in New York’s 26th Congressional District and tea party activists up there look increasingly like they are either being duped or selling out.

There are three candidates in the race, a Republican, a Democrat, and a self-described tea party candidate named Jack Davis. As Democrats are doing more and more around the country, it appears they are setting up Davis to be the spoiler so a Republican can’t win a Republican seat.

Even a cursory look at Davis makes you wonder why the hell anyone would consider him anything related to tea party material.

Davis ran as a Democrat in NY-26 in 2004, 2006, and 2008. His big issue has been trade and protectionism. In fact, Davis’s big plan is imposition of major taxes to rectify trade imbalances. In fact, Davis adopts in large scale ideas from Paul Krugman.

It’s not just that. Davis has been caught on tape yelling at tea party activists who question him, telling them to shut up.

I cannot believe tea party activists in New York would fall for this guy, but many apparently are despite his record and his rhetoric. The irony is that while Davis cannot win, he could be the spoiler to get the Democrat elected. If that happens, the media will use this race to claim voters are rejecting the tea party movement.

Originally Posted by KaiserD2

I listened to Limbaugh today. He is genuinely a bit deranged by the death of Bin Laden, which he clearly feels is a major embarrassment to folks like himself. He was reduced to 1) complaining that the Left wasn't complaining that Bin Laden had been summarily executed

Osama bin Laden was an anathema to the American Left. Just because he was anti-American doesn't mean that he was a Left favorite. Of course we all know how Limbaugh defines patriotism, which means above all else to the ownership and executive elites of the USA.

and 2) speculating that Bin Laden actually died while being waterboarded aboard a US ship.

Oh, come on! It would have been far easier to throw him off a ship! But even at that, what cause would the the Armed Forces of the US (that he admires, but not to have found a way to serve in during the Vietnam War) have for lying about the mode of death of Osama bin Laden? I suppose that Rush Limbaugh depends heavily upon people who think him a valid news source or else rely entirely upon 'news' sources that the Big Fat Slob considers 'reliable'.

I do think Bin Laden's death has a good chance of finally breaking down the foreign policy consensus that has lasted all my life. A lot of Dems and Reps now favor giving up Afghanistan. But. . .it has survived much more, as Andy Bacevich points out.

If after all the military and humanitarian aid the US has lavished upon the Afghan government that government can't hold onto credibility, then maybe it is time to leave.

Kos has an up-to-date summary of the financing going into NY26 as of last night -

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/0...ney?via=blog_1

The lawyers and guns may come later, but for now, what with multiple polls showing a competitive race in this shouldn't-be-competitive R+6 district, the inside-the-Beltway powers are deciding that they need to send money to the NY-26 special election. It started this morning with an announcement from American Crossroads, the Karl Rove-created Super PAC, that they would be putting $650,000 into the race in support of GOPer Jane Corwin.

The television reserve, which includes broadcast in the Rochester and Buffalo markets, will begin Tuesday and run through the day of the election, May 24, according to Democrats tracking media reserves.

The first week's buy is $350K, with the rest reserved for next week. (Despite the decision in Citizens United allowing corporations to donate to Super PACs like Crossroads, most of Crossroads' money still seems to come from wealthy individuals instead. That's mostly the usual multi-millionaire suspects like home builder/Swift Boats creator Bob Perry (who poured in $7 million to Crossroads in the waning days of the '10 election), but $50,000 came from a guy who's late to the right-wing party: Donald Trump.

You might have noticed us getting a little antsy about the DCCC's seeming lack of interest in this race over the last couple weeks, but whether it was our carping or (more likely) the door being opened for them by Crossroads, they've just also decided, this afternoon, to go big as well.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is placing a $250,000 TV ad buy in the race for a vacant western New York congressional seat, according to a knowledgeable Democratic official.

They've also been sending around fundraising e-mails today, trying to scare up a quick $150K from donors by midnight... and it also came out earlier today that they actually have been paying attention to this race in a stealthy fashion, directing nearly $100K to Kathy Hochul's campaign in coordinated funds. In addition, the new House Majority PAC (something of the Dem answer to Crossroads) is also making noises like they're likely to buy ads, although no word on the size of their investment. Hochul's also getting some piecemeal financial help from various House members and other Dem donors like the National Education Association and the Communications Workers.

Meanwhile, there's nary a peep from the NRCC, although with the loaded Crossroads on the scene, they may not need to fork over their own cash; so far, all they've done is provide some robocalling and boots on the ground. (As for third-party indie Jack Davis -- whose presence is the main reason this race is competitive in the first place -- as we reported earlier today, he just pumped in another $500,000 of his own money for ads, but he's sorely lacking in terms of a ground game. Although maybe the endorsement of the Anti New World Order Party might help him make up some of that gap...)

While Gov. Andrew Cuomo has kept a douchey distance from the whole thing, the state's two Senators, Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, are both on the scene with appearances planned, with Schumer showing up this weekend and Gillibrand the weekend before the election. Hochul also has a hard-hitting new ad of her own already running, nailing Corwin for her support for the Medicare-gutting Ryan budget (which has really been the dominant theme of Hochul's advertising all along). If you haven't seen it already, check it out

MSNBC broaden its coverage beyond Mathews with segments on a couple of its morning shows. Not sure what the other outlets are doing with this. Anyone seen anything on CNN or Fox or the three OTA networks?

The politicos are starting to get it (or, making it happen) -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...66hG_blog.html

New York 26: The House GOP majority’s first electoral test

By E.J. Dionne Jr.

....Yes, the poll is from Democratic-leaning sources, but Boehner’s visit shows that Republicans are worried that it accurately captures the dangers in this race for the GOP.

If there was any doubt that the Medicare proposal and national issues are hurting Corwin, consider these comments by Erie County Republican Chairman Nicholas A. Langworthy, reported by the Buffalo News.

“Some will try to make this a national narrative — a referendum on the president and Congress,” Langworthy said. “This is about Western New York values, and it’s about lower taxes and greater personal responsibility.” In other words: The national narrative is hurting the GOP, and shrewd Republicans such as Langworthy want the race to be about something else.

Several caveats: The significance of any given special election is almost always exaggerated. Hochul still has to be rated the underdog, since Republicans have a couple of weeks to pound down Davis’s third-party vote and move a share of his supporters to Corwin.

Nonetheless, this race is a warning to Republicans about the potency of the Medicare issue and the related matter of the party’s resistance to any tax increases, even on wealthy. And for those of us who see the House Republican majority as vulnerable in 2012, a Hochul victory would suggest that the Tea Party/conservative surge peaked in 2010 and that we are entering a new political phase — not so much a clear progressive surge as a reaction against conservative overreaching. Keep an eye on the 26th.

Just one thing to say about that Washington Post piece. While it's true that the immediate dynamic is "a reaction against conservative overreaching," that doesn't mean we don't also have a "clear progressive surge" going on. It showed clearly in 2006 and 2008. It even showed in 2010 if one reads the signs right. But I can see the narrative coming from the talking heads, painting a false picture of reciprocal overreach, first by the Democrats and then by the Republicans, to bolster the idea that the voters prefer a centrist position.

(Of course, the voters always prefer a "centrist" position by definition -- but that only means they prefer what they prefer. "Centrist" in that sense, and "centrist" in the sense of a triangulation between the positions adopted by the Democrats and the Republicans, are not the same thing. The voters' center is, I believe, considerably to the left of the triangulation center.)

The Village is making this error because of a misunderstanding of the implications of a single word: Independent. We know that the number of so-called independent voters has been growing over the past years, at the expense of both Republican and Democratic party identification. But what does this mean? Why are a growing percentage of the voters unwilling to tag themselves with a party label? Is it because the voters are growing more "moderate," disaffected from the partisan extremes? Not necessarily. I am an independent. Am I a moderate? Bernie Sanders is an independent. Is he a moderate? Many of the Tea Party activists call themselves independents. Are they moderates?

No, no, and no, obviously. There is more than one reason to be disillusioned with the Democrats or the Republicans. Many of the independents are strongly liberal, and dislike the Democrats because they too often sell out to the corporate interests, as do the Republicans. I know these people personally; hell, I'm one of them. I'm less familiar with our opposite number on the other end of the political spectrum, hard-core right-wingnuts who are scornful of the Republicans, but I know they exist. I know, because I was part of the dialog leading up to it on the left-wing blogs, that last year's election was in large part driven by a boycott of Democratic candidates by progressive voters in order to "send a message" to them that they needed to live up to the hype. (My argument opposing this idea was that it would not clearly send that message, but would likely be misinterpreted as reinforcing the "overreach" narrative. Obviously, I was right.)

The 2012 election may well be about Republican overreach. The 2010 election, however, was certainly not about Democratic overreach, except insofar as it energized the right wing of the voters. The Democrats might well have won the election in spite of this, or anyway not lost nearly as badly, if they had not underreached -- if they had not shown themselves to be sellouts, and created the impression that the progressive campaign of 2008 was a snow job. After all, even the most energized right-wing voter only gets one vote. And less underreach, more genuine progressivism in 2009-10, might have motivated more left-wing voters to go to the polls.

In short, support for a "centrist" position triangulating between the two parties is not very strong. If we had a real contest between the Republican wingnuts who are currently provoking such a bad reaction and Democrats genuinely pursuing a progressive agenda, we would I believe see the latter win clearly. What we have had, however, is a situation in which the GOP is being true to its principles (such as they are) while the Democrats are not. And so progressive voters, while thanks to GOP overreach they now have something significant to vote against, don't have much to vote for.

Silver has pointed out that although the Democrat may win, it won't have any national significance unless she gets at least 45% or so. Winning because of a right-wing split will be nice but it won't prove much.

You know. . .this is a little scary. . .with all these huge fortunes constantly being created, we could see a lot of spoiler third-party candidates like this one.

Originally Posted by KaiserD2

Silver has pointed out that although the Democrat may win, it won't have any national significance unless she gets at least 45% or so. Winning because of a right-wing split will be nice but it won't prove much.

It does show the divisions within the GOP, just as the losses last year of the Delaware, Nevada, and Colorado Senate races did. This underscores what I was saying above, that there are lots of "independents" who are anything but moderate. Pressure is being put on the Republicans from the right, by "conservatives" who are disgusted with the GOP. We have progressives disgusted with the Democrats, too. We are just starting to see similar pressure being put on the Democratic Party from the left. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

This sort of divisiveness is typical of 4T politics, of course.

Granted the results don't mean this hardcore Republican House seat is really, suddenly becoming blue. That would be pretty unlikely on the face of it.

The division of the GOP could help the Democrats--or it could mean a complete tea party take over of the GOP. The nightmare that has bothered people for 40 years, that parimaries would allow extremists to dominate our politics, is coming to pass. Every single Republican in Washington appears to be crapping their pants in fear of the tea Party. They are even talking about taking out Orrin Hatch, for god's sake.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dai...kdown-in-ny-26

Breaking: Campaign Smackdown In NY-26?
BY Celeste Katz

In a wild video being circulated tonight by the Erie County GOP and the National Republican Campaign Committee, a GOP volunteer (along with his camera) is shown apparently getting smacked down by NY-26 candidate Jack Davis and an assistant. The scuffle took place after Davis, who's running on a Tea Party line, received the endorsement of former NY-26 hopeful and fellow veteran David Bellavia at a Greece veterans' event.

Team Davis shrugged off the incident -- seemingly fueled by Davis' decision not to participate in a WGRZ debate -- as "histrionics" and said it proves nothing: "This is a deliberate harassment and attempt at intimidation by campaign operatives desperate to keep Jack from getting to Washington," said Davis spokesman Curtis Ellis. "They're harassing him and tracking him and trying to prevent him from getting in his own car... They're trying to get some video they can trick up and make to look more like it is. This is a non-event. This is a nothingburger." (More after the video.)

Originally Posted by playwrite

I hope I don't get slammed for "TP guy" or "GOP gal"

I think that "TP", "GOP", and "Dem" are perfectly neutral and appropriate terms for Tea Partiers, Republicans, and Democrats.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by KaiserD2

The division of the GOP could help the Democrats--or it could mean a complete tea party take over of the GOP.

That would also help the Democrats. The Tea Party agenda has very limited appeal.

The nightmare that has bothered people for 40 years, that parimaries would allow extremists to dominate our politics, is coming to pass. Every single Republican in Washington appears to be crapping their pants in fear of the tea Party. They are even talking about taking out Orrin Hatch, for god's sake.

Yes, but the further that proceeds, the more marginal it will make the Republican Party. The Tea Party can win Republican primaries, but it has a harder time winning general elections. The Republicans should have won the Senate races in Delaware, Colorado, and Nevada last year. They didn't, because Tea Party candidates won the GOP primaries. (It was still close in Nevada. Against a less cartoonish opponent, I'm convinced Harry Reid would have been history.) It's a real tough situation the party faces. The GOP base is shrinking. The moderates increasingly desert the party, register as independents, and in many states consequently can't vote in Republican primaries, leaving control of the primaries to the crazies. But crazies have a harder time winning the general. It's all a long-term consequence of the poison dinner that LBJ served the party when he signed the Civil Rights Act and so put the South up for grabs. The Republicans grabbed. Now they're paying the price.

Thing is, though, the Tea Party isn't the only activist movement out there, nor is it the biggest, it's just the one that the mainstream media (which are typically clueless) pays any attention to. The biggest movement is on the left, and will target the Democrats rather than the GOP. We've only started hearing from that. Stay tuned.

Originally Posted by Brian Rush

I'm less familiar with our opposite number on the other end of the political spectrum, hard-core right-wingnuts who are scornful of the Republicans, but I know they exist.

I assume you realize that in that statement, by implication, you called yourself a hard-core-left-wingnut.

Originally Posted by JustPassingThrough

I assume you realize that in that statement, by implication, you called yourself a hard-core-left-wingnut.

LOL well, let's just say that I wouldn't be surprised to hear myself called something similar by conservatives. It's all in the viewpoint.

I take being called a Leftist Loony as a compliment.

Originally Posted by KaiserD2

The division of the GOP could help the Democrats--or it could mean a complete tea party take over of the GOP. The nightmare that has bothered people for 40 years, that primaries would allow extremists to dominate our politics, is coming to pass. Every single Republican in Washington appears to be crapping their pants in fear of the tea Party. They are even talking about taking out Orrin Hatch, for god's sake.

A Tea Party takeover of the GOP would transform the Republican party into a fringe Party -- like the States' Rights party of Strom Thurmond or the American Independent Party that George Wallace eventually refuted. This is much as if Marxists had started taking over the Democratic Party with an internal purge, in which case the Democratic Party would itself be doomed.

America now has no real conservative party -- just a small wing within the Democratic Party. The Republican party has largely cast off the genuine conservatives who respect legal precedent and due process in favor of cranky rage. We are going to miss the likes of Bob Dole and John Warner. It is entirely possible that the Democrats will make huge gains in Congress -- many of those conservatives.

In the aftermath of the elections of 2006 and 2008 I had made the prediction that the Republican Party could be headed toward irrelevance. Although they regained control of the House in 2010 their behavior has become a travesty -- extremist efforts to hamstring the political process so that if they don't get their way, then nobody gets his way even if the consequences are national calamity.