by Len Hart, The Existentialist CowboyThe GOP is a disciplined monolith. Even when the GOP screws up and runs an idiot like George W. Bush or John McCain, there is the danger that he will win because, on election day, the GOP will close ranks, hold their noses and vote the party line. Liberal Democrats for whom Clinton or Obama are too conservative will pout and stay home. Worse --conservative Democrats will join the evil minions and vote for a Bush Jr or a John McCain. The Democratic party, meanwhile, doesn't have the luxury of settling for a 'base hit' in a game in which there are only home runs. For the Democrats, that is! The GOP has the luxury of just putting a man on base! Democrats don't have the luxury of nominating anything less than a JFK or an FDR. The left wing world wide is a disorganized amalgam of differing opinions, sitting ducks for a disciplined, Nazi-like top down party like the GOP where issues are not derived from the people but from focus groups, consultants and think tanks who literally manufacture issues based upon how well they 'test'. What really hurts is that for their talk about 'the base', the GOP owes its allegiance to the richest one percent of the US population, a moneyed segment that plays and wins because it writes the rules.
Voting green ...is a luxury of the middle class, who will more or less fare equally well materially under either major party. Yes, there are social issues, but keep in mind that Bush was chosen as the GOP's dream candidate in part because is soft on abortion. Middle-class women are the key swing voters in this election, an there are a lot of pro-choice soccer moms who lean Republican.There are two options left to Democrats.
The most active segment of the GOP base is pro-life, but the majority of people in this country are not and the Republican thinkers and money men know it. Bush is not a 'stealth' candidate; he comes from Eastern moneyed Republicans; his dad despised the Christian GOP activists (and the feeling was mutual). Gore knows this, which is why he feels the need to protest (too much) that Bush really is pro-life ---it's been the Democrat's hole-card for so long he can't bear to feel the tactical advantage slowly slipping away from him. --Nate Blakeslee, Texas Observer, Nov 3, 2000
- Find a long term wedge issue that will split the GOP right down the middle. Exploit it!
- Support sweeping electoral/election reforms that will ensure that every vote counts in every race --borda counts, range voting, abolition of the primary system, direct elections et al
Why I moderate comments
- SPAM: 'comments' that link to junk, 'get rich' schemes, scams, and nonsense! These are the worst offenders.
- Ad hominem attacks: 'name calling' and 'labeling'. That includes the ad hominem: 'truther' or variations!
Also see:
- A Spiritual Mind Movie
- How the US Became a Vassal State of China
- Terrorism is Worse Under GOP Regimes
- The US Army Document That Proves the US is the World's Number One Sponsor of World Terrorism
- Dissecting the Scrambled Brains of the GOP
- Why the CIA is the World's Number One Terrorist Organization
[w/LINKS] - Why the CIA is the World's Number One Terrorist Organization [PDF]
- How the GOP Pays Off its 'Base' of Elites
Add to Google
Add Cowboy Videos to Google 
Spread the word
7 comments:
A very insightful commentary. Although the Hoffman thing seems to suggest that the GOP will in fact do what you accuse the left of doing -- push for self-destructive purity.
I can see the stratefgic value of fanning the flames as you mention, by raising the focus on those divisive issues. But it is depressing to have to game the system in that way, rather than actuallyy fix the underlying problem with the voting method using score voting.
As for Borda, it may be better than what we have now, but it seems to produce some rather troubling results when voters are strategic. Unlike score voting, which counter-intuitively continues to thrive even when strategy is applied.
broken ladder said...
the Hoffman thing seems to suggest that the GOP will in fact do what you accuse the left of doing -- push for self-destructive purity.
I have said the GOP is top down and disciplined. But, as Ron Paul has shown, there is a modicum of dissent within the ranks. The push for purity becomes self-destructive when the number of disaffected by it begins to outnumber the good soldiers. Given the demographics of the GOP, this is a long shot.
I can see the strategic value of fanning the flames as you mention, by raising the focus on those divisive issues. But it is depressing to have to game the system in that way...
Indeed! But it's come to that. The GOP won the first round many years ago. I've often said that the US is stuck with two wings of a single party. I say that because the PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT, typified by Eugene Debs and his running mate, Job Harriman, lost! Debs was sent to prison. After losing his bid for V.P, Harriman ran for mayor of Los Angeles. Bad choice. At the time, L.A. was called the 'scabbiest town on earth' and was already enthrall to the Chandlers, the L.A. Times, the arch-enemies of labor and determined to crush them.
There is always the possibility that this kind of repression will go too far and inspire the revolutions that several generations of 'socialists' have dreamed would occur. I'm still waiting. Most of us are consigned to 'workin' for da man'!
[Borda] may be better than what we have now, but it seems to produce some rather troubling results when voters are strategic.
The main point being --SCRAP AND DESTROY THE LAST VESTIGES OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE. If a 'President' is to represent the PEOPLE of the U.S. the frickin' states should just get the fuck out of the way. 'We don' need no steenkin electoral college' distorting the will of the people.
I think 'preference voting' is to be preferred on Borda specificially but am happy to leave the specifics to the math majors. Point being --a BETTER system is possible. I support efforts to find it and implement it!
The status quo sucks and will continue to enslave us unless something is done NOW to break the strangle hold that just one percent of the US population has subjected us to.
According to the CIA World fact book -
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
US - lowest 10% = 2%
highest 10% = 30% (2007 est.)
MEXICO -
lowest 10% = 1.8%
highest 10% = 37.9% (2006)
So actually inequality of income distribution in the US seems to be less severe in the US than Mexico, not much greater as the blog states.
Thanks for a wonderful article. I wonder what that "wedge" issue might be which will split the Republicans?
samiam5211 said...
So actually inequality of income distribution in the US seems to be less severe in the US than Mexico, not much greater as the blog states.
Those stats do not address the issue of either 'income' or 'wealth' distribution.
I doubt that 95 percent of Mexico's wealth is OWNED by just ONE percent of its population as is the case in the US.
mikeb302000 said...
I wonder what that "wedge" issue might be which will split the Republicans?
It is the HOLY GRAIL of political consultancy. When I find it, I will happily accept KNIGHTHOOD and share this HOLY GRAIL with the FREE world.
The great strength of democracy is that people of varying opinions can voice their differences without rancor. The strict application of Socratic dialogue should, ideally allow the strongest ideas and most pragmatic solutions to emerge. In the best circumstances the process will produce some acceptable compromise or even a wholly new solution that didn't exist before the discussion.
That just isn't happening in America anymore, which should cause a lot of worry. It hasn't been happening for a long time on the right, and unfortunately the left are already picking up the bad habits of their thick-headed opponents.
I remember when the left was a lot stronger than it is today, and one of the things that eroded its power was the perception of monolithic intolerance. The terms that come to mind are knee-jerk, bleeding heart, and Politically Correct. It made it easy for the right to project fear of the Nanny State onto the American conscience.
I've never been a Meat is Murder lefty, I hate tofu and I wear leather shoes. I would no more want those folk to take over than I would the Abortion is Murder crowd. So discipline is one thing -- the Democrats can't let themselves be subdued by Joe LIE-berman and his ilk -- but if it becomes too monolithic it could be a danger, both politically and generally.
Your post brings up a lot of very complex questions Len. Chief among them is how to create a structure that is rigid enough to withstand an assault from the right, but flexible enough to allow the Socratic exchange I allude to above. Looks like what we need is a brilliant architect.
SadButTrue sez...
Chief among them is how to create a structure that is rigid enough to withstand an assault from the right, but flexible enough to allow the Socratic exchange I allude to above. Looks like what we need is a brilliant architect.
The US has never been a Democracy and before it was able to evolve into one it became an empire.
The current system meets the needs of 'empire' very, very well. The MIC lobbyists set up shop on K-Street and 'buy' the politicians they need to keep the public monies greasing their wheels.
We don't have a 'Democracy'; we have a BROKERAGE, a MONEY EXCHANGE!
Even Rome fell, and, like the Soviet Union, the current BROKERAGE will collapse. The best we can do now is to come to some kind of consensus about what might replace it. That will NOT happen as long as the MEDIA continues to generate the hologram we all live in.
Post a Comment