General Discussion

pampango

(24,692 posts) Thu Feb 7, 2013, 03:37 PM Feb 2013

"Republicans and Fox News are moving to purge the controversial political creatures they created."

As Dick Morris and Sarah Palin find themselves without a cable-news home, and Karl Rove launches a controversial initiative to keep the most ridiculous Republicans from winning primaries, a subtle pattern seems to be emerging. Indeed, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen reported overnight, "Republicans and Fox News are moving to purge the controversial political creatures they created."

It led Jon Chait to raise an excellent point: "In order to purge a party of crankish and bigoted sentiments, you would need to identify what those sentiments are."

Quite right. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), for example, is labeled on the new cover of Time magazine as the Republican Party's "savior." It comes a day after his party tapped the young Floridian to give the GOP's response to President Obama's State of the Union address, and against the backdrop of assumptions that Rubio will seek national office at the next available opportunity.

Maybe now would be a good time to note the blurred line between GOP "cranks, haters and bigots" and the rest of the party? Let's use Rubio, the Republican "savior," as an example. Rubio doesn't accept climate science, thinks the age of the planet is a theological question, and opposes marriage equality. Remember the Blunt Amendment that would have empowered employers to deny birth-control coverage to their employers? It was originally known as the "Blunt-Rubio Amendment." Rubio is part of a shrinking fringe that opposes the Violence Against Women Act, embraces strange conspiracy theories involving gun control, and thinks George W. Bush was a "fantastic" president.

On the surface, if Republicans intend to "marginalize the cranks, haters and bigots," that would be a positive development for a radicalized party dominated by extremists. But what happens when the party realizes it doesn't have a moderate wing and it's cranks and rising stars believe in roughly the same far-right ideology?

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/02/07/16886649-what-the-cranks-haters-and-bigots-believe

If Rubio represents a republican turn towards moderation, they are really screwed.

8 replies

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Highlight:

"Republicans and Fox News are moving to purge the controversial political creatures they created." (Original Post) pampango Feb 2013 OP

The only reason Rubio is their savior is that he is younger, cuban and in a better suit....n/t monmouth3 Feb 2013 #1

correct.. DCBob Feb 2013 #3

They're all about appearance rather than substance. drm604 Feb 2013 #2

I can't say I blame them Puzzledtraveller Feb 2013 #4

Time should have a Big Fat Question Mark after "savior". It would Cha Feb 2013 #5

Excellent Charlie Pierce piec on Rubio's Time Cover.. he thinks they'll "regret this one bitterly".. Cha Feb 2013 #6

Boy they must really be taking that comment about being the stupid party hard. Initech Feb 2013 #7

To me he looks like another Mitt Romney thucythucy Feb 2013 #8

monmouth3

(3,871 posts)

1. The only reason Rubio is their savior is that he is younger, cuban and in a better suit....n/t

Reply to pampango (Original post)

Thu Feb 7, 2013, 03:42 PM

Feb 2013

DCBob

(24,689 posts)

3. correct..

Reply to monmouth3 (Reply #1)

Thu Feb 7, 2013, 04:52 PM

Feb 2013

They often dont think much beyond superficial qualities in a political candidate.

drm604

(16,230 posts)

2. They're all about appearance rather than substance.

Reply to pampango (Original post)

Thu Feb 7, 2013, 04:48 PM

Feb 2013

Their policies aren't in the best interest of the majority of the electorate, so they depend on spin, obfuscation, and misdirection.

When the current propaganda stops working, and the people start to realize their true goals, they act as if those goals are only those of a fringe, and launch a new and different PR campaign, but underneath it all they still have the same goals.

Puzzledtraveller

(5,937 posts)

4. I can't say I blame them

Reply to pampango (Original post)

Thu Feb 7, 2013, 04:53 PM

Feb 2013

At one time I was a republican, when they went full on moonbat I had enough. No going back.

Cha

(297,240 posts)

5. Time should have a Big Fat Question Mark after "savior". It would

Reply to pampango (Original post)

Thu Feb 7, 2013, 05:42 PM

Feb 2013

a hellava lot more plausible. And, I guessing the Answer is a big fat NO!

Republicon Creep? Yeah!

Cha

(297,240 posts)

6. Excellent Charlie Pierce piec on Rubio's Time Cover.. he thinks they'll "regret this one bitterly"..

Reply to pampango (Original post)

Thu Feb 7, 2013, 07:19 PM

Feb 2013

My money's on the fact that, sooner or later, Time is going to regret this one bitterly. The scramble in the courtier press to revive the Republican brand because some Republicans are going out of their way to claim that they're reviving the brand is one of the more unseemly journalistic escapades of recent years. It is all about whether New Slogans will sell. It is all about the careful nurturing of Bright New Stars (see above) or Young Old Favorites (There seems to be a move afoot to rebuild Paul Ryan as the Giant National Figure he was said to be before Willard Romney picked him and Ryan turned into Sarah Palin with barbells.). It is not in anyway about the fact that, young or old, famous or obscure, any Republican is still wedded to extremist ideology on things like the economy and the environment and the rights of women, and that some little head-fake toward common sense on immigration is not going to be enough to achieve liftoff, no matter how much hot air you blow into his image.

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/Cover_Story#ixzz2KFWzbkHj

The Republicans need to change their ideas, not how they sell them

Thanks pampango