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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMatt Taibbi: On Christmas, Republicans Quietly Declare War on Themselves
On Christmas, Republicans Quietly Declare War on Themselves
By Matt Taibbi
POSTED: December 30, 11:45 AM ET
snip//
The news came in the Wall Street Journal, where the Chamber of Commerce disclosed that it will be teaming up with Republican establishment leaders to spend $50 million in an effort to stem the tide of fools who have overwhelmed Republican ballots in recent seasons. Check out the language Chamber strategist Scott Reed used in announcing the new campaign:
Our No. 1 focus is to make sure, when it comes to the Senate, that we have no loser candidates
That will be our mantra: No fools on our ticket.
The blunt choice of words is no accident. All year long, as theyve crept closer and closer to having to face the reality of a Ted Cruz presidential candidacy in 2016 (with Cruz maybe picking recently-redeemed Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson as his more moderate running mate?), the Beltways Republican kingmakers have drifted into ever more alarmist language about the need to change course.
Its been a transparent effort to reassure industry donors that the party's future isn't a bottomless pit of brainless Bachmanns and Cruzes and Santorums, all convinced our Harvard-educated president is a sleeper-cell Arab and that Satan is a literal being intent on conquering Nebraska with U.N. troops.
snip//
Theres almost no end to the comedy of this story. First of all, theres the sheer size of the endowment. Fifty million dollars is enough money to fund half a dozen or more Senate campaigns. That the big-business donors who traditionally have funded the Republican Party believe they need to make that kind of monster investment just to keep fools from getting on the ballot of a party they basically control is an incredible reflection of the state of things on that side of the political aisle.
Then, of course, theres the irony. Men like Karl Rove and Dick Armey practically invented the politics of stupid. In fact, they practically invented the politics of winning millions of votes every time some oversexed cosmopolitan liberal of the Matt Damon/Sean Penn genus used words like dumb or stupid to describe the preoccupations of Middle Americas God-and-guns culture.
To see these same Beltway Svengalis trapped now in this crazy role reversal, denounced by the far right for being the same kind of condescending establishment snot-bags they themselves spent decades trying to find and campaign against well, thats just seriously funny.
more...
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/on-christmas-republicans-quietly-declare-war-on-themselves-20131230
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Matt Taibbi: On Christmas, Republicans Quietly Declare War on Themselves (Original Post)
babylonsister
Dec 2013
OP
pacalo
(24,721 posts)1. A lot of snicker-worthy goodies...
If you spend years letting your voters think Saddam Hussein was an agent of al-Qaeda, that passing a national health care program will result in the formation of Stalinist "death panels," or that Barack Obama is secretly a foreigner, youre going to end up with some loopy candidates prone to saying crazy things that will turn off voting majorities, which in turn will make it hard to the deliver policy objectives you actually care about for your big-money donors.
The Republican establishment is only just figuring this out. Hence this new $50 million initiative, which according to the WSJ will involve the Chamber working with party leaders inan aggressive effort to groom and support more centrist Republican candidates.
But this sudden decision by the partys Washington establishment to reverse course and blame their failures on "fools" out there in the heartland is a joke. If you spend a decade treating your constituents like morons, you cant point the finger at them when your party gets a reputation for being stupid.
Youre going to make George "Is our children learning?" Bush the face of your party for eight years and then turn around and call your voters stupid? Jesus. No wonder they decided to make the move during Christmas.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/on-christmas-republicans-quietly-declare-war-on-themselves-20131230
The Republican establishment is only just figuring this out. Hence this new $50 million initiative, which according to the WSJ will involve the Chamber working with party leaders inan aggressive effort to groom and support more centrist Republican candidates.
But this sudden decision by the partys Washington establishment to reverse course and blame their failures on "fools" out there in the heartland is a joke. If you spend a decade treating your constituents like morons, you cant point the finger at them when your party gets a reputation for being stupid.
Youre going to make George "Is our children learning?" Bush the face of your party for eight years and then turn around and call your voters stupid? Jesus. No wonder they decided to make the move during Christmas.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/on-christmas-republicans-quietly-declare-war-on-themselves-20131230
babylonsister
(171,066 posts)2. Great article! Maybe elsewhere would have been better?
pacalo
(24,721 posts)4. It sure was! The day has finally come that I've waited for -- the craziness of the GOP has finally
come home to roost. You reap what you sow!
Maybe elsewhere would have been better?
In regard to what, sis?
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,328 posts)3. I have (I think we all have) been saying this for years.
They courted idiots for years and now are surprised the idiots want a hand on the helm.
I only hope they have reached a critical mass of stupid and end up in the dust bin of history.
pacalo
(24,721 posts)5. I do, too, HBS!