The 3 Wings of the Republican Party: The Crazies, the Corporatists ... and Democrats

AlterNet / By Drew Westen

The 3 Wings of the Republican Party: The Crazies, the Corporatists ... and Democrats
Democrats must endorse progressive principles again and hammer home the distinction between the party that cares about everyday Americans, not just the wealthy.

June 20, 2011 |


Today's Republican Party has three wings: the psychiatric wing, the corporate wing, and the Democrats.

The first wing, the psychiatric wing, is defined by severe psychological and intellectual impairments, exemplified by the inability to read a birth certificate. Sarah Palin's recent foray into American history, replete with her description of Paul Revere as the man who rang alarms, bells, and buzzers to signal his support for the Second Amendment years before there was either a United States or a Bill of Rights, provides an example of the kind of "gaffe" that is, in fact, psychologically meaningful. This level of intellectual dysfunction, equally common in the pronouncements of Michelle Bachmann, once disqualified a candidate for high office. That was until the "lamestream media" decided to turn elections into reality shows, where the only real criterion is celebrity (defined as the state of being or becoming famous), and where commentators may poke occasional fun but no longer communicate to the public the seriousness of intellectual deficits in someone running for high office who would actually have to make decisions in which "facts" occasionally matter. (The dangerousness of that level of media indifference to reality should have been a lesson of George W. Bush's tenure in office, but things have sadly only gotten worse since then.)

This is the wing of the Republican Party that most endangers the party's chances to turn a dismal economy into an electoral victory in 2012, because it is so far to the right of mainstream America that you can see Russia from its porch (even if it locates that porch in Minnesota). The problem for the Republicans is that this wing of the party constitutes such a large percentage of GOP primary voters that it is hard to imagine any nominee emerging from the primaries without having had to produce so many general election campaign ads for the Democrats that President Obama may well defy political gravity and get re-elected no matter how high the unemployment rate drifts.

The second wing is the corporate wing, also known as the wing-tip wing. Once the home of moderate Republicans such as Bob Dole, this wing used to be slightly to the right of the American center. Its advocates held beliefs now seen as "quaint" by modern-day wing-tips (e.g., that humans evolved the same way other animals did, that a fertilized egg does not hold property rights any more than an omelet does, and that cutting the jobs of hundreds of thousands of teachers, police, and firefighters does not reduce unemployment). ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/news/151345/the_3_wings_of_the_republican_party%3A_the_crazies%2C_the_corporatists_..._and_democrats/

people who have been paying attention know this to be true. wonder how long - if ever - it will take the rest of America to figure it out. :shrug:

After this mess the Democratic Party brand will be forever tarnished.

important to go by the wayside. Please encourage other DUers to engage in this discussion.

that illustrates just how far right the Parties have lurched. :(

Could Bobby Kennedy have been the Democratic nominee for President today? He would be considered too "lefty" for today's Dem leadership. :(

We would be ripped to shreds by the horde here. So here it is from an external source which is being consumed by millions of progressives. Each day that crowd grows and identifies the Democratic Party as subservient to Republican interests.

So, you can whine and make excuses for the Koch-funded DLC and the DP or you can pay attention and realize that the DP has lost it's way and fight the damn party leadership to get it back on course.

Fight the Democratic Party leadership because they are KILLING us! Take back your party. I will not vote for a Rethuglican, even though they may have a (D) after their name!

over and over while expecting different results. The outside of the beltway voters on both sides are getting fed up; if we can't change the party from within then we need a new "old" Democratic party.

or "RetroDem"

aka Progressives. After all, if the newly rebranded, Koch-funded DLC is the Third Way and trickle-down Reaganomics is the Second Way, that would make us the First Way. The DLC types will get it immediately, even if they hate it.

First Way is what Howard Dean meant when he said, "I represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party."

The Wing of Icarus

And that brings us to the third wing of the Republican Party, the Democrats. Their standard-bearer, President Obama, has proven himself perhaps the strongest potential challenger to Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination if he decides to join the debates, having established his conservative bona fides on a wide range of social and economic issues:

* Deporting more immigrants and breaking up more families than George W. Bush (or to put it in more business-friendly language, increasing U.S. "exports" of poorly documented human capital).
* Coming out in support of expanded off-shoring drilling just before the BP catastrophe in the Gulf; repeatedly touting production of a mythical substance (seen only, legend has it, by industry executives) as "clean coal" (widely believed to be found in the Fountain of Youth); and calling for the building of more nuclear plants, which the Japanese have shown to be a safe complement to offshore drilling (perhaps with the hope that water contaminated with radioactive materials discharged into the ocean might prove useful as a dispersant for oil).
* Extending the "Hyde Amendment" to allow GOP lawmakers to exclude abortion coverage from even private health insurance.
* Cutting 120 billion in taxes for the rich while proposing billions in cuts to "entitlements," such as home heating subsidies to people who are poor or elderly.
* Making sure the nation's largest banks remained solvent so they could continue to foreclose on the homes of millions of Americans, whose tax dollars supported the multi-million-dollar bonuses of the executives who continue to refuse to renegotiate their mortgages.
* Saying virtually nothing as Republican governors and state legislators around the country attack organized labor (e.g., remaining almost entirely mum on the Wisconsin law stripping workers of the right to negotiate their contracts).

But that's just the president. We can't blame the party whose name he never utters for the actions or inactions of its titular leader, who prefers to remain "post-partisan."

obviously decided that we on the left are of no value.

"Now, however, for reasons that are impossible to fathom, Democrats are unilaterally disarming in advance of negotiations again, making clear that they plan to let the Republicans off the hook by "putting Medicare on the table," as if seniors will either understand or care which party seems to be selling them out more (or more efficiently) in what will become a he said-she said that is completely avoidable."

This is why we lost the house in 2010. This is why many of us feel completely disenfranchised now.

Yet our Dem leadership completely ignores this fact. I hate to say it but the Democratic party is doomed. It doesn't look good for us.


Bookmarked~
k&r

List of accomplishments!

:rofl:

There, the professional apologists can go home now, I've written your entire contribution for you.

and that's the truth. :dem: I am saving this.

I don't see how it can possibly happen. We can't even get a dialog among politicans about corporate owned media and their
stranglehold on bullshit news. I would like to see the reversal of the Telecommunications Act 1996 too.

K&R

excellent article.
Sorry Obama apologists, but facts are facts.

Hell

or

Hell in a Hand-basket

These are our choices now that democrats actions have become barely distinguishable from republicans actions. Democrats will screw you but will apologize for 'having' to do it. Republicans don't apologize.

What percentage of the democratic party had to be compromised to make it so completely helpless ALL THE TIME? 25% bribed or blackmailed into submission would be a good start. Then you run republicans in primaries and get them elected as democrats. Now you've got about 40% of them and things can really get moving! Add in mystery voting machines whose code no one is allowed to see + endless clouds of media bickering instead of investigative journalism, because opinions are obviously as important as facts, and you are well on your way to economic Utopia! If you're already a billionaire that is.

Endless Right vs Left debates delight the super duper rich as they organize one last worldwide Everything Must Go!! clearance sale...
Up vs Down.. That is the where the action is and always was.

And that brings us to the third wing of the Republican Party, the Democrats. Their standard-bearer, President Obama, has proven himself perhaps the strongest potential challenger to Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination if he decides to join the debates, having established his conservative bona fides on a wide range of social and economic issues:


Shockingly, Obama deported more immigrants than Bush --
Supported off shore oil drilling before and after BP -- and supports "clean coal"
Oil and coal industry are still getting US subsidy from citizens --
Despite the insanity of using nuclear reactors to boil water to make steam,
Obama is supporting a new generation of nuke reactors for US --
and he's given us yet 3 more new trade agreements which will suck more jobs out of America.
Obama proposed cutting subsidies for poor and elderly for heating costs while giving the
rich $120 billion in tax cuts!

Hyde Amendment" extension which prevents obortion coverage, even from private health insurance --


Right wing governments create debt to enslave the public -- renewing the tax cuts for the

rich was doing just that --


Obama also bailed out the banks, despite pressure to Nationalize them as should have been done -

and then Koch Bros/DLC Rahm Emmanuel "crowed" about that fact, telling business how "grateful" they

should be to obama for a long list of benefits passed on by Obama to them, including billions

in contracts for business in the stimulus.

Still standing, the banks could proceed with foreclosures -- a few million of them -- homes of

working Americans who in turn paid for the bail outs and the multi million dollar bonuses

of bank officials who continue to refuse to renegotiate those mortgages.

Fed gave the banks loans at 0% which they invested in Treasury notes paying them 3.5% and

4% interestes -- while refusing to lend money to citizens.

Where is Obama's defense against Republican governors and state legislators attacking

labor/unions? Mute on Wisconsin?


15% unemployment, economy "bordering on depression" -- homelessness, family suffering and

still no universal health care coverage -- while insurance companies continue to raise rates

gouging customers --


Democrats response? Same as GOP -- "Hoover Economics" --

Don't look to government for stimulus/recovery --

We'll be investing more in business -- more free trade -- and more deregulation of business.


Who Misplaced the Democratic Party ... ?

Maybe Koch Bros' funded DLC brought in by Clinton and Gore?

Democrats are even now surrendering before actual negotiations --

Cooperating in allowing Medicare to be put "on the table."



As for the claims that everything is in the hands of Repugs keeping Dems from passing

legislation to move economy forward -- rather this is "entirely Democrat's creation."

In '06, Pelosi confirmed -- "Dems were elected to end the war!"

In '08, Obama/Dems were given supermajority and failed to do what the voters asked them to do.

Stimulus was only 20%/50% of what economists said was necessary -- and Obama settled for less.

76% and more of the public supported and wanted universal health care -- government run --

single payer - MEDICARE FOR ALL --

Yet, again, Koch Bros. DLC Rahm Emmanuel "crows" about Obama having "preserved private health

care system" -- *


We need a real opposing second party -- not this.

Dems are competing for the same corporate bucks -- but in 2010, they got $1 for every $7

that the GOP got -- does that make any sense to anyone?

Wouldn't most us give up a deal like that and bring the party back to working for the people?

Why isn't that happening?

Are the Dems at a crossroads? Is it just a matter of finding a "magic wand" to bring them

back to a progressive agenda -- ? "Fool me once" ... ?

We fool ourselves every time we agree to vote for the "lesser evil" which only moves Dems

further to the right.


Also ... Glad to see the author also suggest that polls be taken with a box of salt!