Do you think with recent events (I'm arguing that since Bush won re-election that as of November the Rep position was strong) that the current Republican admin has shot itself in the foot?
Since the election a big (and surprizingly sensible) discussion amongst many democrats and liberals has been whether the Democratic Party as it was known is over. Nothing madly dramatic - simply a means to construct a new set of policies to base the party on. But weirdly, over the last 4-5 months the Republican Party has divided incredibly fast. I think it's fair to say that under GWBush, a new type of conservative Republicanism emerged. One that embraces big government but in a weird way. Anyhoo, what with the admin and the Rep-led Congress jumping feet first into things like baseball and the Schiavo case, I get the feeling that the cracks have really opened up. So much so that commentators are turning on each other, and factions have begun to happily define themselves. I really think this is the turning point and the rot has set in.
Whaddya think? Is this the turning point? And do you think the Dems can unite and take initiative?
I think you're going to see two versions of the Republican party. One is the party of Eisenhower, prudent fiscal responsibility, lowers taxes, etc, and the other is the weird fundamentalist scared of bottoms and furriners unless they're illegal laborers, if you don't support us you're a traitor party.
I'd vote for the first one in a heartbeat.
George's approval rate is slipping
http//www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20050325/1a_bottomstrip25_dom.art.htm
I'm astonished lately to be totally honest. First Congress focuses its entire attention on whether some idiots took steroids in baseball, then they go nutso and directly interfere in a personal medical case. They're making a mockery of Federalism. Conservative and Republican commentators are saying things that I would never have imagined them saying before. Since the re-election they've taken the idea of a mandate as being ordaned by God to change the morals of this country.
The Schiavo case for me is the straw that broke the camels back for me simply because nuttier things are being said. Take this from William Bennett regards Schiavo - "It is a mistake to believe that the courts have the ultimate say as to what a constitution means." Really! That isn't what the Supreme Court is for? Or take Peggy Noonan's comments that a dark group of liberal judges want to murder Terri Shiavo because it is "half in love with death." This from a Presidential speechwriter! It's an absurd claim, especially when you look at which courts and judges have done what - Florida's appeals court eight times; the Florida Supreme Court five times; US federal courts five times; the US Supreme Court three times. I'd hardly call that evidence of a liberal plot to murder her. And as we all know, the US Supreme Court is a bastion of liberal thought.
And then you get the demented statement from John Gibson on Fox that "Jeb Bush should give serious thought to storming the Bastille" and take Schiavo to a private hospital facility and do as they please. Nutters! But the point is that the cracks have appeared. On blogs and on talk radio I've rea and heard hundreds of people saying that this is too much. Bush Republicanism is trying to change the culture of life, and people are pissed.
Part of the reason you're seeing the Republican party fracture so much is the Christian Coalition / Moral Majority / Jerry Falwell types. They're all about the unseparation of Church and State, that we should be a Fine Upstanding Christian Nation. The trouble is the regular Republicans really aren't all that fond of the concept of a theocracy, and the fundies want an Old Testament type of thing. None of that love thy neighbor and help poor people rubbish. Sort of the Christian version of Sharia law. There are those who consider the current Administration to be a rabidly intolerant fundamentalist bunch of freaks who really don't care about Peak Oil, destroying the ozone layer, species extinction or any of that hippy nature stuff because they're all about that loony toons End Times Here Comes Jeebus And The Rapture. Which basically translates to let's rip everybody off as much as we possibly can, **** everyone else up, because none of this matters becuase we're going to live with Jeebus while the rest of you die in atomic flames because we're Good Christians.
Of course, this is starting to filter through the MSM, the only thing Chimpy's got even slightly decent approval figures on is this War on Terra, everything else he's dropping down into the toilet - remember how atrocious his approval was before 9/11? Now with gas prices through the roof, jackbooted federal thugs threatening to invade hospitals, nobody really getting busted for these pension rip-offs, the heartland losing jobs like crazy, the economy puttering along but not really catching, all this scaremongering about bottoms, the whole color-coded Be Afraid And Stay Afraid Because We're The Only Ones Who Can Protect You - Remember To Stay Afraid!!!!, this whole 'outsourcing' craze, people are starting to realise that maybe voting for Dubya wasn't a great idea and that he really doesn't know what he's doing. But he's a Good Christian so we have to support him as part of our Christian Murrican Duty. And at least he isn't lying about getting a hummer in the Oval Office.
/weird how lying about booty is worse than than changing the excuse for war at least three times.
//I really don't get it and look at the whole situation like a really twisted car accident that you can't help but watch.
[edited due to the site going all wibbly]
people are starting to realise that maybe voting for Dubya wasn't a great idea
....if only they'd realized before the election.... :x
I agree with all of the above. I think not only is the republican party beginning to polarize in preparation for the new election, I feel that a few people are beginning to realize that the American system doesn't work.
The USD is in the toilet, the US is a rapidly declining economic superpower, the education system is a mess, healthcare is a mess, foreign policy is an unmitigated disaster and there are more and more commentators asking why.
As much as middle America thinks the UK et al are a bunch of raving socialist lunatics there are plenty of people starting to voice the questions.
Why do we work so hard and vacation so little?
Why are we invading everybody?
Why does it bankrupt us when we get old because of the chance of a catastrophic illness?
when I regale my colleagues at work with the details of living in a European community country they are absolutely shell shocked and cannot understand why things here are so hard.
I agree with every word you say Bungle o
Think I should go and have a lie down. wink