Topic: Monday Brief: Intra-party fight

[jpatrickham]

 Read this on the Web at http://patriotpost.us/edition/2011/11/07/brief/
 
         

Brief · November 7, 2011
 
The Foundation

"I suppose, indeed, that in public life, a man whose political principles have any decided character and who has energy enough to give them effect must always expect to encounter political hostility from those of adverse principles."

--Thomas Jefferson

Opinion in Brief

"Intra-party fight"Somewhere around 2004 the Republican Party broke in a new way. The GOP had been riven before -- Taft-Eisenhower, Goldwater-Establishment, Reagan-Ford -- and always healed back. But the split that grew after 2004 was different. Trust broke, and in a time not of peace and prosperity but of crisis. Which made the impact deeper. What is called the tea party is the rightward part of the conservative base. They became angry that they had trusted the Republican establishment during a Republican presidency, only to see that establishment run up huge debt, launch foreign wars, contribute to the surveillance state, and refuse to control America's borders. What made the anger deeper is that they were angry at themselves. They felt complicit: They had not rebelled, they had trusted the party: 'They're the GOP establishment, they must know what they're doing.' What the conservative base had learned by 2008 is: Don't trust the Republican party. Don't trust its establishments. ... The Republicans' challenge now: holding together, and breaking 20th-century stereotypes. They should distance themselves from government even as they prove they can govern, and not only oppose but propose. They should put themselves apart from the rigged, piggish insider life of Washington. And try not to look nuts while they're doing it."

--columnist Peggy Noonan

Political Futures

"[R]ight now, the 'anybody but Mitt' crowd to me looks like a mix of Perry fans who can't believe any conservative could seriously support those jokers Cain and Bachmann, Cain fans who can't believe anybody could back that loser Perry and that loon Bachmann, Bachmann fans who can't believe everybody's jumped off the bandwagon of the one true conservative fighter, Newt fans who can't believe everybody makes such a big deal about his marital difficulties, and so on. I'm not sure anybody has much of a second choice right now, much less a potential consensus choice. I exaggerate slightly, but right now, it doesn't seem as if many primary voters see many of the options as 'pretty good.' The field is simply 'their guy' versus a bunch of laughingstocks who deserve to be booed off the stage."

--National Review's Jim Geraghty

What is your view of the Republican field?

[Libertas]

Geraghty might be closer to the truth (still simplistic and childish though!) than Noonan, the latter having retreated into her Ruling Class country-clubber Repub roots.

"and not only oppose but propose" ? And have the sh*t beat of them like Ryan while the rest of the GOPer's wet themselves in the corner, fearful to boldly defend and promote someone (the effing only one) with a credible plan?!  You think these old guard Repub's are capable of anything other than wetting their pants?

"And try not to look nuts while they're doing it." ! Right out of the Ruling Class playbook!

Up yours, Peggy!

 

[IronDioPriest]

Jim Geraghty missed a swath: those who don't have a "guy", but who instead place their eggs in the "principles" basket, and are just looking for someone to convince them that they will faithfully carry the basket, and who have run out of options in the current field.

[Pandora]

Jim Geraghty missed a swath: those who don't have a "guy", but who instead place their eggs in the "principles" basket, and are just looking for someone to convince them that they will faithfully carry the basket, and who have run out of options in the current field.

Exactly.  It's not the "guy" who matters so much as how he intends to care for that basket and what's in it.

I have to admit I care less about whether the "guy" knows "how to run for election" than his or her own principles.  Newt is a great example; he's the ultimate professionally polished campaigner and public speaker, but he's not trustworthy.  And before anybody feels the need to add a comment comparing campaigning competence with the ability to GET elected, I know.  It's a conundrum.

[jpatrickham]

Anyone else feel we voters, being pushed, kicking and screaming toward John McCain, I mean Mitt Romney? Kind of feels like Deja Vu all over again!

[IronDioPriest]

“How about I start tonight with good news. KFC has just introduced the new Cheesy Bacon Bowl, which is filled with mashed potatoes, cheese, gravy, chicken and bacon... The Cheesy Bacon Bowl is now the Republican front-runner for President.”
[blockquote]- Conan O'Brien[/blockquote]

[jpatrickham]

“How about I start tonight with good news. KFC has just introduced the new Cheesy Bacon Bowl, which is filled with mashed potatoes, cheese, gravy, chicken and bacon... The Cheesy Bacon Bowl is now the Republican front-runner for President.”
[blockquote]- Conan O'Brien[/blockquote]

 

[Pandora]

Blech.