Great Piece. It is a truly Sad state of affairs that We the People find our country mired in. What a Clown Show that is currently playing in DC. McCarthy sold his SOUL for his position and we are seeing the result. The UNITED STATES of AMERICA the "Thank you for your Service" country, the BEACON OF FREEDOM cannot pass a Defense Bill...What a Mess!!!
If you mean the Republican Party? I agree—they're a lot of empty posturing and spectacle, with no real programs to back it up because those need tax revenue.
What's a source of endless *schadenfreude* for me is knowing that the person who backs up "Support Our Troops" with actual deeds in Congress? Is "that Comminist!"(sic) Bernie Sanders, hated by the Far Right and Clinton NeoLibs alike.
Point One: I wonder when the more moderate Republicans will decide they’ve had enough and start to play as hard ball as the Freedom Caucus. I strongly suspect the disrespect/contempt that the Freedom Caucus members feel for the other Republicans is reciprocated.
Point Two: I suspect that the extreme Republicans are not indifferent to the opinions of their local constituents. I did a little Wikipedia Research and found the 5 strongest advocates for impeaching Biden were in districts with 25-50% margins. I daresay extremism is pretty popular in such districts and the representatives know the only danger to their careers is being outset in the primary races by someone who appeals more strongly to the fervent Republicans who vote in primaries. The problem is that what’s good for the Matt Gaetzs of the Republican Party is bad for the overall electability of the Republican Party. The short term interest of extreme members of the House is slowly but steadily pushing their party into unelectability.
Point 3 The link to evidence that abortion bans have become MORE unpopular in states which have virtually banned abortion (by Pew Organization) was very interesting and heartening (albeit saddening to be reminded of the bans). That alone made this article well worth reading.
According to this and other similar analyses, all we have to do is wait for this correction. I am not so sure. I think Democrats, the President and the stellar backbenchers that would have run, have to be louder about talking to the American People.
The GQP keep leveling up their Stupid. While it's amusing to watch (I need more popcorn), it's also disgusting and exhausting how grown ass adults keep acting like 5 yr olds who can't play nice in a sandbox.
Is the GOP organized enough to hope that a shutdown will cause a recession that they can then blame on President Biden? Or are they just blindly bludgeoning each other?
Yes, they want to cause a shut down and blame Biden for it. The fact that, as this article pointed out, that always backfires on them never seems to sink in with the GOP.
Cutting taxes for the rich, never improves the economy. Forcing a government shut downs always harms the GOP more than the Democratic president. Supporting Trump keeps costing them elections.
And yet those are exactly the things that the Republicans keep doing over and over again. What’s the definition of insanity?
I like this piece, but you're not going to get ME to push, or even vaguely hope for, a strong, united Republican Party. These are the people who called anybody to the left of CNN "Traitors" and "Anti-Americans" with the connivance of The War Criminal Bush Regime, overturned Roe v. Wade (which I admit the Democrats could have codified into law several times, and didn't because they could fundraise off it!), suck up to a ex-Communist(!) Authoritarian like Vladimir Putin, and are attacking LGBTQiA+ persons as we speak—and none of that started with Donald Trump. He's just an opportunistic infection taking advantage of an already weakened body politic, and those corrupted parts on the Right are only good for being cut out and studied by future generations so they can ensure it Never Happens Again.
Okay...if I torture that metaphor any more I'm going to be in violation of the Geneva Convention! So what I'm trying to say is it's past time for the Republican Party to go the way of its predecessor The Whig Party, let the Democrats take their proper place as America's Right-Wing Party (the Clinton NeoLibs have already pushed the DNC far enough in that direction that their Party faithful wouldn't even notice!), and let Bernie Sanders and The Squad form a new, GENUINELY Progressive Left party to save America from the real threats facing us like Climate Change, Putin's homophobia and megalomania, and...whatever it is China and India are doing as they strive to become empires of their own.
So why are these "fuckyouists" holding office? Their constituency is either out to lunch for a long long time already and working on automatic pilot OR they are with the opposition-above-all vision for our country, a cultivated nurtured bad place.
The Speaker McCarthy is THIRD in line to the presidency remember. Think about that.
The Bully Pulpit cannot take care of this all, especially this reluctant bully fearful of being made fun of if he stumbles, or (believe it) being partisan. He is projecting weakness to Trump's faux powerful presentation as poisonous as it is.
But the Bully Pulpit could take a deep breath and have a talk with the American People like presidents used to, commanding air time, about the state of things--and the why of things and inject some vision and morality into it. It should NOT a State of the Union address before Congress where the opposition gets equal time, but a talk with the American People. C'mon Joe.
As well the Democrats have so many good folks that have deferred to Biden, backbenchers, that could be speaking out more in support.
Great Piece. It is a truly Sad state of affairs that We the People find our country mired in. What a Clown Show that is currently playing in DC. McCarthy sold his SOUL for his position and we are seeing the result. The UNITED STATES of AMERICA the "Thank you for your Service" country, the BEACON OF FREEDOM cannot pass a Defense Bill...What a Mess!!!
If you mean the Republican Party? I agree—they're a lot of empty posturing and spectacle, with no real programs to back it up because those need tax revenue.
What's a source of endless *schadenfreude* for me is knowing that the person who backs up "Support Our Troops" with actual deeds in Congress? Is "that Comminist!"(sic) Bernie Sanders, hated by the Far Right and Clinton NeoLibs alike.
Point One: I wonder when the more moderate Republicans will decide they’ve had enough and start to play as hard ball as the Freedom Caucus. I strongly suspect the disrespect/contempt that the Freedom Caucus members feel for the other Republicans is reciprocated.
Point Two: I suspect that the extreme Republicans are not indifferent to the opinions of their local constituents. I did a little Wikipedia Research and found the 5 strongest advocates for impeaching Biden were in districts with 25-50% margins. I daresay extremism is pretty popular in such districts and the representatives know the only danger to their careers is being outset in the primary races by someone who appeals more strongly to the fervent Republicans who vote in primaries. The problem is that what’s good for the Matt Gaetzs of the Republican Party is bad for the overall electability of the Republican Party. The short term interest of extreme members of the House is slowly but steadily pushing their party into unelectability.
Point 3 The link to evidence that abortion bans have become MORE unpopular in states which have virtually banned abortion (by Pew Organization) was very interesting and heartening (albeit saddening to be reminded of the bans). That alone made this article well worth reading.
According to this and other similar analyses, all we have to do is wait for this correction. I am not so sure. I think Democrats, the President and the stellar backbenchers that would have run, have to be louder about talking to the American People.
The GQP keep leveling up their Stupid. While it's amusing to watch (I need more popcorn), it's also disgusting and exhausting how grown ass adults keep acting like 5 yr olds who can't play nice in a sandbox.
How can 77% have blamed the Republicans, and 58% have blamed Obama for a previous shutdown? Confused.
I think many people blamed them both!
The neo confederate party ruling over red states need to be flushed down the drain.
Is the GOP organized enough to hope that a shutdown will cause a recession that they can then blame on President Biden? Or are they just blindly bludgeoning each other?
Yes, they want to cause a shut down and blame Biden for it. The fact that, as this article pointed out, that always backfires on them never seems to sink in with the GOP.
Cutting taxes for the rich, never improves the economy. Forcing a government shut downs always harms the GOP more than the Democratic president. Supporting Trump keeps costing them elections.
And yet those are exactly the things that the Republicans keep doing over and over again. What’s the definition of insanity?
I think they want both. GQP the gang that can't shoot straight
I like this piece, but you're not going to get ME to push, or even vaguely hope for, a strong, united Republican Party. These are the people who called anybody to the left of CNN "Traitors" and "Anti-Americans" with the connivance of The War Criminal Bush Regime, overturned Roe v. Wade (which I admit the Democrats could have codified into law several times, and didn't because they could fundraise off it!), suck up to a ex-Communist(!) Authoritarian like Vladimir Putin, and are attacking LGBTQiA+ persons as we speak—and none of that started with Donald Trump. He's just an opportunistic infection taking advantage of an already weakened body politic, and those corrupted parts on the Right are only good for being cut out and studied by future generations so they can ensure it Never Happens Again.
Okay...if I torture that metaphor any more I'm going to be in violation of the Geneva Convention! So what I'm trying to say is it's past time for the Republican Party to go the way of its predecessor The Whig Party, let the Democrats take their proper place as America's Right-Wing Party (the Clinton NeoLibs have already pushed the DNC far enough in that direction that their Party faithful wouldn't even notice!), and let Bernie Sanders and The Squad form a new, GENUINELY Progressive Left party to save America from the real threats facing us like Climate Change, Putin's homophobia and megalomania, and...whatever it is China and India are doing as they strive to become empires of their own.
So why are these "fuckyouists" holding office? Their constituency is either out to lunch for a long long time already and working on automatic pilot OR they are with the opposition-above-all vision for our country, a cultivated nurtured bad place.
The Speaker McCarthy is THIRD in line to the presidency remember. Think about that.
The Bully Pulpit cannot take care of this all, especially this reluctant bully fearful of being made fun of if he stumbles, or (believe it) being partisan. He is projecting weakness to Trump's faux powerful presentation as poisonous as it is.
But the Bully Pulpit could take a deep breath and have a talk with the American People like presidents used to, commanding air time, about the state of things--and the why of things and inject some vision and morality into it. It should NOT a State of the Union address before Congress where the opposition gets equal time, but a talk with the American People. C'mon Joe.
As well the Democrats have so many good folks that have deferred to Biden, backbenchers, that could be speaking out more in support.
Really great article.