Funhouse Musing #106

Repartee over tea, in response to Comrade Stuck's essay's on Conservatism and it's pending demise.

I’ve said it before on this blog and others, sometimes mocked a little (not here) that the GOP now under control of southern ideologues are operating out a mindset that says, I don’t accept your liberal constitution and many of it’s basic tenets. Such as separation of church/state, individual civil liberties, and a whole array of notions of fairness and restricting government power. It is often a subtle and maybe even an un conscious (though less so with each passing day it seems) drive toward a type of authoritarianism grounded in centuries of the southern aristocratic lifestyle and ideology thought to be previously conquered with the Civil War and subsequent apartheid era, that only was thwarted 30 or 40 years ago. Read it in the rebellion talk growing on the right, whipping themselves into a state of mind of "hell no we won’t go". Add to that the political Fait Compli of the southern strategy with national elected offices split amongst two parties largely along the old Mason Dixon line and you have a setup for real secession overtones, not just culturally, but throughout our governing bodies at the national level. The bulk of the country has firmly turned against the beliefs and policies of the old south currently embodied in the GOP. And are turning toward the traditional polices of the democratic party, the ones calling for fairness for average people and restoration of the middle class. Only a complete failure of dems to fix the destruction wrought by 30 years of RW policies can change the direction now set. And if that happens, we may be in for the era of guns and knives.

Funhouse Musing #105 Wingnut

*discussions about Ed Morrissey/wingnut

Ed and all the other wingnuts, at least the ones not currently clawing out each others eyes, have slipped into full reactionary mode. This is the GOP in the 50’ and 60’s before they gathered the feuding clans together for the Conservative Movement"—based on limited government, restrained foreign involvements (ie nation building), and deregulation. Reagan tightened up the unholy alliance, and at least paid homage to the core tenets of conservatism movement style. Though in realty, he did raise taxes and grow government, and meddle in foreign countries( Central and South America mostly). But the press and public was to engrossed in his cheerful Americana persona and let those things pass.

Comes along dufus George with his delusions of grandeur and Churchill/Ghandi/and dualing FDR/Hoover lovechild (no regulation with big spending on Med. prescription for big Pharma) fantasies and flushes the Conservative Movement down the shitter. They have nothing left to but spout discredited Burkean bullshit and now hypocritical Buckley high dugeon conservative principle. And of course, watching Obama for anything to criticize, down to his lack of proper dress for the oval office. I expect the new Obama family dog will be vetted accordingly.

Funhouse Musing #104 Dem/Repub

*from conversations with Comrade Stuck

I would agree that ideology of the left and right and the electorate are in a significant flux right now. He forgets the politics of the 60’ and 70’ was a stormy amalgam of an unpopular war with a high draftee death count and a society trying to wrestle free from Victorian age social constraints.

The republican party has mostly been about a disparate group of factions with some similarities but dominated by hatred of the lefts beliefs and equal hatred for being out of power. They still hate the left, now even more, but the need to come together for winning elections is over for now. Overpowered by countervailing interests that have always been there. And now with southern ideology firmly in control.

I don’t think the left is all that much different than it has always been. It has new causes and new tensions between it’s factions, but mild in comparison to the GOP. We remain, imo, a party with factions that fundamentally agrees with one another, save for different emphasis on importance of one issue over another, and the details for dealing with it. Of, course now that the GOP is insane and irrelevant, that fighting dem spirit too often gets turned in on itself and we argue about a 19 month IRaq withdrawal versus 16, or when Obama does a Crazy Ivan left or right, and what that means.

Funhouse Musing #103 Democrats

*from conversations with Comrade Stuck

I agree, and that the shift is primarily back to the long time zone for traditional democratic belief. which boiled down, is a fair shake for the average citizen. That’s why it makes me chuckle with glee when wingnuts screach and run around cawing Porkulus, and socialist and Obama’s numbers keep going up. The country has just awoken from a 30 year wingnut failed experiment and get it. Common sense, a sense of fair play, and someone who so far is looking out for their interests is on the job once again. A democrat like Truman, Kennedy, FDR, and a sometimes Clinton. And BTW, trying to save industry and reform it at the same time is in everyone’s interest.

Hannnutty in Full Battle Regalia

Further Musings on Libertarianism

Libertarianism, like Conservatism should be confined to impolite discussions at Dinner Parties and Blogs. Like doctrinaire Conservatism, It also lacks a "program repair function" grounded in pragmatism. And often taken to it’s natural progression in actual situations of governance, starts to resemble anarchy. In comparison, the political concept of true progressivism, the over riding idea is for finding what works and doing it. Until it doesn’t work, then fixing it or trying something new. And I don’t necessarily equate Liberal of Left wing dogma as automatically "progressive". It can be without the dogma part and a "program repair" function based in the pragmatic. And, once upon a time there were creatures that were progressive conservatives. They have long since become extinct and may be buried alongside TR.

Musings on the Conservative Movement and Today's GOP

I look at conservatism more as a personal blueprint for livings ones day to day life. I wonder if the problems of the republican party emanates ultimately from the notion that this personal choice can be institutionalized in a political party for the purpose of being implemented on a national scale for governance. Attempting to do such a thing fly’s in the face of practicality in a country whose founding document was formed toward creating a liberal democracy. That doesn’t mean that rugged individualism, personal responsibility and the other tenants of the so called conservative movement should not be suggested as noble goals for every American, but to force fealty to this by public policy has proven to be a disaster, IE Katrina, Fema and other failed bush management of agencies designed to do things people cannot do for themselves. It is ironic to me, the fact that in many ways as a person who lives their life conservatively on a personal level, approaching minimalism in some respects, is a pretty liberal politicital person on issues of national policy, especially socially and economically.

IMHO> When the GOP realizes this and conservatives begin to accept a role of competent government that can service the country in a positive way, then they can become a party that may be capable of governing this liberal democracy. What that means is developing ideas that may be a kind of conservative philosophy that is frugal in it’s approach but meets the threshold of supporting a government that does stuff people can’t do for themselves. Call it liberal conservatism, though Malkin would not doubt be not impressed with such RIONism heresy. To me it is the only thing that might work to restore the viability of the GOP. I doubt it will happen any time soon though.

Lessons in Fail

Looks like the Gop is shoveling the pooh fast and furious to find that Magic Electoral Pony to win back the House and Senate in 2010. It's the old/new smear and fear though not on National Security this time. Dial back to 1993 when Newt Gingrich took the NO road on Clinton's effort at health care reform , doubling down with money scandals by dems in Congress to paint a picture of big spending al a corrupt democrats should be thrown out.

One problem, actually several problems with this tact in 2009. The republicans have broken all records in scandals that make those by dems in 1993 look like child's play. Plus, running the economy into the ground the past eight years, two costly and largely failed wars, and a nation ready for change not of the kind the GOP provided. So they pull out the old playbook for some Deja Vu and spin the wheel again. Jeanne Cummings expand the trouble with the new conservative comeback using old ideas.

First the take from GOP strategist (cough) Grover NOrquist.

There are two models that Republicans are looking at,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “One is 1990, [President George H.W.] Bush gets together with the Democrats at Andrews Air Force Base, raises taxes and loses the next election,” he explained. “The other is 1993, Democrats have a series of proposals to spend and tax. Republicans vote no and regain the House and Senate.”

Jeanne Cummings from Politco

It’s not 1994 anymore

For one thing, Obama isn’t Clinton.

President Bill Clinton never won a popular majority in his two elections. Obama did. His vote margin exceeded 9 million votes, the largest ever for a nonincumbent presidential contender — including Ronald Reagan’s 1980 win over President Jimmy Carter.

And another thing: Republicans aren’t in the ascendancy as they were in 1994. After two victorious election cycles, the Democrats have puréed the Republicans into their purest conservative caucus.

In a way, that made it easier for Republicans to vote against Obama’s stimulus plan. But a repeat performance on health care could be more complicated.

Health care is a personal issue for many voters. Reforming the current system ranks as the public’s third top priority, according to a January Kaiser Family Foundation poll. And many of those advocates aren’t traditional Democratic constituents.

“We are in a different game, and they are playing by the old rules,” said Stan Greenberg, a Democratic political strategist and former Clinton adviser.

Ordinary families and businesses, big and small, are struggling with health care’s rising costs. Insurance companies and drug makers that stood by Republicans in the last debate are now cozying up to the Obama team, hoping to influence a final reform bill.

Everything old is new again.

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