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Monday, September 28, 2015

Why the GOP Will Never be the Governing Majority

I touched on this in my last piece.

http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2015/09/what-happened-to-boehner-its-called.html

I've argued that we will only get a functioning government when we have clear one party rule.

http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2015/08/bipartisanship-is-not-solution-it-is.html

"There is no more pernicious myth than the idea that divided government works.There are actually some not so sensible Centrists in the media who cite the 90s as an example! They paper over the fact that the GOP spent the entire 90s trying to force Clinton out of office. If that's their picture of the Garden of Eden they are kidding themselves."

"Now in saying that the answer to our problems is one party rule I can imagine some might argue that this doesn't prove it should be the Democrats that rule. But it kind of does when you see how the GOP is incapable of agreeing even with itself. "

"Governing is about agreement and consensus-after all, governing is taking action, but how do we take action if we can never agree on any particular course of action?"

"But the modern Republican party is not a party of governing, it's the party of opposition. Remember how Nixon thought he was in a disadvantage in 1960 as he had a record in the Eisenhower Administration to defend. His preference and his party's preference has always been about being in opposition."

"That's why the only worthy goal of politics today is a new era of Democratic dominance like we had in the New Deal era which ended with Nixon's election in 1968."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/jindal-mcconell-resign

When you think about it, the GOP has never been good at governing-in the modern era-which we can define as the post New Deal era.

They aren't just in opposition to a Democratic government they are in opposition to governing as such.

Think about it. When the country does make the mistake of putting power in their hands they end up doing Lord of the Flies and eat their own party leaders.

They did this in the Eisenhower era as well. Ike was reviled by the Right and McCarthy declared him and others in his Administration as 'Conscious agents of the Communist party.'

Now they are all doing a gig on Boehner's grave. Listen to the sweet illusion of conservatives:

"If the House is unruly at this stage, it is because John Boehner has made it so. Never before had we seen retribution from a Speaker against his own Members at the behest of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and K Street lobbyists."

"His departure is a good thing for politics. It shows that power resides in the governed, something a lot of folks in D.C. forget. Boehner was not representative of the conservative base that gave him the majority and the Speakership. A growing portion of his Members are that base and so it is natural that he should be pushed out by them."

http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2015/09/what-happened-to-boehner-its-called.html

Being in a leadership position in the GOP turns you into the punching bag of the purists. Boehner lashed out yesterday at these 'false prophets.'

“We got groups here in town, members of the House and Senate here in town, who whip people into a frenzy believing they can accomplish things they know — they know! — are never going to happen,” he added.

Now that they have his carcass they are out for another scalp-this only whetted their appetite. Now they want Mitch McConnell's scalp.

"Presidential candidate and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) cheered House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) decision to resign during his speech at the Values Voter Summit on Friday. But he said other congressional leaders should follow suit, starting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)."

"Mitch McConnell, it's your turn," Jindal said to loud applause.

"The Louisiana governor said he was “actually angrier with the Republicans than with the Democrats” because they “don’t do the things they say they’re going to do.”

“It is time to fire these clowns and restore order once and for all,” he said.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/jindal-mcconell-resign

It is this anger of course that has made Trump possible.

By the way isn't it rich to hear Jindal of all people telling the world that Trump isn't a real candidate as Jindal is at zero?

"Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ) -- a co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus, which was threatening a coup against House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) -- said Friday that now that Boehner has announced his resignation, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is probably "the next guy in the crosshairs."

"Mitch McConnell is infinitely worse as a leader than Boehner," Salmon told reporters Friday. "He surrenders at the sight of battle every time."

"Boehner was under extreme pressure from the House Freedom Caucus, which was pushing for a government shutdown over Planned Parenthood funding. McConnell has put in motion a plan to avert the shutdown."

"I was texting back and forth with one of my friends on the Senate side, Mike Lee," Salmon said, referring to the Utah senator. "And I said, the next guy in the crosshairs is probably going to be McConnell.”

"He would not elaborate on Lee's response."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/matt-salmon-mcconnell

Of course, McConnell is 'infinitely worse' as he was considerably more effective.

In the Republican party being an effective leader makes you a fake cinservative. Democrats ought to just sit back and get some popcorn.

With Boehner gone there is of course no reason to think things get better for Kevin McCarthy? He seems to be the favorite right now to move up from Majority Leader.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/kevin-mccarthy-john-boehner-house-republicans-214125

Sean Trende of Real Clear Politics actually thinks Boehner's fall could actually be the one thing taht gives the Dems a chance in the House which is a startling thought.

"I think conservatives have no clue how bad the Boehner resignation is for them."

"Welp, guess you have to put at least an outside chance of Ds taking the House now, up odds of D POTUS, senate considerably."

https://twitter.com/SeanTrende

I am not ready to even entertain this as I don't want to get my hopes up too much.

But it is notable that someone like Trende-a political scientist at RealClearPolitics is saying that. My assumption is he believes that with Boehner gone more shutdowns are on the table. But if Kevin McCarthy is smart that won't happen. 

P.S. Eisenhower was actually about as close to a true conservative as you can get.








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