Robert Reich: As Santorum and Romney Battle for the Loony Right, the Rest of Us Should Not Gloat

[marmar]

As Santorum and Romney Battle for the Loony Right, the Rest of Us Should Not Gloat
Monday, February 27, 2012


My father was a Republican for the first 78 years of his life. For the last twenty, he’s been a Democrat (he just celebrated his 98th.) What happened? “They lost me,” he says.

They’re losing even more Americans now, as the four remaining GOP candidates seek to out-do one another in their race for the votes of the loony right that’s taken over the Grand Old Party.

But the rest of us have reason to worry.

A party of birthers, creationists, theocrats, climate-change deniers, nativists, gay-bashers, anti-abortionists, media paranoids, anti-intellectuals, and out-of-touch country clubbers cannot govern America. ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://robertreich.org/post/18391045294

[pampango]

1. "At this rate the GOP will end up on the dust heap of history. Young Americans are more tolerant,...

cosmopolitan, better educated, and more socially liberal than their parents. And relative to the typical middle-aged America, they are also more Hispanic and more shades of brown. Today’s Republican Party is as relevant to what America is becoming as an ice pick in New Orleans.

In the meantime, though, we are in trouble. America is a winner-take-all election system in which a party needs only 51 percent (or, in a three-way race, a plurality) in order to gain control.

...even if they lose the presidency on Election Day they’re still likely to be in charge of at least one house of Congress as well as several state legislators and governorships. That’s a problem for the nation. As such, the loony right is a clear and present danger."

http://robertreich.org/post/18391045294

Republicans almost seem comical (in an evil sort of way) at times in their pandering to "birthers, creationists, theocrats, climate-change deniers, nativists, gay-bashers, anti-abortionists, media paranoids and anti-intellectuals". As Reich points out, even if they are on their way to extinction (or at least massive internal change to accomodate the "more tolerant, cosmopolitan, better educated and more socially liberal" younger Americans), they are still in the position to cause great damage, particularly if they suspect things are slipping away from them.

[snappyturtle]

2. This article is what Ilove about RR. He minces no

words and speaks in plain language. Thanks for posting.

[zipplewrath]

3. Which dilutes the progressives

This was the goal of the DLC, bring in the "Rockefeller republicans" into the democratic party, and dilute the pro-union, progressive/liberal section of the party. The GOP ultimately is accomplishing the task for them. It would not surprise me at all, especially if the GOP collapses after this election (which a Santorum candidacy might bring about) to see the party rebuild itself on the "Reagan democrat" model of "gun loving union members from church". They could easily move towards an anti-NAFTA stance, and some populist anger at Wall Street with some pro-NRA and anti-gay marriage positions that would play very well in many areas of the country. Basically a little bit of Ron Paul, with some Santorum thrown in, and a whole heaping of Chris Christie thown in.