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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsKrugman: Republicans, The Crazy Party
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Yet, at the moment, it seems highly likely that the Republican Party will refuse to fund the government, forcing a shutdown at the beginning of next month, unless President Obama dismantles the health reform that is the signature achievement of his presidency. Republican leaders realize that this is a bad idea, but, until recently, their notion of preaching moderation was to urge party radicals not to hold America hostage over the federal budget so they could wait a few weeks and hold it hostage over the debt ceiling instead. Now theyve given up even on that delaying tactic. The latest news is that John Boehner, the speaker of the House, has abandoned his efforts to craft a face-saving climbdown on the budget, which means that were all set for shutdown, possibly followed by debt crisis.
How did we get here?
Some pundits insist, even now, that this is somehow Mr. Obamas fault. Why cant he sit down with Mr. Boehner the way Ronald Reagan used to sit down with Tip ONeill? But ONeill didnt lead a party whose base demanded that he shut down the government unless Reagan revoked his tax cuts, and ONeill didnt face a caucus prepared to depose him as speaker at the first hint of compromise.
No, this story is all about the G.O.P. First came the southern strategy, in which the Republican elite cynically exploited racial backlash to promote economic goals, mainly low taxes for rich people and deregulation. Over time, this gradually morphed into what we might call the crazy strategy, in which the elite turned to exploiting the paranoia that has always been a factor in American politics Hillary killed Vince Foster! Obama was born in Kenya! Death panels! to promote the same goals.
But now were in a third stage, where the elite has lost control of the Frankenstein-like monster it created.
So now we get to witness the hilarious spectacle of Karl Rove in The Wall Street Journal, pleading with Republicans to recognize the reality that Obamacare cant be defunded. Why hilarious? Because Mr. Rove and his colleagues have spent decades trying to ensure that the Republican base lives in an alternate reality defined by Rush Limbaugh and Fox News. Can we say hoist with their own petard?
Of course, the coming confrontations are likely to damage America as a whole, not just the Republican brand. But, you know, this political moment of truth was going to happen sooner or later. We might as well have it now.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/opinion/krugman-the-crazy-party.html?emc=eta1&_r=0
Stuart G
(38,420 posts)gopiscrap
(23,757 posts)JEFF9K
(1,935 posts)... and if you can get through the pay wall his columns are free.
Accurate political information every time, yet dumb conservatives would rather let hucksters like Rush and Beck tell them what to think!
ErikJ
(6,335 posts)Last edited Sat Sep 21, 2013, 12:40 AM - Edit history (1)
They have absolutely brainwashed them that government is very bad and totally incompetent. The MSM is extremely liberal. The blacks are on the liberal government "plantation". It was a radio talk show in Rwanda that started their very bloody genocidal civil war. Fox being TV, is even more influential than radio. Things might get much worse.
Cha
(297,156 posts)from within.
thanks for this, ErikJ
Krugman