The Republicans tried to sink Obama. Instead, the party imploded.

[elleng]

If your political priorities are the total defeat of a single politician – not the advancement of your own policies – it fans the flames of extremism.

'It may seem too early to call, but we already have a winner in the 2016 election.

He’s someone the pundits wrote off long ago. An improbable outsider who rode an insurgent wave to snatch the nomination from the establishment. An unconventional politician whose raucous rallies underscored his appeal to voters far outside his party base.

Trump's national security nightmare: now even the neocons are freaking out
Lucia Graves
Lucia Graves Read more
His name is Barack Obama. And he can thank the freak show that is Donald Trump’s Republican party for restoring his stature as a unifying, national leader with a moderated and mature approach to a complex and unstable world.

Eight years ago, Obama represented an existential threat to the Republican party, and not just because he was going to lead the Democratic party to win the White House and Congress by large margins.

No, Obama’s biggest threat was that he could realign American politics, shifting it fundamentally towards progressives for a generation. He and his campaign aides talked privately of being the Reagan of the left: a transformative figure who would leave an indelible legislative mark at home and restore America’s position on the world stage.

With his appeal to independents and moderate Republicans, Obama could break the Republican party as a national force. With his appeal to minority voters – a rapidly emerging majority across the country – he could lock in the fastest growing demographics that could turn red states blue.

So the GOP leadership chose to make Obama unacceptable, unpalatable and un-American. On the night of his first inauguration, House Republican leaders met at a Washington steakhouse to plot their path back to power. They would not reform their policies or consider the root cause of their defeat. Instead, they would oppose Obama on everything, well before he tried to pass a giant stimulus bill or healthcare reform. . .

The Republican party did not entirely fail to destroy Barack Obama. For a few years, aided by the great recession, they almost succeeded. But then they contrived to revive him by nominating a man who would destroy everything Obama stood for, along with much of the free world as we know it.

The rise of Trump has led, perversely, to the revival of Obama. Republican candidates are saying they will not vote for their presidential nominee, and the party’s national security officials are lining up to condemn Trump as a reckless danger to the Republic. How could the incumbent not look like a statesman compared to a man who apparently can’t be trusted with the elevator button, never mind a nuclear one?

Inside the White House, Obama’s aides talk about a president liberated from previous constraint. On the trail, and at the podium, he seems to love campaigning against his orange nemesis. His party’s candidates can’t get enough of him, and his potential successor – instead of putting distance between them – believes Obama doesn’t get enough credit for his economic achievements.

This one-term president is having an unusually successful end to his second term, and for that he can thank the Republicans who were so determined to destroy him.'

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/09/gop-tried-sink-obama-imploded-extremism

[BlueStreak]

1. They were idiots -- and deserve their fate

On the eve (literally) of Obama's inauguration, key Republicans met in the Caucus Room restaurant to form a pact to do exactly zero to support this nation. They decided to obstruct EVERYTHING -- even issues on which they actually agreed with Obama.

Maybe that made sense over enough martinis. And maybe it was worth trying for the first term. But when Obama won again in 2012, anybody with any brains would decide that strategy was not working and would come up with a different plan. But not these morons. They just stuck with the plan.

You can't do the 100% obstruction plan without stoking the anti-government fires. But as it turns out, the people that most appears to are the dimmest bulbs in the chandelier. So the GOP created this situation where halfway adult people like Kasich and Jeb Bush couldn't even get 1% of the primary vote.

The question isn't how stupid these people are. They are REALLY stupid. The question is whether they are capable of learning anything. The only real evidence we have is the Merrick nomination. Based on that, I'd say they probably have not learned anything, but let's see what they have to say for themselves once Trump is out of the way.

It appears the turtle man will no longer be Majority Leader and Eddie Munster will have a much narrower margin, including a large group of teabaggers who cannot be reasoned with in any circumstances. It seems really implausible that these people could sign up for 8 more years of 100% obstruction. But as I said, they are really stuuuuuuupid, so we'll have to wait and see.

[procon]

2. Excellent piece on Obama, read it if you have a few minutes.

This one-term president is having an unusually successful end to his second term, and for that he can thank the Republicans who were so determined to destroy him.

[sarae]

4. A fitting end for the party of deplorables...

[elias7]

5. Interesting. Fear of his superpowers, not racism, was the root of obstructionism.

The very strategy is a testament to the GOP's regard for him as a leader. Unfortunately for them, even your best customers can only take so much bullshit.

[SunSeeker]

7. Karma!

[AwakeAtLast]

8. And DUers predicted it from day one

Way to go DU!

[Retired George]

9. K&R

But I think I counted more than 4 paragraphs there.

[lindysalsagal]

10. Over-simplification: Bush started their descent, and the bush economy ruined the country

The Iraqi invasion and the lies were all on bush.

I watched my parents drop the GOP during bush's 2nd term.

Bush started the gop implosion, the neo-cons were behind it. fRump is just speeding up the death spiral that was already plummeting.

[Judi Lynn]

11. Thank you, elleng! n/t

[elleng]

12. You're welcome, Judi Lynn,

and thanks for ALL you do.