Three more years... how is bushco going to get through it?

[salin]

Seriously. The national GOP has got to be quaking in fear that three more years with this crew leading will destroy the party. Ironic given that Rovecos aspirations was to build a one-party dominance to last half a century or so... and that instead they appear likely to do more damage than Nixon and company ever did. Three more years of constant blunders, corruption cases, examples of crass greed, death and destruction, and pure disdain for the American public. Even their attempts to create media opportunities to bolster bush's image - are now becoming news - not the events - but the staged aspect of said events.

Three more years. Bet there is a lot of buyer's remorse on capitol hill right now - as it is their jobs and perks and power that are directly at risk. Three more years and we just may be at a point in history where a major party disappears as in - there is no "whig" party today...

[no_hypocrisy]

1. How are we going to get through three more years?

(Rhetorical statement)

[salin]

2. we will fare better than we would have

if bush was still able to ram everything down congress's throat. Not much solace - as certainly he has and will still get some of their agenda through in the next year - but increasingly their ability to screw us through policy will diminish as the political cost will get higher and higher for repubs on the hill - as the press is now (finally) actually covering democratic criticisms of policies - and the GOPpers are realizing that each vote can become a damning campaign ad for opponents.

Let's just say the potential further damage to this country has been slightly mitigated. And sadly correcting the damage grows increasingly more difficult with each passing day.

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. Just a few moments ago on CNN they were discussing the mortgage

interest deduction and how it needed to be dealt with. :grr: Oh and income tax rate changes. :grr: Hey FReepers, how do you like paying MORE TAXES? You Morans! Keep voting against your own best financial interests! :spank: It's working out so well for the rich. They thank you.

[salin]

16. I think that there efforts will be stopped in their tracks,

but only after a heck of a lot of damage has been done... to the GOP. In an effort to "score a win" - bushco is trying to get tons of media coverage for these plans (so he can say ..."I said I would change the tax code...and I did") - with the real negative impact of getting the aspects of their proposals that will HARM tons of voters in the pocket book - into the public psyche. Again - bushco pushing their political agenda (to "score a win for bush") at the expense of the party - and the politicians on the Hill.

How long before the Hill GOP outright turns on the administration - as they realize their political future is in jeopardy - and that the admin doesn't care they will keep hurting the GOP and the congressional majority in efforts to "score one for bush."

[ComerPerro]

3. I used to think there would be another terror attack

But, now I'm convinced that they will just claim terror attacks by elevating the threat level the way they have for the past several years, and then going the extra step of inventing details of threats, that "Thank God, we were able to stop".

That should work for a few years, at least through the elections.

And, then, if they still need an extra boost, they will start another war.

[salin]

7. every tactic looses its potency when overused.

More and more folks look to elevated warning with cynicism.

And the credibility blown due to the faked intel per Iraq means that the public would not likely buy another war - and those who would have to vote for it (congress) would be throwing their political careers out the window due to the public's lack of support. So nix that as a strategy.

Another terror attack - would do to bushco - worse than what the aftermath of Katrina did. Because they have already lost credibility - and because they ran in 04 on "being the only option for keeping us safe" - all sorts of questions per what the f*ck did they do for the past x years since 911 would come home to roost. Again fake or real - another attack would bust the GOP even further than simply letting bush self-destruct the party over the next three years.

[ComerPerro]

34. I'd like to think so. But I think, for at least six months,

people would rally around Bush, because "we need to support our president in times of tragedy".

Plus, it would rally Americans in a hatered of our attackers, our enemies.

It would give him enough of a boost to get through the midterm elections.

After that, unless an election is coming up, they don't give a fuck what people think of them.

[pretzel4gore]

4. hopefully, the apocalypse will make moot this worry....

and all we good people can sit back, enjoy the show and pass the popcorn :)

[salin]

8. hopefully just a political destruction apocalypse..

;-)

[abluelady]

27. I'm With You

I cannot imagine Bush will be president three more years. All we need is an earthquake on the west coast and he is toast.

[salin]

28. but I think he WILL be president in three years

I can not fathom any realistic circumstances that would take him out of the position. But i believe that when he is run out of office he will be taking a severely hobbled GOP with him.

[abluelady]

36. I guess that's better than nothing!

[tularetom]

5. The bloom has fallen off the rose no question.

You no longer hear stories about how bush is the kind of guy you'd like to have a beer with. Nobody seems amused by his cute habit of nicknamiing people or his faux-folksy phrases. The media seems bored or unimpressed by his piety. You do hear almost about rove/libby. delay, frist, miers, iraq clusterfuck, high energy prices etc. And the polls indicate it has sunk in. There is nothing they can do to win back the hearts and minds of the public so all they have left is to scare the shit out of us. And I think a lot of people are wise to the fake terralerts as well (the NY subway story was almost immeidately suspect). The citizens would be advancing on Washington with pitchforks if the dems had even a scintilla of a strategy to use all these stories to their advantage.

[salin]

9. survey usa - most recent state by state polls

gives bush negatives in almost ALL states - heck his disprovals out weigh his approvals by, I believe, 9% here in Redstate Indiana.

[tularetom]

11. That's my point

This maladministration is on the ropes. Now is the time to produce a coordinated effort that will figuratively knock this pipsqueak's dick in the dirt and permanently (whatever that means) shitcan the repubs as a majority party.

[salin]

14. Back in '03 there was speculation on the Hill

that some republicans wanted to abandon bushco - for fear that THEY could lose majorities in congress in the future due to bushco. But they whipped back in line. See, there was knowledge back then it was better to have the bad taste in the public's mouth be associated with the man and his admin (bushco) rather than to spread to be associated with the whole party. Now they have three more years of this misadministration - we are in agreement - the strategy has to be to associate the administration with the WHOLE gop party.

[rpannier]

6. You've touched on something very crucial

I wondered about that and David Gergen brought it up in an interview he did. This could be devastating for this administration. While it may seem amusing (and it is) the question has to be asked, "How does the government function if the executive branch becomes unable to govern, or if it becomes emroiled in a constant war with itself and the legislature?"
While I know everyone here hates Reagan, his solution in 86 helped him. He brought in Howard Baker and cleaned house. I don't think scrub is capable of this. For all the damage Iran-Contra did, Ronnie still had a high approval rate (especially when one considers the scandal) so he was able to find allies to help. bush has relied on a small inner-circle and he has alienated anyone who remotely disagreed with his policies. Let's not forget, Ron's base did not abandon him durin Iran-Contra, Bush's base is.
The next three years could be a huge mess.

I do doubt it will destroy the Republican Party. What it would probably do is unlock the R.P. from the grip the American Taliban have on it.

[salin]

10. The infighting will get worse

w/in the factions of the GOP - not just the talibornigan faction. Either a new strand arises that is somewhat moderated from the extreme strands that are currently ruling (extreme neocon; extreme supply siders; extreme religious right... all of the parts of the GOP have drifted to their extreme right ends) - or the infighting goes on and on to a point where some other party altogether emerges. Ironically - initially the emboldening each of the extreme factions made them stronger politically... but by each strand getting so self-righteous, demanding and emboldened (and pitted against one another) - there is little moderation to be found - and it is the very reason it becomes unlikely that just loosening any single extreme strand (that is the talibornagain, or the neocons) hold over the party will solve their self-destruction woes.

[rpannier]

12. Good post

Well thought out and well presented.

[Deja Q]

15. I know repukes who are as pig-headed as ever...

but might vote libertarian next time. They think their repuke party is toast.

Of course, they're still all a bunch of naive twits... :(

[salin]

18. even naive idiots

will begin to choose voting for futility (eg a third party often doesnt get many votes due to conv wisdom that they wont count in the end) - when the choice for the major party becomes too painful.

[kurth]

17. Humpty Dumpty is done for

The momentum is gone. Their bigger dilemna is in succession, with all the presidential candidates coming out of the shadows and fighting each other for the heart and soul of the party (like there ever was a "heart" and "soul" in the GOP). More likely, the business faction will win out, and the social agenda will be put on the back burner.

[salin]

21. ah - in the past I would have agreed

but right now the business faction - due to the cronyism of bushco - due to the ideologues of the supplysiders pushing insane federal fiscal policy - are beginning to be viewed with skepticism by the public. Daily, news items point out exploitation of contractors (who got contracts by connections) in Iraq or in NO. The current business faction, isnot the old Rockerfeller republicans, who, imo, are the only ones who could save the gop right now. No, the current business faction are the extremists - and the policies they push are starting to leave really awful tastes in the mouths of the public.

Further more - the emboldened talking head rightwing echo machine (rush, hannity etc.) have spent years demonizing moderate business repubs as "weak" (not fighting with democrats, abandoning the party,etc.) so that folks like Chaffee, or Shays are politically damaged in terms of taking over - because the pandered to on talk radio/tv have invested so much time making these political figures look weak.

[kurth]

38. Unfortunately the business faction has received support from Dems

Obvious examples: Tax cuts for the rich, bankruptcy "reform", class action "reform". None of those things could have passed without support - or at least acquiescence or agreement NOT to filibuster - from a bunch of Democratic senators.

[KharmaTrain]

19. Power Vacuums Are Dangerous

I'll give you one name chomping at the bits to rise in and fill the holes of a gutted but still in office booosh regime: Gnewt Gingrich.

With Boooosh being paralyized, the neo-cons under indictment and investigation and the fundies still yelping about Harriet Miers or some other sideshow, someone's gonna try to fill the void with the corporate establishment Repugnicans and "restore some order". No one is better suited for this challenge than the Gnewtster.

He's been positioning himself for a while...distanced himself from the regime, yet sat in the same think-tanks that enabled him to rebuild a base. He's now like a Buchanan...inoculated from the direct corruption of this regime and with the skills to rise over the corpses.

[salin]

22. Newt was pushed out of congress

because his shrill style was noxious, and after the GOP lost seats in congress in 1998 he was pushed out as a liability. He still is a liability. If that is the best the GOP can do - they are tanked.

[KharmaTrain]

25. So Was Said Of Nixon

Yes, Newt was a liability to the likes of DeLay and Armey who had overtaken the party after Newt pushed it into majority status. With DeLay "exterminated" as a power broker, Frist stuck in his own financial fandango and the White House bound up in its own civil war/court battles, it doesn't leave a lot of bodies standing.

Newt's a safe harbor...a "known commodity". He can still play off on his '94 success and then point to his '98 sacking as the result of the same corrupt forces that are now being purged. This dude is slick and by distancing himself from a lot of what's been going on, while still getting his shots in now and then, he's gonna be one of the few Repugnicans standing if all these scandals take out the GOOP leadership.

[salin]

26. nah - I believe that he has ties (financial?) to the

defense policy board folks (ala perle) who pushed the iraq war while investing in vehicles for profiteering on the war and on "post 911" domestic security. I believe he, too, is tainted. Plus that whole marriage, frequent infidelties, asking for a divorce while wifey is in the hospital for cancer treatment, etc. stuff is just a tad unseemly. Then there is the perception among the blowhards who still play the Clinton card - that Newt was outmanuevered by Clinton on several fronts (including the budget standdown of either 95 or 96) - it will be awhile before the blowhards (rush/hannity/etc.) are off the air and while they are around - they would punch Newt if he was perceived to be attempting to dethrown bushco.

[KharmaTrain]

29. Remember What Could Be Left Here

Hopefully Fitzgerald will get Pearle in the Hollinger scam and the entire Neo-Con crowd goes down as well (any dirt we can dig up on Wolfie???), but that leads to another vaccum. It leaves people like Christol and Blankley and that ilk standing...and along with it, their former boss/mentor, Newt.

I'm just throwing this out for some Fitzmas speculation. LOL.

Assuming our wildest dreams come true and the entire top tier of the Repugnican leadership is blown apart over the next year (minus Hastert...who will just explode from his own growing waistline) who else stands to pick up the pieces of a party that will be shattered but surely not eliminated.

I could throw other names out there like Hagel or McCain, but we can find plenty of faults with those people from one Repugnican faction or another. Gulliani? Blount? Bueler??

Cheers...

[salin]

30. Here is the thing... bushco will still be in office for three more years

regardless of the damage that Fitzmas might deliver. Whoever is there to pick up the pieces - will be picking up shards. It will probably take one or two more 'mantle carriers' before the shards can be glued backtogether into an effective political force. Were this the last two years of this admin - I might see something different - but this misadmin is going to be a bull in the Gop (public perception) china shop for Three More Years.

[KharmaTrain]

31. Bushco Will Be Very Weak...But Still In The Executive

I figure there will be several "make-overs"...the first going on right now at Camp David...bringing in hacks like Gillespie and Mehlmann and other loyalists in the early days to circle the wagons and try to pick up those shards you speak of. These won't be mantle carriers, they'll be more water carriers and their prime job will be to whip the rank and file...including the corporate media...back in line. Will it work? Stay tuned.

I suspect that the damage will go deeper and the dyamic will change next year with a combination of trials and the 2006 election. Repugnicans will distance themselves from the tainted, but still need some regimen to follow and this opens up a vacuum...or one I'm sure someone within the party is seeing who isn't directly tainted by any of the current characters/scandals. Leadership will be at a premium at that point.

I won't even go beyond November, 2006...cause the equations for the final two years of this regime are totally open-ended at this point. Dare I say whatif the Repugnicans lose seats, but not enough to lose control of the House...this kibuki theater could truly go on through January, 2009.

[salin]

32. it is indeed kibuki theater, isn't it.

and I completely agree per 2006 and possibly going into 2009. From just a political observation standpoint (as in watching the whole theater) I am almost perversely glad that there are three more years of bushco. Then I shake that off and tremble at the reality of the further damage to this country that can, and will, be caused by bushco in the coming three years and I shake off the giddiness at watching the slow self-inflicted self-destruct.

[KharmaTrain]

33. I Have A Feeling We'll Be Here To Watch It All

:popcorn:

Cheers...

[tularetom]

24. A re-emergence of corporate repubism may not be

a bad thing. It would of necessity entail the jettisoning of the religio-wacko faction of the party as the true economic agenda of the corporatists was revealed, leaving a lot of "family values" voters ripe to be plucked by a populist dem pitch. If the dems can get lower and middle income white voters to realize that the repubs consider them no more important than minorities you'll never see a repub majority in congress (well, never say never but not for a long time).

[Junkdrawer]

20. I think we'll get a change of window dressing...And they'll need it...

if they want to attack Iran.

My worst fear is that a massive 'terra attack' will be used as a pretext for an Iranian Invasion - and that will require switching this country into an all-out WWII type mode. Their main problem? Dubya is not FDR; I don't think the country will rally behind this pack of proven liars.

[salin]

23. exactly. See my response to ComerPerro above

terror attack or war... they have created such a cynical public that either event would only serve to further wound themselves.

[stepnw1f]

35. "He Will Get Through It", Like He Would Through Constipation.

Slowly, and painfully, smelling bad in the end.

[proud patriot]

37. Very very carefully if at all n/t