Angry Populism Could Save The GOP

[Pryderi]

NO!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/15/angry-populism-could-save_n_287166.html

Republican strategists are excited about the possibility that the GOP could benefit from a rising tide of populist resentment over the massive government bailout of major banks, insurance companies and auto manufacturers.

Some observers see this dynamic already at work in the intense opposition to President Obama's health care initiative. Populist anger - fanned by voluble conservative talk radio and cable TV shows -- gathered strength this past summer as members of Congress met with furious constituents during the August recess. At one gathering at a Florida community center hosted by Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson, for example, attendees started chanting: "Stop the redistribution!" On Saturday, tens of thousands of protesters swarmed Washington's streets, railing against Obama's "socialist" agenda and government spending generally.

Republicans hope - and Democrats fear - that a politically significant percentage of voters will come to see the federal government under Democratic control as redistributing tax dollars to "elites" and to the very poor, as the broad middle class is left on its own to face high unemployment, sharply reduced home values, and gutted retirement savings.

This would be very good news for a Republican party that is otherwise facing potentially devastating demographic trends.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Didn't a good many republicans vote FOR the Bail-out(s)?

How do they explain that?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. Beats me

IOKIYAR :shrug: I thought that Pubs have always been for bailing out the "free market" whenever a bunch of industries end up on the verge of collapse due to their reckless and irresponsible business practices? What about the Savings & Loans back in the 1980's and the Airline industry immediately following 09/11/01? Didn't they support those? Did they WANT a lot more banks and financial institutions to fail last year (just like they want Obama to fail)?

[KamaAina]

19. The original (largely oversight-free) TARP bailout was Bush**'s idea

so there! :P

[no_hypocrisy]

2. DUPE

[Lerkfish]

3. the GOP is morphing into every bad thing ever said about them.

who knew we were this accurate?

[el_bryanto]

4. It does feel like a last ditch effort though

Demographics are against them in the long run, unless they can start appealing to those that are currently minorities. Currently they don't have much luck with that.

Bryant

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. The only thing that kind of "populism" leads to is McVeigh & other

horrible shit.

[Feron]

36. I agree. nt

[datasuspect]

6. it's a nascent fascist movement

without any real left-wing movement to counter it.

we have tons of father coughlins, but no FDRs.

[KansDem]

7. Uh, am I missing something here?

...massive government bailout of major banks, insurance companies and auto manufacturers. and ...the broad middle class is left on its own to face high unemployment, sharply reduced home values, and gutted retirement savings.

Wasn't all this the work of a GOP congress and GOP president?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

8. Bullshit. The lynch mob is all they've got now, so they're running with it.

They could begin the years or decades long process of building a legitimate platform and party again but no, they're going to indulge the basest hatred. It didn't work for them in 2008. It could work in individual congressional races but I doubt it could on a national level.

[Vincardog]

10. Has anyone stooped to think? Who brought us to this point? 30 Years of Conservative Policies.

The only reason to take it out on the Democratic Party is because of the corrupting influence of the DLC. If Obama wants to avoid a repeat of 1004 he needs to STAND UP for US NOW

[emulatorloo]

11. The Republicans are hoping all the crazies come out in 2010 & sane people stay home

They appear to be trying to disgust the sane folks into throwing up their hands. And getting out the fringe to vote.

[Pryderi]

12. I think republicans should be scared of this "populist" movement because

they're the crazy base that will nominate someone like Sarah Palin who will get wiped out in the general election.

[emulatorloo]

15. They aren't thinking that far ahead. They should also be scared, because the mob could easily turn

against them too. Suppose Boehner or McConnell is not being "right wing enough" for them. Next thing you know Boehner and McConnell are Nazi Communists too.

[MajorChode]

13. Now there's a strategy built on long term goals

Whenever the economy is doing badly, the party in power always suffers. The reality that the GOP hasn't been able to parlay the economic woes into something bigger is testament to how truly fucked up their party has become.

By 2012 the economy will have no doubt recovered and Obama will get all the credit for the recovery and Bush will get all the credit for the failure, just as it should be. He will ride in on a wave of reelection bigger than Raygun ever dreamed about.

[EmilyAnne]

14. Sure it could. But they don't do angry populism. They do angry crazy. nt

[gatorboy]

16. And the great movement was where exactly when Bush signed off on a $700 Billion Wall St. Bailout?

Ironing their white sheets?

[Romulox]

17. oH NOES! "Populism" has no place in a democracy!

Policy should be made in consideration of a wealthy class of elites. "Populism" has no place in a democracy! I suggest we cede the entire concept of "populism" to the far right, and then suggest that anyone who argues for the most benefit to the broadest class of person is somehow a racist.

Just a suggestion! :hi:

[MajorChode]

18. The word they should have used is 'demagoguery'

Demagoguery:
"one who will preach doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots."
-- Henry Louis Mencken

[Romulox]

20. On the contrary. The article refers to "rising tide of populist resentment...

...over the massive government bailout(s)..."

This is a very real sentiment.

[MajorChode]

21. It's extremism fueled by demagoguery

From the same article:

Populist anger - fanned by voluble conservative talk radio and cable TV shows --

I don't see too many people on the left or in the middle "angry" in the streets. There's a significant difference between extremism and populism.

[Romulox]

22. When democrats cede populism to the right, the right barely has to try...

"I don't see too many people on the left or in the middle "angry" in the streets."

That's because our leadership wants us to rally for mandatory, for-profit health insurance. That is the opposite of a populist position.

[anonymous171]

25. Exactly. nt

[MajorChode]

26. Obfuscation does not help your argument

because our leadership wants us to rally for mandatory, for-profit health insurance.

Our "leadership" wants the public to get behind health care reform, which has many facets. What you are demonstrating is demagoguery, so I can see why you're confused.

"Angry populism" almost by definition, is demagoguery. When distortion and/or obfuscation is used, the term is complete. That's exactly what is happening. I will gladly concede such tactics to the right as they are generally self-defeating and always short lived.

Populism is exactly what is driving health care reform, and that's why I believe it will ultimately prevail because reality and reasonableness are it's weapons.

[anonymous171]

27. Demagoguery gets shit done, like it or not. nt

[MajorChode]

31. I'll choose not

There's lots of things that "gets shit done". Bigotry, hate, lies, criminality, are just a few examples. I don't have to accept those either just because they have limited success.

[Romulox]

38. All the "viable" plans are centered around mandatory, for-profit insurance.

"Populism is exactly what is driving health care reform"

Nonsense. People want healthcare, not insurance. Which is why there have been no massive rallies in support of the current proposals, but plenty against it.

[MajorChode]

41. Hogwash

Ask anyone without health care insurance if they want it and get back to me. Insurance is the mechanism by which health care is financed. Your statement makes as much sense as saying someone wants Social Security, but doesn't want to pay for it.

The reason why there have been "massive rallies" against the current proposals is because it's far easier to take advantage of the general public's ignorance in regards to legislation than it is to promote the truth about it. You also have numerous astroturf organizations and RW hacks promoting such events and no such infastructure promoting the legislation itself. If the insurance industry stands to benefit so greatly from the current proposals, as you claim, how do you reconcile the fact that they are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to defeat it?

[Romulox]

42. Where are the rallies demanding people be forced to buy private insurance?

:shrug:

"Your statement makes as much sense as saying someone wants Social Security, but doesn't want to pay for it."

Social Security is not private, for-profit insurance.

[leftstreet]

40. +1

:rofl:

Excellent way to make a point!

[anonymous171]

23. We need to beat them to the punch. I am tired of RWer's faux popullism.

True populism is left wing. William Jennings Bryan is a good example of this.

[Greyhound]

24. Seconded.

:thumbsup:

[MajorChode]

28. Not necessarily

Populism can and often is RW. Both Hitler and Mussolini came to power on populist movements.

[anonymous171]

30. If "populism" is used to advance the interests of the elites, then it is not populism.

[MajorChode]

33. Which is exactly why the teabaggers aren't a populist movement

[Skidmore]

29. This is the type of angry populism that needs to get to the streets...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6553738

My sentiments underscored with facts. How we got to where we are and the fact that Rs and some Ds too danced us down that primrose path.

[Javaman]

32. getting into a fast leaking life boat isn't anybetter than the slow leaking one they just leflt.

it will still sink, just faster, stupider and with a more drama.

but in the end, it still sinks.

[TheKentuckian]

34. Fake populisim devoted to maintaining the failed status quo, willful ignorance, and bigotry

only goes so far. Most people, angry though they may be, aren't so quick to defend billionaires. In order to be a movement that can do anything on a broad scale will actually require some leadership and a message. That message is what we should be getting in front of to brunt and co-opt the discontent.

To get people beyond the dittoheads and the Beckerwoods somebody will have to stand up and be coherent and have a pitch that at least pretends at solutions that will affect the lives of average people in a positive and substantive way. The Republicans do not yet appear to be desperate enough to alter their dogma enough to attract new voters nor do they seem to have any messenger capable of rebranding and selling their tired bullshit well enough to serve up the same crap with a smile.

We'll see but I believe Republicans will have to actually get off of totally stupid and completely ideologically inflexible to really make significant hay.

[ljm2002]

35. The thing is...

...when the right wing fringe gets out there and demonstrates, the Republican party supports them. When left wingers get out there and demonstrate, the Democratic party repudiates them. The natural end result is that the Democrats lose their populist base, while the Republicans increase theirs.

Now it is a different form of "populism", to be sure. As we have all gone over many times, ours is more of a real bottom-up kind of populism, and usually based on more, rather than less information. Whereas theirs is a top-down kind of populism, where the flames are fanned by the overlords, and the misinformation is planted for the ignorant to become inflamed.

But still, the fact remains: our party repudiates us and insists that we are unreasonable, even when we have facts and truth on our side; whereas their party embraces them, even though (actually, *because*) they have lies on their side.

[SoCalDem]

37. The Tweaky Twenties will revel in their ascendance

but their numbers are still going to stay down. When they were the Dirty Thirties, they had more power at the ballot boxes, but these days only the freakiest of the freakiest even claim to BE republicans :)

[xchrom]

39. gotta hand it duers to ignore the reality and circle jerk each other.

if the dems offer a middling, milque toast governing strategy as they have so far -- includin obama -- then the door isa wide open reagan redux.

but what ever...