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FirmhandKY -> RE: On what date do the leftists/ Dems start panicking? (9/19/2010 5:19:52 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: juliaoceania
quote:
Julia, it's not "the Republicans" who will decide who wins the elections. It will be "The People" who decide that.
If "the party" doesn't like the candidates who are elected, tough shit!
well, remember that when the senate stays in democrat hands because of the tea party... and since republican operatives started the tea party, and funded the tea party, I am thinking they might be pissed off that they lose next election
julia,
I think you misunderstand the basic dynamics of the "TEA party" phenomena.
The US voting population is basically conservative, if you define conservative as for smaller, less intrusive government and generally with a libertarian social philosophy.
The Republican Party is suppose to represent them, but has not done a very good job, especially under Bush.
Lots of Americans dropped out of the political process because of this.
Now, a lot of those people have reached the conclusions that:
1. In general, our elected representatives are out of control, and have lost sight of some basic American principles, and
2. The Republican party leadership and many of the elected Republican officials has sacrificed most conservative principles on the alter of expediency.
The TEA party movement is an attempt to address both of those issues, and of course there are conservative groups who support those goals. What's wrong with that?
Over the last several decades, because of the growing Republican Party's acceptance of "get elected" over conservative principles, they have wandered so far from the very principles that they are suppose to espouse, that the Party supports avowed Marxists for election.
While "getting elected" is obviously important, if your party is going to have a say in the political process, what damn good does it do if the people you help get elected do not even support any of the basic principles to which you subscribe?
And even if most of the TEA party supported candidates lose this election cycle (and that still remains to be seen), if it reignites the Republicans, and moves the party to once again actually practice the principles it supposedly holds ... that's a good thing. Because this is a long term issue, not simply a "the next election" issue. In fact, in the long run, it doesn't matter if the "Republican Party" implodes. That might even be a good thing, in the long run, if that is what it takes to return some modicum of principles to this side of the political equation.
I predicted that the Obama administration and the Democratic control of Congress would cause a reaction, moving the political pendulum back to the center, just as it is doing. What happens, then, if the Republican Party implodes? The same policies which ignited this current "conservative awakening" will certainly continue and be reinforced (("Shut up and sit down. We won! We won!"). And when the pendulum finally swings back again, it will be even harder, and stronger and with even more force.
What could prevent this? Really only two things:
1. Enough TEA party supported candidates get elected to give heart to these disenfranchised Americans, so that they continue to play the political game by the current rules, or
2. The economy improves dramatically over the next couple of years, and thereby delaying such an explosion.
Absent those two things, I think we are heading for a massive political realignment. And not necessarily "peaceful".
So, if I were someone of the leftist (liberal, progressive, whatever you wish to call it) persuasion, and convinced that my ideals will win in the end, in a fair political fight, I'd be rooting for the TEA party supported candidates. Get them committed to the process, and let my ideas win over time.
Firm
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