There has never been any doubt in JAY H. ELL's mind that the GOP Establishment candidate, Romney, would be the Grand Old Party's, (GOP), nominee. The problem always has been how this weak candidate was going to clinch the deal, (See Blog, FOR SALE: REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION), and what was going to be the manifesto of this acknowledged Establishment Republican candidate
There is little doubt that had the "Anyone but Romney" candidates not been split, had as much money as Romney, were better organized or just BETTER period, Romney could have been easily beaten. Even as things are this is going down to the wire. There still is a majority sentiment among the Republican base that Romney is not their man and they will keep this Primary process going to the bitter end. This bruising battle has turned fissures within the party into ravines. It is, in fact, the last hoorah of the Republican party as everyone knows it. The Tea Party have taken over. You will notice that the Tea Party do not hark back to the good old days of Reagan - that is left to the conservatives who still are part of the dying GOP. Reagan would be having it uphill in this Primary too.
In fact it is in this Primary that Romney's capitalism, the credo of the Grand Old Party, has been castigated not only by the Democrats but his Republican Primary opponents. (See Blog Romney is Wounded and Bleeding).
In case the Establishment has forgotten the Tea Party had plenty of criticism of Government, period, including George W. and the rest.
WHY NO VIABLE TEA PARTY PRESIDENT?
Other than Sarah Palin, who also has crippling deficiencies, there is no coherent spokesperson for this new Republican Party. A whole number have fallen by the wayside even in this Primary as they are simply not up to speed - Bachmann, Caine, to name but a few. Those still standing simply don't cut it due to personal and philosophical deficiencies. Gingrich's associations with the Tea Party are about as new as Romney's and he really is an old style Conservative - he cut deals with Clinton. Santorum, Romney's biggest challenger may have the social credentials but not the fiscal and vice versa for Paul.
Hence the GOP Establishment have an opportunity for a last hoorah with Mitt as their standard bearer.
WHY THE GOP DEMISE?
The American political struggle has always been between unregulated laissez affaire capitalism and a more equitable deal for the employees. In the process there have been always been a divide as to how to provide social services for the less fortunate, the sick and the hungry. Should it be the Central Government? Should it be the Employers, personal responsibility and/or other forms of Private Enterprise and "free market"?
In the heady days of American economic dominance the lack of consistent legislation for fairness and equality in social services was not the issue it is now. It was the massively wealthy corporations that took on the pension programs, the health care and the like. Their intrepid pioneers also took on the role of robber barons establishing Foundations with their wealth - Carnegie, Rockefeller, Kellogg, Pew, Pritzker to name a few endowing the Arts and Welfare, much like Gates and Buffet today. Trickle down economics worked in a fashion - sometimes spectacularly. It was also aided by Governmental social programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
CHANGING WORLD FOR CORPORATIONS
The world has changed and the American corporations are now globalized with global competition. The shareholders are paramount and if you can make it cheaper in China so be it - at the expense of American jobs and services. Health care and Pensions have become such a burden that have made the Corporations uncompetitive and even bankrupt. This means the Government has to pick up the slack one way or another. It is also harder to make the argument that these global companies not bring home their profits and their rich officers not pay their share of taxes, for example. Halliburton, Cheney's company, that virtually got every contract in the Iraq war, has established it's head office in Dubai and so it goes. So much for patriotism. One thing is for sure you can't have trickle down economics if the fountain is no where in sight.
UPSHOT OF FINANCIAL WORLD CHANGE.
The upshot of change is that, in the wake of the mortgage crises, financial collapse and the recession - all associated to a lesser extent with unregulated corporate greed - the Republican credo is having a hard time. Attacking Obama's bail out of the American auto companies which salvaged 1,000,000 jobs and tons of American pride as "government interference" just wrings hollow. Fighting extensions of tax relief for the "working class" and unemployment payments is just not sounding the right note. And refusing to raise the taxation of the really wealthy who have been shown, Romney included, to pay less than the average secretary has to be out of touch with reality. But on they go!
THIS IS NOT REALLY NEW.
The steady attack on Capitalism, as it was originally understood, has been going on for a long time. A little known Governor, Bill Clinton, if one remembers was supported by Iaccoca and several businessmen as he was going to introduce Health Care Reform. Iaccoca was famously quoted as saying "How can we compete with Japanese Automakers if every American car has to include $900 health care costs. Clinton also compromised on several "entitlement" programs for the unemployed as he sought to move to the middle.
To the Republican base's chagrin and a pivotal criticism of the Tea Party was Bush the younger's "passionate" Conservatism, his policy with Teddy Kennedy of "no child left behind" and his running up of the deficit - inter alia financing wars without finding money to pay for it.
So there has been an attack of the fiscal and social services policies of the GOP for sometime now both from within and without the Party - although often for differing reasons.
So rah rah rah for Romney. He is understandably dancing on eggs as he himself had made "adjustments" to Republican dogma in Massachusetts with Romneycare, for example. This is the selfsame policy of Obamacare that he is now so busily repudiating. Simply put changing circumstances do not give the GOP a coherent policy to run on - giving the somewhat challenged Romney little chance of winning.
Their only unified stance is "Out with Obama", which is resonating because of the economy, but can that be enough to win a Presidential election?
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
ROMNEYCIDE AND REPUBLICAN CHAOS
The whole Republican infrastructure seems hellbent on self - destruction. The anointed Romney blundered dramatically by changing his position on a foolhardy Republican Senate Amendment that would have, in effect, allowed employers to decide what medical coverage their employees could have. Pivotal to this amendment was whether contraceptive coverage for women would be included in insurance packages.
Simultaneously, the chief Republican media mouthpiece, Rush Limbaugh, released a sustained vitriolic attack on a female student that illustrated his position on contraception coverage. The Republican leadership barely responded to his diatribe. All of this adding up to the perception that the Republican thrust in this electoral cycle is on social issues - particularly contraception.
FOOLS RUSH IN
THE Republican radio mouthpiece, Rush Limbaugh, attacked a 30 year old female student, who gave evidence to a Congressional Committee. She maintained that a friend of hers had lost an ovary because the Georgetown University plan had failed to pay for her hormonal therapy - birth control pills. (Limbaugh's audience is 20 million on 600 radio stations). Limbaugh called her a slut and a prostitute. He ranted that, ".. she was having so much sex that she is going broke." In addition, he stated that if the taxpayer was to pay for her sex she should put it on the internet so this could be watched by all. He did not back down for 4 days repeating and elaborating on his bile till he finally apologized for his "choice of words". He had maintained that the issue had become an attempt by the left to shut him up.
Now nobody, who is anybody, in the Republican family attacks Rush. However, this was too bad to be true and House Speaker Boehner was forced to issue an insipid statement that the remarks were "inappropriate"! However everyone else was strangely muted on what has to be the most extreme outburst of grossly crude gutter sexism attributed to an acknowledged Republican Party or any Party standard bearer.
The responses of Romney and Santorum were banal and at best cowardly. If they really believe the trash they spoke - ".. not the words I would have used" - Romney and "... he is entertainer" -Santorum, there is really no hope. Better believe they are just cowards who are too scared to take Rush on than believe that they don't recognize that Limbaugh is a bigot that has no place in public discourse.
The student, Sandra Fluke, has become a poster child for opposition to the current Republican position on contraception and Women's Rights. Obama contacted her and has come to her defense and the Democrats have used the whole issue as a vehicle for raising money.
So Romney, once again, has missed an opportunity just to stick to his position on women's rights. In fact after reaffirming it, he one hour later changed it to the Party line. (All this recorded in back to back videos played and replayed on TV). To add to his problems he is now coupled with Limbaugh. Both of them, in sync, with the party line, thought the choice of Limbaugh's words were "inappropriate"
WHY OH WHY?
All of this begs the key question as to why the Republicans are focussing on social issues that have been dead in the water for 50 years? Every poll shows these issues to be loosers and the contraceptive debate heads the list. The only plausible explanation for this sustained lapse from sanity is they don't want to talk about anything else. They obviously prefer to focus on these issues rather than discuss their fiscal, job and tax policies. They caved in on the poll tax issue and would rather not be seen defending their position on not raising taxes for the rich. No - one in the Republican Party would rather take on Grover Norquist, to whom they pledged not to raise taxes, than defend outdated social issues.
Also the only really interested sector of the party in the Primary race are the Conservative base. Hence the frantic race to mobilize them. In the process, however, they are distancing themselves from main stream America and as the Primary Process goes on they look worse and worse.
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the primaries continue - ten of them on March 6th. Mitt has three in the bag - Virginia, Massachusetts and Vermont. Two caucuses are not really competitive as only Mitt and Paul have organization there - Idaho and N. Dakota. Three Southern States, Georgia, Tennessee and Oklahoma, where the Republicans are strongest, Romney is the weakest. He is rated without a chance. Nobody seems to recognize or care that in the States, which are regarded as the Republican base, Romney has no meaningful support.
Ohio, the midwest state, is regarded as the contest that the pundits are going to make all their prognostications on. One out of 8 people in Ohio earn their living from the motor car industry that Obama bailed out. Romney is more associated with attacking the bail out than Santorum. Only money seperated Romney and Santorum in Romney's home state of Michigan. So we are in for another nail biter in Ohio.
Whatever way you look at Super Tuesday, nothing can happen that can shorten the Republican Primary misery. The "anything but Romney" vote will still be above 50%. If Gingrich looses Georgia he may bow out and that is about it. Unless Romney wins some Southern states or Ohio is convincingly won by one or the other leading contender, there is no change. Sadly, this is not a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party. Romney has conceded that to the far right long ago. The battle is between two very mediocre politicians- one is so unashamedly ambitious that he will say anything to be the nominee and the other is so irrelevant and not respected that not one of his sitting Senate colleagues have endorsed him.
This is now the party of Rush Limbaugh, Grover Norquist, Donald Trump, Bill O' Reilly, Sarah Palin and the Koch Brothers. The line is, trust us - Obama sucks, is a Socialist and a disaster and the opposition wants us to pay for their fornication!
Unless something dramatic happens Romney will continue to lead but the "anything but Romney" candidates will have about 60% of the vote leaving the possibility open of a brokered Republican convention.
Simultaneously, the chief Republican media mouthpiece, Rush Limbaugh, released a sustained vitriolic attack on a female student that illustrated his position on contraception coverage. The Republican leadership barely responded to his diatribe. All of this adding up to the perception that the Republican thrust in this electoral cycle is on social issues - particularly contraception.
FOOLS RUSH IN
THE Republican radio mouthpiece, Rush Limbaugh, attacked a 30 year old female student, who gave evidence to a Congressional Committee. She maintained that a friend of hers had lost an ovary because the Georgetown University plan had failed to pay for her hormonal therapy - birth control pills. (Limbaugh's audience is 20 million on 600 radio stations). Limbaugh called her a slut and a prostitute. He ranted that, ".. she was having so much sex that she is going broke." In addition, he stated that if the taxpayer was to pay for her sex she should put it on the internet so this could be watched by all. He did not back down for 4 days repeating and elaborating on his bile till he finally apologized for his "choice of words". He had maintained that the issue had become an attempt by the left to shut him up.
Now nobody, who is anybody, in the Republican family attacks Rush. However, this was too bad to be true and House Speaker Boehner was forced to issue an insipid statement that the remarks were "inappropriate"! However everyone else was strangely muted on what has to be the most extreme outburst of grossly crude gutter sexism attributed to an acknowledged Republican Party or any Party standard bearer.
The responses of Romney and Santorum were banal and at best cowardly. If they really believe the trash they spoke - ".. not the words I would have used" - Romney and "... he is entertainer" -Santorum, there is really no hope. Better believe they are just cowards who are too scared to take Rush on than believe that they don't recognize that Limbaugh is a bigot that has no place in public discourse.
The student, Sandra Fluke, has become a poster child for opposition to the current Republican position on contraception and Women's Rights. Obama contacted her and has come to her defense and the Democrats have used the whole issue as a vehicle for raising money.
So Romney, once again, has missed an opportunity just to stick to his position on women's rights. In fact after reaffirming it, he one hour later changed it to the Party line. (All this recorded in back to back videos played and replayed on TV). To add to his problems he is now coupled with Limbaugh. Both of them, in sync, with the party line, thought the choice of Limbaugh's words were "inappropriate"
WHY OH WHY?
All of this begs the key question as to why the Republicans are focussing on social issues that have been dead in the water for 50 years? Every poll shows these issues to be loosers and the contraceptive debate heads the list. The only plausible explanation for this sustained lapse from sanity is they don't want to talk about anything else. They obviously prefer to focus on these issues rather than discuss their fiscal, job and tax policies. They caved in on the poll tax issue and would rather not be seen defending their position on not raising taxes for the rich. No - one in the Republican Party would rather take on Grover Norquist, to whom they pledged not to raise taxes, than defend outdated social issues.
Also the only really interested sector of the party in the Primary race are the Conservative base. Hence the frantic race to mobilize them. In the process, however, they are distancing themselves from main stream America and as the Primary Process goes on they look worse and worse.
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the primaries continue - ten of them on March 6th. Mitt has three in the bag - Virginia, Massachusetts and Vermont. Two caucuses are not really competitive as only Mitt and Paul have organization there - Idaho and N. Dakota. Three Southern States, Georgia, Tennessee and Oklahoma, where the Republicans are strongest, Romney is the weakest. He is rated without a chance. Nobody seems to recognize or care that in the States, which are regarded as the Republican base, Romney has no meaningful support.
Ohio, the midwest state, is regarded as the contest that the pundits are going to make all their prognostications on. One out of 8 people in Ohio earn their living from the motor car industry that Obama bailed out. Romney is more associated with attacking the bail out than Santorum. Only money seperated Romney and Santorum in Romney's home state of Michigan. So we are in for another nail biter in Ohio.
Whatever way you look at Super Tuesday, nothing can happen that can shorten the Republican Primary misery. The "anything but Romney" vote will still be above 50%. If Gingrich looses Georgia he may bow out and that is about it. Unless Romney wins some Southern states or Ohio is convincingly won by one or the other leading contender, there is no change. Sadly, this is not a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party. Romney has conceded that to the far right long ago. The battle is between two very mediocre politicians- one is so unashamedly ambitious that he will say anything to be the nominee and the other is so irrelevant and not respected that not one of his sitting Senate colleagues have endorsed him.
This is now the party of Rush Limbaugh, Grover Norquist, Donald Trump, Bill O' Reilly, Sarah Palin and the Koch Brothers. The line is, trust us - Obama sucks, is a Socialist and a disaster and the opposition wants us to pay for their fornication!
Unless something dramatic happens Romney will continue to lead but the "anything but Romney" candidates will have about 60% of the vote leaving the possibility open of a brokered Republican convention.
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