I read with a combination of amusement and bemusement a NY Times piece this morning on the fix the Republican Party establishment finds themselves in. Unlike much of the Times political reporting this one rang true. The Old Grey Bitch is still worth reading, sometimes, I guess. But there are a few quotes I wanted to share and comment on.
The first from ex-George I Attorney General Dick Thornburgh “I know Republicans who will support Hillary if Trump or Cruz is the nominee, no question.” That's nice, an absolutely brilliant strategy and the picture of maturity. If I'm reading this right (help me out here CW) the plebeians who put Richard Nixon in office along with both Bushs and contributed/volunteered/voted for Bob Dole, John McCain and Mitt Romney are now looked upon as uppity house negros and therefore Hillary is more acceptable! So this is the 2016 Republican Party? Not the Party of RR but the Party of David Frum, Rick Wilson and David Brooks. The Party that excludes (unless you're Hispanic), has forgotten family values (for God's sake, don't talk about abortion!) and fiscal responsibility (we had no choice, the Omnibus was a done deal). No, can't make those mistakes again, that's in the past. Now we are the Party of hedge fund managers and K Street. The Party of the successful, i.e. those who work both sides of the aisle and (wait for it) hedge their bets. People who have a pay-for-play mentality with no morals, no ideology apart from expediency and narrow self-interest, people who will bolt in a heartbeat if they don't see a return on their "investment". The money-changers who care not one iota for America or Americans because hey, we've gone GLOBAL! They run the Party now?
“I haven’t seen this large of a division in my career,” said Senator John McCain. McCain goes on to say maybe Reagan/Ford in '76 was similar. To which I say, NO SHIT!? How about the exact same thing? But then again at least there was some attempt at reconciliation. Ford dumped Nelson "Hold on baby I'm getting chest pains" Rockefeller who was completely unacceptable to conservatives in favor of Bob Dole (Jeez, what's the diff?) and Reagan took the unprecedented step of naming his VP prior to the convention vote (in case you're wondering it was Senator Richard Schweiker from Pennsylvania, a real weenie). Now we get nothing. Apparently both sides want to kill each other. Which brings me to the last quote.
“The Republican Party has never done anything for the working man like me, even though we’ve voted Republican for years,” said Leo Martin, a 62-year-old machinist from Newport, N.H., who attended Mr. Trump’s Claremont rally. “This election is the first in my life where we can change what it means to be a Republican.” Hold the phone! Change what it means to be a Republican? Is that what this guy said? Establishment Republicans have no problem changing, let's say what it means to be an American. But to change what it means to be a Republican? You just better wait just a God-damn minute. The establishment types think they own the joint. THEY decide who is and who isn't a Republican, not a bunch of stump-jumpers out in fly-over country. This is unacceptable! Who will guarantee our trade deals? Who will look out for our stock portfolios? Who will bail out the bankers who bailed out the industries that bailed on America? My God this is like a hostile takeover and we can't have it. Best put our resources behind Hillary and we'll get 'em next time.
...and you guys wonder how all this could be happening.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
4 comments:
Hillary and Trump have very similar domestic policy views--on healthcare, taxes, student loan debt, and Wall Street. Hillary Clinton has a far more reasoned and mature approach to foreign policy. So yes, I would support Hillary Clinton before I would support Donald Trump (as we've discussed, if Trump is the nom I will write in the Republican VP as my pick). Trump is masquerading as a Republican. I used to think that you and your ilk were being fooled by him on this account--but I no longer think that. You simply don't care. You don't have any real ideology to speak of, you simply want some strongman to come in and save you from whatever enemy it is you believe threatens you--apparently this is the immigrant. Good luck. I won't be part of this.
You're right in the sense that this is a one issue election for folks like me. But CW, be reasonable. All those issues you mention mean absolutely nothing if this immigration mess isn't dealt with forcibly, competently and immediately. If Hillary is elected you and I become irrelevant dinosaurs. Strangers in a strange land run by the ultra-wealthy and foreigners.
Hillary has a more 'mature' foreign policy outlook? Don't make me laugh. Libya and Benghazi? Her criminal actions with classified material in emails?
I'm not too worried about who says what because in the end, Congress has to go along with it. Trump's tax plan certainly would benefit most working people. Making friends with Putin might be a good idea. It would be good to continue this discussion on immigration legal and illegal.
I would prefer more pro-liberty candidates. They are all bad in their own way.
CW my fiend, you may dislike Trump intensely, you may disagree with him strongly, you may consider him a fraud and opportunist, an egomaniac and publicity whore using his skills on the highest stage for no other purpose that self gratification. And you may be right. But if Trump were not in this race I firmly believe Hillary would be running away with it as we speak. Trump plays by his own rules and he's not beholding to some PAC or Sugar-Daddy. He's free from the system and people across the political spectrum are furious with "the system". They feel manipulated and used, and justifiably so.
The reason Jeb! and Rubio and all the rest haven't been able to gain any traction is they are perceived as the problem, not the solution. Immigration is the litmus test this election. If a candidate is in the wrong side they are finished. It's as simple as that.
Post a Comment