Reality and the record of the GOP
[Hat tip: commenter “expat.”]
David Harsanyi makes some points I’ve also been harping on for years now, about the actual record of the GOP recently versus the perception of the terrible awfulness of its record.
Here’s an excerpt from Harsanyi, but I strongly suggest you read the whole thing:
Republicans have been dreadful on plenty of fronts””the quality of their advocacy, the spine they show making arguments, and the lack of innovation and malleability in the focus of their policies, to name a very few””but resistance to Obama’s legislative agenda was definitely not one of them. If Republicans had capitulated in the way the average angry populist claims, Obama would not have needed to enact some of the most consequential abuses of executive power since World War II.
Some of this anger is propelled by false expectations and wishful thinking about how government works””which is to say, when voters don’t get what they want they assume the system has failed. On one hand, voters are under the impression that presidents should be able to craft law and policy and make everything great again; and, on the other, they are angered about the ineffectiveness of the legislative branch. It all depends on which of these corresponds with their own political affiliation.
As far expectations go, Republicans deserve blame for making promises they couldn’t possibly fulfill””including the notion that they could repeal Obamacare. Then again, overpromising is not exactly a new political trend. And it’s not as if voters flock to candidates who tell them unvarnished facts about this cruel world of ours.
Harsanyi goes on to flesh out the details. As I said, read the whole thing. He succinctly and with great clarity goes into a great many points I’ve been laboriously laying out over and over, but you know what? It probably won’t convince a single angry person, or certainly not more than a few. Because anger is an emotion and usually not subject to reason.
Unfortunately. Very unfortunately.
But I wish Harsanyi and his explanation luck. As I said, it’s lucid and thorough, and I agree with just about every word of it. It’s a finger in the dike, trying to stem the tide of an onrushing tsunami. What that tsunami would/will do to our republic if/when it breaches the dike is something I don’t have a good feeling about (an understatement, to say the least). But I plan to continue holding my own finger in that very same dike.
Good points all. I fear that a significant minority, not a majority by any means, is looking to a “Benevolent Dictator”. Oh, they will say no; but, the obvious anger with the current process suggests otherwise.
Good points all. I fear that a significant minority, not a majority by any means, is looking to a “Benevolent Dictator”. Oh, they will say no; but, the obvious anger wit the current process suggests otherwise.
Darn. I had more to say. (Chromebook is good, but quirky)
I guess it another manifestation of the instant gratification syndrome.
The people I am talking about now want to put their own man at the controls. That will show the world. If he wins the big prize, not at all assured, we will soon learn that he is no Philosopher King. Meanwhile the country may have taken another step away from its governing principles.
What a mess. Sorry. I will learn to use the preview–maybe.
Neo, I was hoping that you saw this, and would be linking it and commenting on it.
Tom:
It isn’t often it’s so easy to satisfy someone’s desires 🙂 .
Hasanyi makes a number of good points about what the GOP has done right and credit should be given when due. That said, the overall tone is one of an apologia.
Of course it’s an exageration to insist that the Republican Congress has done nothing. It is at best misplaced, to focus upon emotional exageration, stemming from justified outrage, rather than the consistent, systematic resistance by the near total majority of Congressional Republicans… that Ted Cruz has battled vainly against in Congress. Simply because it focuses upon a minor issue instead of the ‘800 pound gorilla’ in the room.
Does anyone wish to suggest that if the majority of Congressional Republicans were of the mindset of Ted Cruz and Sen. Jeff Sessions… that not much more could have been done?
That is the standard against which the GOPe must be measured, not because we demand perfection but because we’ve reached the point where the very survival of America requires it.
Here’s more information on the differences between D’s and R’s in the Colorado Legislature.
“Some of this anger is propelled by false expectations and wishful thinking about how government works–which is to say, when voters don’t get what they want they assume the system has failed.”
This is probably most of the anger.
But, as I mentioned elsewhere on neo’s site, too many are not involved enough to understand this, don’t have the life experience to figure it out, and some even choose to remain ignorant. A sort of “tragedy of the commons” to politics.
The GOP could have done more. Not necessarily in passing more legislation or preventing more. No. But, they sure have done a lousy job of explaining the what and why.
The Dems, have a far better communication strategy through several channels.
The GOP doesn’t seem to understand that they must have a different communication playbook, given that the big media are largely not in their favor. (e.g. how the GOP let CNBC run a debate).
@D Aitken – great link and article, thanks.
Big Maq@6:59
I think you hit the bullseye.