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I think that's a nice little speech, but it goes way deeper than that. I don't think the D's are afraid of the tea party--I think they're sick of them--and that lack of patience is starting to spill over into the moderate end of both parties and independents. Rasmussen (no one can discount their conservative credentials) did a poll in January this year, and just 8% of public considers themselves a tea party member now, down from 24% in 2010. Only 30% have a favorable view of them. Just 8% Now Say They Are Tea Party Members - Rasmussen Reports™
The biggest complaint is that they rode into town on a platform of fiscal responsibility, but they've spent most of their time working on evangelically based social issues instead, and they have absolutely no desire to sit down with the democrats, or even other republicans, to hammer out compromises. When they HAVE focused on fiscal issues, it's been on short term slash and burn type policies that do nothing to move the country forward long term. The tea party base now is almost entirely concentrated in the most conservative areas, and the districts have been gerrymandered to ensure that they'll still be able to win elections even if the political tides change (and they are) in other regions of the country--they'll probably also be able to primary other republicans to ensure that the most far right candidate wins. The question is if that will be enough for them to remain in any kind of power. As the demographics of the country change, we're going to see more purple states. I think we're also going to see those few more moderate states that currently elect R becoming increasing unwilling to continue to do so. The tea party has hurt the R brand more than anything else. It may take a few more election cycles for them to lose their pull, but they're on their way out. How can they not be--they keep narrowing the circle on who and what is acceptable, until they've limited their base to the point where they're nearly standing alone.
Agree with most of your analysis, and you've touched on something that I think has been the cause of the gridlock in DC. While Republicans were hijacked by the Tea Party, and have proven to be somewhat obstructionist in nature, the Democrats have also been hijacked by the far left, progressive fringe much to the same result. Bottom line is that most Americans are either center-left, or center-right. Both parties have become beholden to their ideological fringes and most voters are feeling somewhat alienated. For every Alan West, I can show you a Jackson Lee or Kucinich.
Agree with most of your analysis, and you've touched on something that I think has been the cause of the gridlock in DC. While Republicans were hijacked by the Tea Party, and have proven to be somewhat obstructionist in nature, the Democrats have also been hijacked by the far left, progressive fringe much to the same result. Bottom line is that most Americans are either center-left, or center-right. Both parties have become beholden to their ideological fringes and most voters are feeling somewhat alienated. For every Alan West, I can show you a Jackson Lee or Kucinich.
That's not really true. Democrats put up candidates that can win general elections. The Tea Baggers put up ultra-extreme ideologues that win GOP primaries but crash and burn in the general election (fine with me.)
The GOP would control the Senate had it not put up Sharon Angle who couldn't defeat Harry Reid, who was very unpopular; the witch in Delaware and that "legitimate rape" guy. (There were a few more, but I made my point.)
The Tea Party is really the gift that keeps on giving!
That's not really true. Democrats put up candidates that can win general elections. The Tea Baggers put up ultra-extreme ideologues that win GOP primaries but crash and burn in the general election (fine with me.)
The GOP would control the Senate had it not put up Sharon Angle who couldn't defeat Harry Reid, who was very unpopular; the witch in Delaware and that "legitimate rape" guy. (There were a few more, but I made my point.)
The Tea Party is really the gift that keeps on giving!
Ron Johnson was a Tea Party candidate and defeated Russ Feingold in very liberal Wisconsin.
As for the Democrats picking "electable"candidates,well maybe. I would say it has as much to do with the media not holding Dems to account. Yeah some of them say stupid things. Still,it's not as if their are not just as high a % of Dems saying stupid crap. Or actually doing really bad things.
Agree with most of your analysis, and you've touched on something that I think has been the cause of the gridlock in DC. While Republicans were hijacked by the Tea Party, and have proven to be somewhat obstructionist in nature, the Democrats have also been hijacked by the far left, progressive fringe much to the same result. Bottom line is that most Americans are either center-left, or center-right. Both parties have become beholden to their ideological fringes and most voters are feeling somewhat alienated. For every Alan West, I can show you a Jackson Lee or Kucinich.
I agreed with most of what you said except this. Sure the nutters do the loudest shouting in both parties, but I do not see the Democrats purging their party of moderates. In fact, they adore Bill Clinton and Obama who are center or center left at most.
The GOP is full of uninformed true believers. For instance 2/3 don't believe in evolution.
I am not saying all Republicans are dumb, but the loud and dumb contingent in the GOP is far larger, louder, and dumber than in the Democratic party.
To loud and dumb, I would add stubborn and vindictive. As I said in the OP, the only sense I can see in their actions in the congress is if they thinks that by sabotaging the president, even if it means hosing the whole country, they score points with their base or their corporate supporters. The Democratic base is neither as dumb, nor as mean as the GOP base. So, no they are not the same.
While the Tea Party is losing strength as a separate movement, the Tea Party caucus of the GOP is going strong.
After three years of observing these folks, I have determined that they don't want to create jobs, jobs, jobs, ignite the economy, or erase the debt. Their primary goal is to discredit and defame President Obama. They won't do ANYTHING for Americans that might benefit him politically. It is all a bit silly now, as Obama won reelection, so their hatefulness has no strategic purpose. I've never seen anything like it. I suppose the McCarthy era was kind of like this, but that is before my time.
I would not put all Republicans in this camp at all, but the TP caucus is truly a national disgrace. And if republicans want to provide national leadership again, they will have to DO something besides try to screw the other guy and bring our country to its knees in the process.
I think OP falls into several common traps. First is the logical fallacy of "begging the question," or assuming that which is to be proven. OP makes some assertions about the tea party ('they don't want to create jobs') but backs them up with zero evidence, zero examples, zero proof. He/she assumes that which is to be proven, then goes on to draw several conclusions.
Second is the mistake of focusing on motive ('they will have to DO something besides try to screw the other guy'). Mind-reading the motives of others is always dicey, but even more so here, since OP attributes a collective motive to a group that includes everything from evangelical conservatives to atheist libertarians. Instead of motive, is it not better to look at policies, and debate on that basis.
A few years ago I heard conservative pundit Paul Gigot say something that always stuck with me. He was signing off from a PBS show that he was leaving. I googled around, and sure enough I found it (turns out that it was over 7 years ago):
Most of all, thanks to you, our viewers, for allowing us to share your time. The fact that many of you surely disagreed with some, or even all, of what we said makes us all the more grateful that you have been willing to hear us out. Too much of our political debate these days is accusatory and shrill, and we've tried on this program to engage in a debate over ideas, rather than about motives.
one posting, we need more government spending to boost the economy
Tea Partiers stopped the increase spending
Unemployment applications are a 5 year low
your response, thats destroying the country.
How exactly does wanting to lower debt, keep the money in the economy, eliminate the need to lower the GDP in the future by lowering the obligations, and allowing more people go back to work = destroying the country?
The fact that you could not sense the irony in my post tells me all I need to know about you.
But it's not a fact that the leftwing anarchists that are rioting against capitalism in Seattle don't want to do that?
Since you didn't respond as belligerent as the other two, I'll explain what my intention was.
Notice how extreme, ignorant, and close-minded my statements were? That's exactly what Tea Partiers and nutjobs do without ever researching the whole of a topic or subject when it comes to Obama or anything he touches.
It was meant to be a parody or show the irony. I couldn't care less about what the Tea Party wants to accomplish. They still need to rid themselves of that "birfer" stink.
I think the tea party is mostly talk and no action. Medicare is the biggest driver of our debt, yet they haven't made any laws to make changes. I don't see any tea party member proposing legislation to change the structure of Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security. All I hear is them preaching about limited government. Why didn't they elect Michelle Bachmann for republican nomination, why haven't they been able to grab hold of the Speaker of the house position. They got their sequester, but that was back in 2011. What have they accomplished since them?
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