dagblog - Comments for "The Capitalist and the Zombie: Romney's Threat to the GOP"

The motley confederation of

Elusive Trope — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:25:18 +0000

In reply to The Capitalist and the Zombie: Romney's Threat to the GOP

The motley confederation of rich capitalists and middle-class social conservatives worked well enough in boom times, especially with a drawling, brush-cutting, born-again child of privilege at the helm. But when financial excess crashed the economy (again), the stature of the bankers and executives plummeted even among social conservatives.

My own little theory at this time is that the middle-class social conservatives (along with some not so well off financially) willingly took a back seat and let the rich capitalists drive the motley crew down the road to electoral success. The implicit deal struck during the Reagan years was that the social conservatives wouldn't push their agenda too hard when the motley crew had the White House and worked to take over Congress, rather they would wait to get their agenda pushed through and focus on defeating the liberals and the Democrats.

Now after tasting electoral success in 1994 and then in the beginning of the 21st century without seeing their agenda at the top of the docket, they are discouraged and quite frankly pissed. They have been good back seat drivers all these years and now is their time. They would rather line up behind a likely loser named Santorum then back the Establishhment's choice. They'll continue to purge the party of the RINOs (aka non-social conservatives) at the Congressional and state levels.

They seem to have taken the attitude regarding Mitt and Obama in the same way the left has taken toward Obama and Mitt. Since both are basically inter-changable when all is said and done, they would rather have the one they can openly resist without being called traitors by others in the party.

They know they are boots on the ground and the GOTV network which helped bush-whacking Republicans win in places like Ohio and PA. They can cheer him at the convention and put on a happy face for the cameras when the time comes. Then stay home during the run up to the election. A loss of four or five percentage points in the purple states will probably mean the difference between a second-term Obama and President Romney.

Then again...President Santorum has a certain ring to it.

I agree, Obama is much too

Oxy Mora — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:02:01 +0000

In reply to Romney may if fact become

I agree, Obama is much too much like the stiff Romney in many ways.

I think your point about W is under-appreciated. The East Coast types knew that anyone out of (to use a horse racing term) the Bush/Walker clan was one of them. Bush's famous 60 "pioneers" were all well connected CEO types definitely in the establishment mode.

But W. actually did have the other side of him because of his Texas based mother and upbringing in West Texas. One of the great inspirations of Rove was the Crawford ranch and the stupid rusty corrugated steel shed in front of which all the national media reporters stood. Every rural white male in the country could instantly relate to that fake shed. As you say, the absence of the dual personality is nowhere to be seen at this moment.

Thanks. I've seen a number of

Michael Wolraich — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:42:25 +0000

In reply to Great post. Somebody out to

Thanks. I've seen a number of retired and disgraced Republicans bemoan the direction the party has taken. Oddly, I've never heard anyone actively seeking election do so.

Romney may if fact become

Michael Wolraich — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:39:33 +0000

In reply to Outstanding, Genghis. I

Romney may if fact become some kind of societal scapegoat

I hadn't thought about it that way, but I think you're right. Someone with a more common touch than Obama could rip him to pieces on that. Obama will probably refrain, sadly.

I never watched much Voyager,

Michael Wolraich — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:35:41 +0000

In reply to Your last paragraph reminds

I never watched much Voyager, but I fully support your politics-as-star-trek methodology.

Great post. Somebody out to

Michael Maiello — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:26:46 +0000

In reply to The Capitalist and the Zombie: Romney's Threat to the GOP

Great post. Somebody out to write a book about how a once vibrant Republican party turned into a bunch of weirdos who keep serving up whack-job fantasies about the plot to euthanize grandma, outlaw Christmas and turn junior into a raging homosexual.

Now, as I Wikipedia it, Mitt is 64 years old. So he probably remembers the Reagan years really well and the presidency of George H.W. Bush even better. George HW did not have a Texas twang. He was straight out of the family that funded the white shoe Wall Street firm Brown Brothers Harriman. He vacationed in Kennebunkport, where his loser son who would never amount to anything had to have his DWIs covered up. His Dad was a famous (and famously wealthy) east coast senator. He was the former head of the CIA.

So even though the Republican party changed over a very long period of time, as you illustrate here, it had not changed so much that George H.W. Bush couldn't become president in 1988 and nearly get re-elected in 1992 despite a financial crisis.

Mitt has got to be wondering what happened to the world of Republicans that he knew. If George H.W. ran today he'd never get past the early primary states.

Outstanding, Genghis. I

Oxy Mora — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:35:17 +0000

In reply to The Capitalist and the Zombie: Romney's Threat to the GOP

Outstanding, Genghis. I hesitate even to comment. But I will.

Romney may if fact become some kind of societal scapegoat since someone needs to atone for the financial rapes of the last few years and before. (Otherwise, it might have been Obama).

Interesting parallel to the Italian boat captain and Italy's need to come to terms with some of their excesses. He's of course despised, but it seems to be going beyond that.

Your last paragraph reminds

Verified Atheist — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:24:58 +0000

In reply to The Capitalist and the Zombie: Romney's Threat to the GOP

Your last paragraph reminds me of the Vidiians in Star Trek Voyager.