David Gergen - political analyst, presidential adviser, and goggle-eyed melon-head* - claims that
there is no liberal establishment. Gergen, of course, is one of those toy "Republicans" that the MSM likes to trot out regularly, precisely because of his leftnosticism. As Republican strategist Alex Castellanos points out in the linked article, "I think if David Gergen thinks the liberal establishment does not exist anymore, I think he has become a part of it." Gergen's argument is based on the fact that Republicans have controlled the White House for the last eight years. Newsflash, Dave! Congress has been controlled by the Democrats for the last two! But the liberal establishment is not just the government; it's that whole tangled Sargasso Sea of media outlets, non-governmental organizations (NGO's), think-tanks, lobbyists, union big-wigs, roving policy wonks, and so on and so forth,
ad nauseum, that becalms even the most vigorous efforts of reformers to halt the growth of the state. Why, for example, did the Republican Party take such a drubbing in the last election? The (non-existent) liberal establishment would have you believe that it was because of the widespread opposition to the war. While dissatisfaction with the way the war had been conducted (pre-surge) no doubt played a role, most Americans were certainly not opting for the kind of cut-and-run strategy on offer by some of the most prominent Democrats. No, the bigger problem was that the Republicans had allowed themselves to be fetched by the siren song of money and influence peddling - in short, they had turned into inferior grade Democrats, and they were soundly punished for it by the electorate.
This is why McCain - and Palin, even more so - are perceived as something on the order of revolutionaries by the voters. And it is why they are giving the (mythical) liberal establishment apoplexy.
*The writer, Andrew Ferguson, if he never pens another line, will nonetheless forever command my highest regard for coining that wonderfully apt description.
Premature? Yeah, probably; but sometimes, wishing
does make it so (gratefully swiped from
Jawa).
Update: Patriotic Democrats
magnanimously donate American flags from Obama's Invesco field ascension to John McCain. Haw, haw!!
Update II: Easily one of the
best articles on this year's Republican convention, and what it portends for the future that I've seen yet (courtesy of
Beldar).
A Sargasso Sea of liberal institutions - classic, Paco, just classic.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid to admit that my knowledge of American politics comes almost entirely from "The West Wing" (I assume my explusion from the VRWC is imminent) and one thing I particularly recall was the prevalence of "toy republicans". Most republicans in the show were of course completely evil, spending most of their time killing puppies and kittens when not plotting agains the poor. But every often the lack of balance became too much and a "good republican" would appear. You could tell these types because a) they had no discernible values that marked them from the party of virtue b) they loathed themselves and for being republican c) all their colleauges loathed them as well (not as one might expect for a) but due to the said colleagues being, of course, evil).
ReplyDeleteWithout knowing anything at all about this character, am I right in assuming he ticks all these boxes?
CAC: You have grasped the situation exactly.
ReplyDelete"it's that whole tangled Sargasso Sea of media outlets, non-governmental organizations (NGO's), think-tanks, lobbyists, union big-wigs, roving policy wonks, and so on and so forth, ad nauseum"
ReplyDeleteAnd Community Organizers, don't forget Community Organizers. They play a vital role you know.
I've yet to see an explanation for the symbology in the O-logo but it has always brought to mind the sun setting over a cotton field.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine what that has to do with the POTUS.
cac, your understanding of our politics is amazingly astute. Most Americans have less grasp of the concept than you, and MANY learned what they know from the very same tv show.
ReplyDeleteIf McCain can get close — just close — to convincing the American people that real reform is possible with Republicans and not just the Democrats, then they are left with a decision of who they feel safest with, and who actually walks the walk. The GOP owns that ground. That’s victory in November, and it’s the only way to victory in November. We are an optimistic, hopeful country. We will not prevail by convincing people why they should not vote for the other guy. People need to vote for something . I think John McCain gave us that on Thursday night.
ReplyDeleteBINGO, Bill. That's EXACTLY how I feel. I still don't agree with everything that McCain has done as a Senator. But he has convinced me of one thing: He gets it. That's something the rest of the RNC, and nearly all of the DNC, have yet to realize.
That's why, whenever I get a request for donation from the RNC, it goes straight into the garbage. I only started donating to McCain in the last couple of months, and that because he was the better choice, compared to Obama. No more -- I'll donate because there's a better chance for America to succeed, not to merely survive.
John McCain talks about America as it is, and how it can be.
ReplyDeleteBarack Obama talks about America as it was in centuries past, and how it has failed.
Which one do you want for president?