Well, I see that “The Donald” won yesterday’s New York’s GOP primary. Handily.
If you are a Republican (or just a citizen) wondering how this posturing buffoon could have become the party’s likely Presidential nominee, a bit of recent history may be instructive.
One of the (many) things that has driven me nuts these past few years has been the single-minded obstructionism of House and Senate Republicans to anything and everything that President Obama has proposed. Good idea, bad idea–even, originally, their own idea…it hasn’t mattered. (So much for the quaint notion that we elect these bozos to work on our behalf.)
There’s a reason the GOP has been dubbed “the party of NO.”
My frustration with the childlike refusal of these political partisans to engage with the policies rather than the personalities–a refusal which has reached its apex with their defiance of their constitutional duty to “advise and consent” to a Supreme Court nomination–is probably why my reaction to this article was “serves them right.”
MEMO to Republican legislators biting your nails over the New York primary, wondering if you can finally derail Donald J. Trump’s candidacy with, gulp, Ted Cruz: You brought it on yourselves.
The article pointed to the characteristics of Trump’s supporters, the majority of whom are white men without college degrees–precisely the workers most negatively affected by changing economic realities.
Throughout his presidency, Mr. Obama has put forward constructive proposals to help those displaced workers. For its part, the Republican Congress has been behaving like Nero.
Take, for example, the administration’s 2011 proposal of a $447 billion package of measures including payroll tax cuts and the creation of an infrastructure bank that would have led to the creation of thousands of construction jobs, as well as other substantial economic benefits.
Designed to be bipartisan and fully paid for by higher taxes on rich Americans and some corporations, the American Jobs Act was nonetheless dead virtually upon its arrival on Capitol Hill.
The Jobs Act was only one of a number of initiatives designed to help precisely this population. The article lists a number of others: proposals for larger tax credits for child care; community college investments; expansion of the earned-income tax credit; changing retirement plans to be portable across employers and available to part-time workers; and tax credits for manufacturing communities.
Most recently, with truly breathtaking arrogance, Congressional Republicans refused to even consider the President’s budget.
If there had been a serious discussion of the merits or demerits of these proposals–if, following such a discussion, Republicans had rejected one or several of them, citing such analyses–that would be a very different matter. Americans might agree or disagree on policy grounds, but that’s the way the process is intended to work.
Instead, what we’ve had (and let’s not pretend otherwise) has been an unprecedented display of petulance and racism: We don’t care what that black guy in the White House wants; we don’t care if it is good or bad for our constituents; we don’t care that the level of disrespect shown our duly (and overwhelmingly) elected Commander in Chief empowers America’s enemies at home and abroad.
The truly unAmerican vendetta being waged against the President has slowed overall recovery from the recession, to be sure, but its most damaging consequences have fallen on the people who are currently supporting Donald Trump. If Trump, or Cruz, end up leading the Grand Old Party into the wilderness in November, the wounded will have no one to blame but themselves.
I think they call that Karma. Or just desserts.
For me, it’s schadenfreude.
Another terrific post from Sheila. It looks like we’re starting to go somewhere.
The ultimate destination should be an understanding of how race is used by the Republican Party. However, we must first remove the use of Christianity as a cover for the two-headed theocratic/fascist movement in the Republican Party.
Ted Cruz represents the theocratic side. Donald Trump the fascist side. Trump is the best target since he doesn’t have the cover that Cruz has exploited.
We must stop kidding ourselves before it’s too late.
It looks like either Trump or Cruz for president could assure a Democrat presidency and restore balance to the house of representatives. Plus we get to watch the train wreck.
daleb,
“It looks like either a Trump or Cruz for president could ASSURE a Democrat presidency….
Why are so sure?
Sheila, perfectly stated and absolutely accurate! Ia addition, Marv’s summation of the present situation of the Republican party is succinct and to the point!
This morning’s news/talk shows on TV were comparing Cruz to – wait for it – PENCE! Lordy, Lordy!
Theresa,
“….PENCE! Lordy, Lordy!
They’re both Christians. That’s all that matters at this point in time.
Whoever wins the Republican nomination will be a formidable foe. It’ll be Christianity in the Republican corner and the “Heathens” in the Democratic corner of the match.
Who do you think will WIN that “boxing” match?
I am going to title my comments, “Unexpected-And-Undeserved” for one reason and one reason only.
I believe the greatest mistake made by President Obama since he was inaugurated was NOT to allow the Bush tax cuts on the wealthy to expire on the date BUSH set for expiration. In my estimation that one action (or inaction) led to the problems Sheila listed as being deserved…because it is those less-educated and disenfranchised workers who primarily have moved Trump into first place with Cruz nipping at his butt. It also brought about the 2010 GOP takeover leading to Boehner running President Obama and this country as HE saw fit and shutting down American government for ransom. Don’t be fooled by Ryan’s quieter, covert leadership manner; unlike a rattlesnake he will not give us warning before he strikes and he is Tea Party owned!
Allowing those tax cuts on the wealthy to end would have provided the financial basis for that infrastructure bank and construction jobs and the financial security needed for health care, education, all of the benefits to America and Americans listed above. The blatant racism in this country was was admittedly organized by a dedicated group of Republicans, allowing it to flourish and fed the discontent; bringing the staunch Republican voters to the polls in 2009, leading to the 2010 takeover of the House, followed by the takeover of the Senate. Trump is hand-feeding racists the courage to act out their deep-seated hatred and added bigotry and xenophobia to their prior covert beliefs and encouraging physical violence to accomplish HIS goals. The Republicans may deserve Trump…I DO NOT.
I believe President Obama continued Bush’s dangerous tax cuts as an act of compromise but gave the GOP and the wealthy far too much credit for returning the generosity by working with his administration to resolve problems. All part of his “Audacity of Hope”; that “hands across the aisle” leadership we of older generations can remember being part and parcel of our government. This compromise backfired and, rather than the GOP’s proposed “trickle-down” concept to benefit all, it became the “shit rolls downhill” predicament we live with today at the bottom of that hill. “WE” do not deserve what “WE” are getting from the current GOP – and “WE” will suffer more for the likes of Trump and/or Cruz leadership in this country. “They” do have all that money saved by the extension of Bush’s tax cuts to the wealthy to continue buying up elected officials, being allowed to hold offshore bank accounts to protect their income from any taxation, denying basic civil and human rights and shutting down United States government when the whim strikes them.
I still support President Obama 100%; I didn’t expect perfection when I supported and voted for him – TWICE. I am a realist but I do maintain his “Audacity of Hope” that the United States government will once again seek solutions to problems by compromise; the only way issues are resolved in any WORKING relationship. And; according to civics, government and the people are a relationship but one that is not working at this time.
Marv, come November I expect that Christians from the mainstream will unite with other non-fundamentalist religious folk and all of the heathens out here to defeat either Cruz or Trump. It will, however, be brutal and ugly.
I pick the heathens by a unanimous decision. I agree w Sheila’s characterization of Cruz – in his mind he is “the chosen one”, god is smiling on him and he only answers to god – never mind the voters. If the Republicans don’t like him, the evangelicals will be his only support. I expect that Trump or Cruz will either cause republicans to stay home or vote for Hillary (probably holding their noses).
daleb,
“Cruz-in his mind he is “the chosen one”, god is smiling on him and he only answers to god-never mind the voters.”
The vast majority of the voters in the U.S. are not “heathens,” they see themselves as Christians. Trump can come up with a strong “Christian” running mate. Likewise, If it’s Cruz he could easily find a “more moderate” one. I doubt if anyone is going to sit home in this presidential election. More than likely, it’s is going to turn out to be the most pivotal America has had since the election of Abraham Lincoln.
Don’t forget both Pence and Scott Walker in Wisconsin were elected with “God smiling on them.”
Hopefully, a Democrat will win, but there’s no assurance. But, I wish there was.
Less schadenfreude. More gluckschmerz. 🙂
Theresa,
I hope you’re right. The point I’m trying to make is that you can’t take it for granted. Polls can be very misleading. The answer someone gives to a pollsters can be entirely different when they cast a secret ballot.
It was little noticed that thousands of Afro Americans in New York arrived at the polls only to discover they had been purged from the rolls.
This is, was and will be the plan for the white house. If it has increased in NY, you know whats happening in IN.
Earl,
Sheila was concerned about race in her post. That to me is the ” trump card,” not only from purging the rolls but also stirring up racial resentment.
The “moderate” Republicans that I know will vote “white” if the issue of race becomes a dominant factor in the presidential race. They want “white” control. I’ve already lost a very good friend on that issue.
We’re an extremely divided America now when it comes to race. Does anyone disagree?
Well, the Koch Machine hasn’t fully cranked up for this election year, yet. They really want Cruz because Cruz really doesn’t want government any more than they do. They are still cranking out the pieces telling us that Hillary is about to be indicted, even though that is not true. If Bernie should happen to become the Democratic nominee, they have already talked about the campaign they are preparing for him: Cold War hysteria at its best.
The people supporting both Trump and Cruz have been voting against their economic self-interest for so long, I doubt they even recognize what their interest truly is. By subverting the public education system in America, the right wing has brought about the dumbing down of American voters, making them susceptible to marketing ploys, unquestioning of the things they see on Fox or hear from Rush.
Peggy,
I’m reminded of the old expression: “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” All I can say is that we better not wait for it unprepared.
My daughter sent me a message this morning lauding Hillary as the most qualified person in America to be president, setting out a lifetime of service to the country as one of her qualifications. The message also noted that the least qualified person in America to be president is Donald Trump, who has spent a lifetime serving himself and his ego. She suggested that I forward her message to some of my followers along with commentary.
I did, and my commentary is appropriate as a response to Sheila’s offering of today. Here it is:
Roughly correct. Hillary is all events is our candidate. Bernie should fold his tent, endorse Hillary and campaign for her, just as Hillary did when defeated by Obama. It’s our last chance to stop Trump this fall since the Republicans are apparently unable to stop him during primary season. Of course his last serious competitor (Cruz), an establishment wannabe who panders to the evangelicals with his religious chatter (and whose legislative record contains shutting the government down) is no better. There have to be better Republicans who could have run than those two, but they didn’t file. We effectively have our candidate, so our task is to get together and make sure that neither Trump nor Cruz (in the unlikely event the latter is nominated at the Republican convention) ascend to the Oval Office.
There is an atomic button to start hostilities in the White House that only the president can push. Do you want a Trump or a Cruz anywhere near that button? Can you imagine a conversation between say, Cruz and Putin, or Trump and the Chinese president? Hillary has already had such conversations as Secretary of State and is clearly superior by reason of her experience in foreign affairs, whereas both Trump and Cruz are country bumpkins at such meetings. It’s a comparison similar to a Little Leaguer and a major leaguer. Why would we in our right mind vote for a Little Leaguer and bumpkin to lead our team when we have a proven pro to lead our team?
The country and our people deserve to have the best and most experienced help we can get in the Oval Office, and that is Hillary hands down. We as knowledgeable citizens now know what we have to do, so let’s get on with it.
T
Over a period of time reading this blog, I’ve discovered that a fair number of participants are former Republicans who now are born again Democrats. On the other hand, my experience is the direct opposite. From my first voting experience, I believed I was a Democrat, perhaps in today’s jargon, a Kennedy Democrat.
Unlike Ms Clinton, my exact age by the way, who was busy beating the drum for Goldwater, I was placing my hopes and dreams with JFK and those Democrats who followed Camelot, even the crude and coarse LBJ. Carter was a shoo-in for me simply because I was young enough to be impressed by a truly good man.
Now, I’m left afloat with no safe harbor. The Republican offerings, as in the hyper-religious Cruz, leave me gagging and at the same time, the era of the Kennedy Democrats no longer exists after being replaced with single issues such as ‘who pees where’.
It should be no surprise that Trump, the loose cannon, has attracted the interest of those who are unhappy with the hyper-religious sector as well as the narrow sector who would argue over who pees in what bathroom. If nothing else, Trump has focused on the hubris of the two-party system’s dysfunction.
In the second sentence of the second paragraph of my piece just published, it should have read “Hillary in all events is our candidate.” Mea culpa. GES
Hillary Clinton may be the Democratic candidate, but the minute Bernie Sanders folds his tent is the minute she will feel comfortable dropping many of the progressive positions his popular campaign has forced her to embrace. I hope he stays in as long as he can afford to.
@EFK, you’re probably correct in your prediction. At base, Hillary remains the forever Goldwater girl from Chicago who just happened to marry Bill, the charming good ol’ southern Democrat boy.
The extinction of any species is sad to watch. They go from their creation by the hand of evolution, a spectacular birth of unique, to death all around, then loneliness, than nothing forever.
Conservatism can’t even run a party of those who agree with it. It stands no chance as the basis for a government. It never did. We knew that from its beginnings.
So now our questions will begin to be answered.
What in it’s wake? What/who/when will fill in behind it? It’s passing, sad as it is, is opportunity for something. The niche will be filled.
We hope and imagine better. It could though be worse.
Pete, you wrote “The extinction of any species is sad to watch.”
You’re gonna need to explain how this statement segues into today’s topic. Seriously. And, while you’re explaining, please attempt to use terms and basic verbiage that are comprehended by all readers.
Donald Trump is holding a campaign rally in Indianapolis today.
Trump supporters have been lining up hours at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, where Trump is scheduled to speak at 3 p.m.
Seeing Hillary win in NY, I reminded of a quote: “Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance”. H. L. Mencken
If there is one thing and it is a powerful, high alloy steel chain it is the Clinton link to achieving power and using it to enrich themselves. This is no secret, the vast sums of money Bill and Hillary have collected from speaking fees is one manifestation.
The most interesting and significant problem to understand is not Trmp or Cruz, but the large number of persons who support them. They are not all fools, uninformed or old, white and angry. While our understanding about the psychology driving them, namely cultural cognitions research, goes a long way toward understanding them, that does not fully account for policy concerns and reality-based concerns which go beyond white supremecy. After all, once the election is over and assuming that the Democrat will wn an unprecedented victory, these people will not just go away. And, however confused they sound, and how easily they succumb to demagogues, there is undoubtedly truth in their concerns that needs to be addressed. Solutions must go beyond bread and circuses. Unaddressed, these problems will only grow, that minority will continue to grow in number, and we may be confronted with even more credible persons who may be even more dangerous than Mr. Cruz and Mr. Trump.
@Stuart, you are correct when you wrote about Trump supporters “They are not all fools, uninformed or old, white and angry.” Actually, I believe the Trump supporters have a story to tell, a real story that the mainstream media wishes not to acknowledge.
BSH, you see the liberal/progressive side of the spectrum as the place where people are obsessed with “who pees where”? I am boggled.
Or are you saying that you identify as a Democrat (or used to), but do not agree with liberal/progressive values on social issues?
From my perspective, it is the religious right and their supporters who are freaking out about so-called bathroom issues.
@Mary, putting it succinctly, I simply do not care where you pee or where anyone pees. Frankly, where one chooses to pee is of no concern to me. Pee where you wish. Pee in the cornfield, pee behind the barn, pee standing up, pee squatting down, or pee into the wind – it does not matter to me.
It’s natural to wonder why conservatism chose these decades to infect.
I’m sure that we can agree that it’s complicated.
One factor though IMO is the only relatively recently fully researched Dunning Kruger affect which uncovered a natural trait in human cognition that predicts that the less an individual knows about any topic the more certain he/she is that what they know is the whole truth.
While this has apparently always been true it’s only been recently realized.
Why?
I maintain because of the Internet. The Internet (+ Google) allows virtually anybody to find out something about everything, instantly. I can’t count how often I whip out my trusty window to the world and find out a little about anything I wonder about, and believe me I wonder a lot.
Does that make Wikipedia addicts infallible or do they just feel that way?
Dunning Krugar would say that it produces people who are often only lightly educated but seldom uncertain.
That is my definition of conservatism. It’s not something that one researches and learns as much as falls for. Like automobiles and fashion and P&G products it’s all in the marketing.
Will the recognition of the Dunning Krugar effect be enough to blunt the impact of lightly educated people on society?
I personally doubt it.
I heard that the Koch bros have given up on the presidency and have gone back to getting their candidates I at other levels. I’m very concerned.
Louie, I personally believe in the wisdom of democracy as the only source of freedom.
So, “Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance”. H. L. Mencken is, to me, a simple truth.
We are more likely to achieve progress on the average than any individual is.
Democracy expresses the opinion of the average citizen.
BSH and Stuart; recently my 16 year old grandson posted some very astute comments on Facebook regarding this election fracas. He is totally ANTI-Trump but has paid close attention to his speeches (rants) and all other candidate’s outpourings. He commented that Trump’s supporters are looking for the immediate/short-term/quick-fix results his drastic measures propose and will lead us into war. Being a Bernie supporter he commented that Bernie’s common-sense, slow-and-steady wins the race, and avoid war using diplomacy, is a much wiser choice than Hillary’s high-finance, money propelled campaign.
I will add that, Hillary’s qualifications and experience covers different areas than Bernie’s years of “being on the battlefield” so to speak regarding the majority of Americans, combined with his years as an elected politician gives him an awareness of the needs of the majority of Americans and a ground view of what is needed and what will work in the long run. There are no “quick fixes” for the dilemma we are in today. My grandson and I will stick with Bernie till the fat lady sings.
BSH I was speaking to the extinction of conservatism which we are witnessing today.
@Pete, while you’re gathering your data to support the extinction of conservatism, take some additional time to gather data supporting the extinction of the Kennedy Democrats. I’d like to see the data that explains why my Kennedy Democrat status is now extinct. Thanks in advance for your search efforts.
JoAnn Green YES. About the Bush tax cuts. Sigh. And wow your grandson sounds amazing!
I know what conservatives are but what are Kennedy Democrats?
You’ve hit another home run Sheila.
Today, I heard an in NPR interview with Jan Brewer, former governor of Arizona. I missed the initial introduction, so I figured she was some naive pro-Trump activist who was a narrowly-focused on ideology. She spouted ideology, for the most part, and “facts” that were simply not true. When the interviewer confronted her with her misinformation, she blamed it on his bias. Talk about projection!
At the end of the interview, I was stunned to hear that this was the former governor of Arizona, someone who should know better but who somehow had put herself into a situation where she needed to believe lies. (Denial at work.) I’m sorry, but I have real difficulty understanding how a person who has had experience in public service, and would be expected to have an informed perspective–even wisdom– on the matter, would actually believe that. What would possess a person to deny simple facts, not just an interpretation of the facts? It must somehow involve a fear of the consequences of acknowledging fact or some powerful defenses at work. I just don’t know, but if she can do this, why can’t many members of the public who know even less. It’s just plainly dangerous to believe some things that are not true and then applied to public policy.
BSH, perhaps you need to define for all of us exactly what you mean by a “Kennedy Democrat”
BSH, and I still don’t understand how your comfort with the idea of “everybody peeing where they are comfortable” makes you feel out of place with the Democratic positions. It’s pretty much the way everybody feels, except for right-wing whackaloons who pervert every movement toward greater equality into a bathroom issue.
Stuart, all politicians by necessity are part time actors reading the script necessary for election. It’s a significant part of their career choice.
Good statesmen blend that though with purpose. What they feel that they can contribute.
I think many politicians though are limited to only the acting part and have chosen to align with constituents who fall for only that.
Jan Brewer is one of those. She recites the conservative script because that has served her well.
I don’t fault her for her choice because it’s within her limitations but rather her constituents for falling for it.
Of course the penultimate manifestation of actor only politicians was Ronald Reagan who never had a profound thought in his life, especially in the grip of dementia.
Great post today Sheila!
@Mary, I’ve a feeling that your concern about where we all pee is only derived from your political wish to stir a big political fuss where none exists. Mary, consider this, just how important in the big scheme of the upcoming 2016 electoral cycle is ‘where people pee’? How will ‘where people pee’ determine the economic welfare of voters across the nation? Again, I truly am not concerned where people pee because frankly it does not impact our nation’s economy one iota. You do not scare me, you do not intimidate me, nor do you worry the greater number of voters in the US. You are simply a fart in the whirlwind of the larger political picture.
I posted earlier about the extinction of conservatism.
That thought might have been roaming around my mind because yesterday I read an article about extinction as reaction to environment.
As fossil fuel use goes extinct that will probably leave in its wake dirt poor Ahrabs in a land hostile to life.
If that doesn’t scare you than you aren’t paying enough attention.
I agree with you BSH. Where people are told to
pee is only a symptom like chest pain. Maybe nothing or may be the harbinger of the worst case scenario.
BSH – I have no intention of scaring anyone or intimidating anyone. Where did you ever get that idea? Why did you choose to use those words in responding to me?
You were the first person who brought up the peeing question here. You brought it up in the context of not feeling like you belong on the Democrat side. I was puzzled, and I still am, because I see only right-wing ideologues making bathroom issues into a political fuss.
What exactly have I said or done that makes you feel that additional bathroom references are appropriate?
I think where you pee, is like a lot of other issues. There is no need to legislate where one chooses to pee, until it becomes and issue which can be used to rally the base of voters who believe that where one pees is a decision best made by state legislators. Is that what we’re talking about here?
@BSH: Yes, less “important-sounding” language is better…and a sprinkling of commas where they are needed for clarity would be lovely as well. So glad you stepped up to mention the language issue. It’s rather amusing, isn’t it?
According to Vanity Fair, Democrats are becoming the 1percent.
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/04/why-democrats-are-becoming-the-party-of-the-1-percent