MIDTERMS: Where Tuesday Night’s Whole Debacle Got Started

Paul, respectfully, pressing one’s advantage is not hubris. The poisonous sinkhole of partisan animus you describe may well be something that Obama would wish to change but it is a matter of standing policy for Republicans. They’re loudly not interested. As one can see from the victory speeches. At least since William F. Buckley formulated his absolutist rule, the GOP has been uncompromising in enforcing party loyalty and rigidly opposing every advance of the progressive agenda. DeLay exemplified this by routinely refusing to even speak with any lobbyists from any industry who was a registered Democrat, saying, “Why would I want to talk with the enemy? Send me a Republican and we’ll talk.” He didn’t say opponent, the word you use, but enemy. The open and unapologetic goal of the GOP since the mid-90s has been to establish a “permanent majority.” And Mike Pence just a few days ago reiterated the Limbaugh gospel that “there will be no compromise” followed by Mitch McConnell’s statement that limiting Obama to one term is the party’s TOP priority. Not the economy, not the wars, not terrorism or whatever else. It’s power first and policy second with this crowd.

You’re right – In two years Democrats have made more progress than they’ve made in decades. But that actually sounds like a Republican victory to me because, as you say, that’s DECADES since progress has been made. And now again the GOPs biggest problem is the insurgency of even more radical conservatives within their own party. Obama’s strategy of compromising and then cajoling his base (which is exactly what we saw on his Daily Show appearance) would have worked in an earlier centrist era, but against this ideologically-inflamed contemporary conservative machine it has been a nearly abject failure.

An additional remark on the subject, boosted on your concluding and accurate observation about the “cultural hysteria” he needs to navigate. First, everybody’s life is hard. That young lady who had her head stomped on was also not being treated fairly. Second, however much Obama may be a cultural figure he is also still an establishment, institutional functionary and that means he needs to make the numbers. His performance is measurable in gains and losses. I’m glad he has a good character and that’s a part of why he has my support; but he’s the titular head of the party and he needs to deliver gains. Hey, if he was committed to shrinking the Republican party to the size where it could be drowned in the bathtub I’d have all the patience in the world for his sipping tea with Lieberman or encouraging applause for McCain. But you can’t do that and then lose. Then again it’s hardly his fault if his base and his party is actually comprised of people who lack the energy, passion, combativeness and naked conviction that winning usually requires.

Thanks for that!

Plus, the Blue Dogs are halved in Congress! I don’t consider that a debacle at all.

There’s a faith-based political strategy for you: In the long run all this losing is sure to succeed. Let history be the judge!