Sunday, July 22, 2012

What happens to Republicans when they don't have to pander to their lunatic base?

To answer the question in my title: They get sane.

A great example of that is former Senate Minority Leader Bill Frist. Remember...he's the doctor-turned-politician that diagnosed Terri Schiavo on the floor of the Senate after watching a video tape. Total lunacy.

But he's not a Republican politician anymore and so he doesn't have to cater to their lunatic base. As a result, he wrote an article this week basically telling the GOP governors to get off their duffs and create the exchanges called for in Obamacare.
Enacting some sort of exchange establishment legislation is expected to be crucial to receiving federal approval for a state-run exchange. And though some GOP governors refuse to set up an exchange of their own, I see little advantage for states to default to the federally designed, one-size-fits-all exchange when they can design and run their own.

The silver lining is that with much planning left to do, there is still time to get involved and design the exchange in your state. I urge everyone — citizens, small businesses, health industry stakeholders, churches, large employers — to actively participate in shaping your exchange so that it reflects your state's values, economy, and common sense. Then, starting in 2014, we can see a variety of big ideas and small tweaks all working together to show our nation what works and what doesn't.

Simply put, state exchanges represent a distinctly American opportunity to improve our local communities and at the same time help our nation avert a major crisis. Let's take the plunge.
In case you've forgotten, that's what a sane Republican sounds like folks.

I don't know what it will take to get voices like that back in charge of the Republican Party. Surely a resounding defeat at the polls this November would empower the voices of sanity, wouldn't it? Seems to me like if the leadership can't steer the ship away from the lunacy, perhaps its up to the voters.

6 comments:

  1. It is very important to keep the White House and Senate this fall, and if at all possible regain the House. That is a tall order and I am not optimistic about the House, because of gerrymandering, etc.

    It is not a bad thing to have a loyal opposition, though I would like a real left alternative in our system. But here we are.

    At some level the issues are social and economic, though. 1% elites using social divisions to form an electoral coalition. I don't see how that can change for that 1% without them giving up a few tax breaks.

    Listen to me. I'm not even asking for much from the 1%.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The bulk of the R's lunacy is coming from "the base". Unfortunately, "the base" is about all that's left of the Republicans. Look at the red states. These are states that proudly want to live in the 20th century ... 1955 to be exact. The bluing (purpling) of some of them is indicative that the base is dying off.

    I do not believe you will see another "sane" Republican until the party splits. I do not see that happening until 2017 after the Base gets its ass kicked again and non-religious Republicans either take back the party or leave and found a new one.l

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  3. The lunacy, along with demographic shifts, is handing the future to the left. Soon, the GOP's choices will be moderate or lose elections. Either way the Overton window is about to start creeping left for the next few decades.

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  4. You have a short memory. Go back and review what Bill Frist did to this country during the Terry Schiavo case, then tell me he's a sane voice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please go back and read the second paragraph.

      Thks.

      Delete
    2. I did. No change in my comment. He's still as much as a nut as the rest of them.

      Delete

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