Republican Admitting They're Toast!

[ProfessorGAC]

I heard two times yesterday (once on WLS radio and once on either MSNBC or CNN) republican strategists opining that Reagan's death may energize the repub base and get out the vote.

Both them surmised that it may tighten the race with Kerry and saw it as a good thing.

So, i thought two things:

1) These guys are saying Reagan dying is a good thing! Huh? I thought he was their hero, and now it's a good thing he's dead?

2) The Bush campaign LITERALLY has nothing to run on, and it's so obvious that even repubs are counting on the memory of a DEAD PRESIDENT to make the election close.

It's the latter point that really got to me. A campaign so devoid of ideas and succeses that an incumbant president would now rely on the opportunity to capitalize on the death of a more successful (theoretically) president to leverage voter enthusiasm for the failing candidate.

This is a blatant admission by the GOP that they really and truly have nothing! Mind you, these guys weren't pundits positing a theory. Both of these guys were GOP strategists! And Reagan's death is now being considered electoral leverage.

Well, if their administration was so successful, and their ideas so solid, they WOULDN'T NEED TO RUN ON REAGAN'S MEMORY! Now would they?
The Professor

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Watching the Repugs go down

is like watching a beached whale dying. They are just taking their last few desperate breaths. It's really pathetic to watch.

[newsguyatl]

26. actually

i enjoy watching republicans go down, can't say the same for the former.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

35. I'd try to save the whale...

I'd make some popcorn and enjoy the fun for the Republicans.

[Skittles]

45. it would be more fun to watch if I did not realize

they have taken America down with them.

[rooboy]

2. Hard right conservatives in government NEVER have anything...

all they have in opposition is theory and paranoia, and in government they have 'patriotism' and corruption. They can't govern.

[ProfessorGAC]

4. But The Point Is, They've Admitted It

And, on major media! Pretty telling!
The Professor

[no_hypocrisy]

3. It's a trick to encourage political complacency among democrats.

We can't let our guard down and fight even harder.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. You Overestimate Them

Besides, the anti-Bush sentiment is too high for something like this to affect democratic energy.

While i agree we can't let our guard down, i don't think it's any clever trick. I think it's a tacit admission that they screwed the pooch by installing an empty suit surrounded by criminals.
The Professor

[no_hypocrisy]

11. Dear Professor, I agree and I disagree.

I agree that the momentum with the democratic revival is impressive.

I disagree about overestimating the neocons. They lie. They pathologically lie. They manipulate. I believe that they would never acknowledge failure resulting from their actions -- unless it was a tactic to throw off the loyal opposition, who would buy it wholesale.

I am cynical and I don't trust their objectives, seen and unseen.

[ProfessorGAC]

13. I'd Never Trust Them, Either

However, i'm not convinced they're as clever as others believe them to be. I really think they're shortsighted opportunists, and not strategic thinkers.

I am never worried about progressives being outthought by these subsimian slime.

Remember, i think this was a TACIT admission. I'm not sure they even understood the implication of their statements. I really don't think they're clever enough. Opportunism is not characterized by long term thinking!
The Professor

[no_hypocrisy]

17. Dear Professor, Yes. They AREN'T clever enough. But they have gall.

And I believe they will not be deterred. I've read enough about the German intellectuals during the Weimar Republic who didn't think Hitler could organize and maintain a government, let alone a political movement.

The way I see it is like the first rule of Divorce Law: THERE ARE NO RULES!!!! It is pathetic and brutal, but it wears down the opposition by lighting so many brushfires that at least one of them gets going.

And in the tradition of American democracy, we are supposed to periodically fight for our liberties in order to protect them, even if it's from within. Even if Kerry wins and both houses are democratic in November, I'm not letting my guard down. The neocons are here to stay.

[phiddle]

22. "i'm not convinced they're as clever

as others believe them to be. I really think they're shortsighted opportunists, and not strategic thinkers."

It would be comforting to agree with you, Professor, but I don't. I think that what we have here is a VRWC that goes back at least to Goldwater, and involves the strategic, coordinated and systematic takeover of every aspect of public life by a small coterie of radicals, utilizing relentless pressure from both within and out of the government.

A few examples: The takeover of the judiciary can be dated at least to Nixon's naming of Rehnquist to the Supreme Court. Since then, the courts have been packed with right wing judges, often trained within right wing think tanks. The concentration of the communications media in a very few hands, the elimination of the fairness doctrine, the eviscerating of SEC scrutiny of publicly traded securities, the privatization of government functions, the marginalization of unions via legislation, outsourcing and "free" trade agreements, the shredding of the social safety net, the shifting of the tax burden away from corporations and the wealthy toward individuals and the middle class, and the imperialist foreign policy of most of the last 30 years all serve the interests of a very small oligarchy.

It would be very difficult to argue, given the overlapping of certain individuals (Bush family) and think tanks (Heritage Foundation, et al) in the above listed enterprises, that there is no coordinated and strategic plan. My most fervent hope is NOT that this gang is stupid (a complacent presumption; Bush may be an idiot, but he's just a figurehead), but that their hubris, inflated due to their heretofore almost total success has finally caused them to over-reach.

[ProfessorGAC]

37. All Valid Points, However . . .

all your scenarios still rely on the capitalizing of short term opportunities, not a grand strategic plan.

I still think that to assume that these guys have thought this out 20 years ahead is overcrediting.

To think that extends logically to a belief that it's already too late and there's nothing that will stop them. That's too pessimistic for me.

I also didn't say they were stupid, just short range thinkers.

You use Heritage, et al as reinforcement. Come on! You've heard those people talk on CSPAN. They are trapped in 2 dimensional logic and those thought processes are not something that is not easily revealed. I've heard them and i remain, and will remain, unimpressed by their smarts.

Their amibition, hubris, and focus, i will not underestimate.
The Professor

[phiddle]

63. Thanks for the reply, Prof:

I use the Heritage Foundation not as reinforcement for my argument, but rather as one of many possible examples of the institutions which have arisen solely to propagate right wing policies. I agree that they are trapped in 2-dimensional logic (us vs. them in foreign policy, all rights accruing to capital and none to labor as regards economic policy), but it is precisely this linearity which allows them to be both focussed and fanatical---the warp and woof of real life does not intrude upon their ideology. I am also unimpressed by their "smarts", if by that you mean the coherence and range of their thought, but am mightily impressed by their success in dominating America with their agenda.

They have not, in my opinion "thought this out" for 20 years any more than a chess player has thought out the entire game in advance. Rather, like a chess player, they begin the game with a specific set of goals (if you are black playing King's Indian, then attack the white Kingside, try to get your g7 bishop free, and don't weaken f5), and then adapt tactically to the game situation.

What, as revealed by their actions, have been their strategic goals, pursued constantly over decades? Domination of the judiciary, free flow of raw materials from 3rd world countries, the weakening of both labor rights and the value of labor, government serving the interests of the largest corporations (out of the boardroom, but in the bedroom), and neutralization of the "fourth estate", i.e., the press. All of these aims have at least a 40 year history, have developed institutions and specialists (Scaife's enterprises, or Richard Perle) to see to their pursuit, and have succeeded beyond what I thought possible even a few years ago. As far as coordination of endeavors, you need look no farther than Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed to find ample evidence of this.

As concerns pessimism, I will NOT extend logically to the defeatist conclusion. Rather, as the father of 2 wonderful kids, I will commit my every breath to insure that my children will grow up into a world of immense possibility, rather than one of stultifying enslavement.

[phiddle]

64. Thanks for the reply, Prof:

I use the Heritage Foundation NOT as an EXAMPLE of a strategy, but as an ELEMENT of one---a pawn, if you will in the chess game. It is one of many possible examples of institutions which have arisen on the last few decades, and which exist solely to propagate right wing policies, rather than to promote real intellectual endeavor. I agree with you concerning the 2-dimensionality of their thought, but note that it is precisely this linearity which allows both their focus and fanaticism.

I do not believe that they have "thought it out 20 years ahead", any more than a chess player thinks out the entire game in advance. Rather, he/she begins with a strategy and a set of aims (play Kings Indian as black, then attack the white kingside, try to liberate your g7 bishop, and don't weaken f5), and then adapts to the game circumstance.

Now, what aims has the extreme right pusued constantly over 30-40 years? Domination of the judiciary (going back to complaints about the Warren Court and Nixon's installation of Rehnquist, maybe the worst element of his legacy), the use of government to further oligarchic "crapitalism" (which maximizes property rights and minimizes the value of labor), also the economic and military dominance of the world (thus assuring the unfettered flow of raw materials and labor to the US), the weakening of those elements (universal health care, public education) which would tend to promote a more egalitarian society, and the dominance of the fourth estate, i.e., the press.

To these ends, they have developed institutions (PNAC, Scaife's and Coors' mutifarious endeavors as examples), specialists more distinguished by their fanaticism than their thoughtfulness (Richard Perle), and coordinators (Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed). The endurance, the scale, and the success of their enterprise is, ipso facto, indication of STRATEGY.

Far from pessimistic, I, as the father of 2 wonderful children, will commit my every breath to seeing that they will grow up in a world of possibility, rather than one of enslavement. But, this VRWC endeavor has been a long time in the making, and has America by the short hairs. We need to see it realistically, not underestimate it, and fight it with all of the strength and cunning which we may muster.

PS: I agree with the thrust of your 1st post, that they are totally intellectually bankrupt. Their economic plicies have been a miserable failure for both current and sucoceeding generations, their foreign policies have isolated us in the world, and their social views are not shared my most Americans.

[Auntie Bush]

28. "Subsimian Slime." I love that! Has a nice ring to it.

Although a bit of a tongue twister.
You go Professor!

[Joanne98]

40. The "resistance is futile" tactic.

If the entire Republican Party fell down a well they would claim victory from the bottom. It's just another lie we're suppose to believe so we will give up. NEVER. Bush is toast. Meet President Kerry. A proud, honest liberal with character, integrity and moral values.

[Wright Patman]

5. If the Kerry ticket

has a big enough lead going into the final weekend, not even the Diebold scenario is plausible.

Imagine Kerry leading in all the major polls by, say, 10 to 15 points, and then suddenly you wake up Wednesday morning, and it's a real "cliffhanger" due to the hacked computers. It may be that the courts will have to decide, say the commentators, just as in 2000.

Would people take to the streets?

[displacedtexan]

10. But that's exactly what happened in Georgia in 2002.

Repukes will cheat AGAIN! No doubt about it.

[Name removed]

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[drdigi420]

27. That is what the second amendment is for.

Armed resistance to the govt, if necessary.

Our forefathers realized that all govts have the tendancy towards fascism, and wanted to make sure that the citizenry had the ability to revolt, knowing that the threat of an armed uprising of the people would be another of the ingenious checks and balances built into the system.

I'm all for regulation of firearms, don't get me wrong. Let's have background checks, licensing, and records of ownership. Let's hold gun owners responsible for keeping their guns away from kids, thieves, and other irresponsible people.

No election would be close if the South wasn't afraid of the Democrats taking their guns. We know this isn't true, but it's a favorite of the right wing to try and paint Dems as 'coming to take your hunting rifles away'. And let's face it, perception is reality in politics.

Of course, we could end the War on Drugs and elminate 90% of gun violence, but that's another topic.

[SlingBlade]

6. Perhaps if they stuffed him

Bush could carry his corpse around to campaign events, You know, They could use him as a get out the vote tool.

:puke:

[robbedvoter]

7. "Vote for me! I am with the dead guy" - I see the T-shirts now!

Weekend at bernie could work too.

[SlingBlade]

9. Yes, What a wonderful idea

By GEORGE, I think you've got on to something here.
:toast:

[Aries]

12. Look at the Bush campaign website (Josh Marshall)

It links directly to a Reagan tribute!

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_06_06.php#003055


"...Now, earlier today I noted how the Bush campaign has replaced the front page of their website with a Reagan tribute, with a huge picture of the late president backgrounded with flags, accompanied by links to a Reagan tribute video, links to President Reagan's most famous speeches and statement of his praise for President Reagan by President Bush.

That's the Bush website now. (You really need to see it to get the picture.)

Now, how many days of leaving the site that way will it take before people start to see the obvious: that President Bush's campaign staffers believe that pushing their own guy isn't a particularly good political strategy and that bashing Kerry or grasping on to Reagan nostalgia is far preferable?..."

[ProfessorGAC]

15. Well, Then Apparently I'm On To Something

Another piece of evidence, i guess. Thanks.
The Professor

[buycitgo]

16. want to take any bets to see how long they ride this dead horse?

not sure how long the bump will last

but when all the other manure starts hitting the fan, and the media are unable to ignore it as completely as they have in the past, to what level will they sink next?

they're going to have to go more than seventy five percent negative on Kerry, at the least

they might have to do that now, or at least in July, for sure, when the Iraq scene goes to about 14.5 on the Richter scale

[MISSDem]

46. It almost looks like one of those Ku Klux Klan sites - all

they need is to add a rebel flag.

[Malva Zebrina]

18. I think they have been waiting for him to die for a while and

hoped it would be later, around the time of the election. This administration that is so in love with the photo op, the dramatic cock a doodle do displays, will take advantage of anything in order to get the headlines off other things and the opponents. I would not doubt it if they would suggest to Jenna that she appear topless on stage and sing God Bless America while clutching an undulating huge American flag, for the photo op it would give them.

They will do and say anything. They are shallow con men.

I am not sure it is because they have nothing else to run on--while that may be true, I think they would do the same even if they had something because I think that to them, they believe they can manipulate the people on the propaganda alone. They think they can sell their product that way and it does work. Observe the sainthood of Reagan now.

[fishnfla]

19. Maybe they are hoping for Ford to give up the ghost too

just for good measure.but for that pardon of Nixon thing.......

[mwar]

20. We're doomed!

They have Zombie-Reagan!

Run for your lives!!!

[Beetwasher]

21. Read Josh Marshall Today, He Says Essentially The Same Thing!

Good analysis!

www.talkingpointsmemo.com

[Wapsie B]

23. If they had a personality like Ronnie

in the WH right now, they're problems would be solved. Instead, they're stuck trying to defend a weak, unelected leader.

[catmandu57]

24. I believe you're right again professor

They have nothing to run on except the rotting corpse of yesterday, in fact the last tv commercial I saw for the chimp* was emphasizing his stint as govenor of texas, not as president.
As time passes, the real story about st. ronnie will emerge, and collective memories of unemployment, homelessness, high interest rates, and the separation of the classes will be what people remember.
Maybe the chimp* will have disney make a st. ronnie armitron that say there you go again, to take around with him.

[PATRICK]

25. No oomph to a merciful passing

of a long disappeared President. No JFK assassination with an unfinished legacy, no princess Di op fest. Nothing but more of the historically exhausted uses of past presidents that W has wearily used in all his slumps- even brash enough to use Lincoln whom the rad Right despises.

Not only a sign a desperation, but a blighted hope even before the first spadeful of dirt.

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

31. They sure are trying hard.

It does seem desperate. I haven't been watching the spectacle, but they were saying on Howard Stern this morning how baffled they are by the media coverage. They said, "Why do they keep talking about how Nancy is handling it so gracefully and with such dignity? What are you supposed to do after your 93-year old husband dies after a ten year illness? Tear off your clothes and throw yourself into the grave?"

They don't realize how desperate the Republicans are to make it more dramatic than it is. It is sad how they are trying to evoke the memory of Jackie Kennedy's dignity as if you could compare the two circumstances.

[Name removed]

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[tom_paine]

29. Which of course, Professor, is why they Conveniently Timed it

Go ahead, call me a :tinfoilhat:

But I'll bet you've seen at least some of my predictive posts (of which there is an archival record) in which I predicted Phase I of the October Surprise (does it surprise you, that like Xmas Shopping Season, October Surprises are starting earlier, too?) being the "Conveniently Timed Death of Raygun.

Intitially, I admit, I first said Sept.-Oct. 2004. That was before I realized just how many of these Staged Events they likely had planned for us, right up to and including LIHOP #2: San Franciso gets it from the Imperial Bushfriends and of course the Conevniently Timed Capture of Bin Laden (not in that order, IMHO)

They were only wise to get a jump on things like this by starting Raygun off a little early, though maybe they couldn't make him hang on any longer.

Since mid-2002, though, I had modified my prediction to say that Raygun was going to die Jun.-Oct. 2004.

Whether or not hew died of natural cause or with a little help from a Bushevik Private ex-CIA Spook Army (Charles Kane) wearing a nurses uniform and with the proper ID, matters not.

Still, it's pretty creepy how I predicted the window timeframe and gist of his death (including the Dead Soviet Treatment he'd receive) THREE YEARS AGO.

Call me a :tinfoilhat: if you wish. That prediction, for which there is ample record, made years ago, stands on it's own.

WWFMD? What Would Ferdinand Marcos Do? Ask that question of the Busheviks, and suddenly you can predict the future with 90% accuracy. Fucking unreal.

Flame away, now everyone!

[Snellius]

30. Praise the Lord. Reagan has arisen in the body of Bush.

It's interesting that, even though the Republicans have been very successful in proselytizing converts to the cult of personalities, they have been just as unconvincing in preaching the ideological message of the conservative cause. Even when Reagan or Bush approval ratings are decently positive, the percentage of Americans who think the country is moving in the wrong direction is over 2/3. The hopefuls in the Republican party are not coming from the right, but from libertarians like Arnold or moderates like Rudy.

[opihimoimoi]

34. The evidence points toward a counter productive effect. Repubilacanism

is awful for America in the Long Term.

They make Laws for Themselves overiding whats best for all Americans.

They are in it for selfish reasons. Period.

To Fool is to Rule.(Mongo 1257)

[Beatrix]

36. Please don't be a fool

This is a rove mind game to get dems over confident, contribute less, campaign less, and donate less. I hope you realize the more you spread sh*t like this the more your hurt the campaign. We are going to need to be working 110% come November. We can take NO risks - and believing we have already won before the votes are even counted is one of them.

[Beetwasher]

38. That's Plain silly!

No one is saying we've already won, but to give these guys credit for some incredible master plan is just plain nutty! Dems are energized and stupid shit like running Reagan for Pres. instead of Bush is NOT going to take the wind out our sails! That's ludicrous!

These fools are arrogant short term thinkers and ham fisted goons. They've shown it over and over. "Mission Accomplished" anyone?

[Beatrix]

39. Uh huh

Where were you in election 2000? Maybe you didn't notice the fu**ing truck loads of deceit being pumped out daily?

Ever hear of the story of the tortoise and the rabbit? I've heard way too many "Oh damn guys... we've already lost. awww" storys from republican sources the past few months. They WANT dems to feel overconfident. The more dems feel like the repubs have already lost the less we will fight them.

[Beetwasher]

41. Uhh, They LOST The Election in 2000 DESPITE All the Dirty Tricks

and had to rely on the SC to install the dunce! That doesn't take brilliance, it's THUGGERY.

Rove is an IDIOT. You give him WAY too much credit. But go ahead and be afraid. I've yet to see or meet a single Dem who is overconfident and stopped fighting.

[Name removed]

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[ProfessorGAC]

48. I'm Not Telling People They're Admitting Defeat

They DID admit they have nothing to run on but the memory of a dead guy. They ADMITTED IT ON MAJOR MEDIA! Which part of that do you not get?
The Professor

[Name removed]

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[ProfessorGAC]

50. Thanks For The Reinforcement, Beet

The Professor

[Beetwasher]

54. Some Of These People

Are just amazing...Booga booga!! It's all a trap!! Don't fall for it!! Ok, so what are we supposed to do?

Somehow analysis of something becomes "You're giving up and falling into Ubermensch Rove's trap!!!" :shrug:

Thank YOU Professor for your always insightful analysis!

[Name removed]

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[bagnana]

43. I agree.

I think they do seem desperate -- which makes me think they will try anything to win. But others will be fooled. You watch: Bush's numbers will go up after this crap he is pulling. It will be dismaying and frustrating but they will. I'm certain of it which is why I am avoiding all coverage in order to retain my sanity.

[ProfessorGAC]

42. Did You Bother To Read My First Post?

My point was that republican operatives are HOPING for a "dead Reagan" bounce for their boy.

I don't think it's a nefarious plan. I think it was a freudian slip that revealed an inner knowledge that they've got nothing else. These guys weren't trying to get anybody's guard down. They were thinking that this would energize their base.

If they're right, the last thing that would do would be to get Dems' guard down.

Reading for comprehension is a skill. Work on it.
The Professor

[crossroads]

62. If hoping for a spark of life... from the dead... you're in trouble...

They really have nothing else going for them now! :shrug:

[demigoddess]

57. amen and

Wouldn't you all just love to see a landslide for Kerry. And more dems in the house and senate.

[Skittles]

44. Thanks Professor

I do like these posts because they lift my spirits. I keep hearing about the neck and neck poll numbers but when I talk to people here in Texas I hear little enthusiasm for Bush. Just last week I was talking to a new coworker - he's a typical deluded republican - thinks Reagan was a great president, says all of Clinton's economic success was actually the result of Reaganomics - but I was really surprised when he said no, he won't vote for Bush. He won't vote for Kerry either; he said he just won't vote.

[TexasSissy]

55. So where's the "toast" statement?

[ProfessorGAC]

59. Read Between The Lines

I think i made it abundantly clear that they were inadvertantly admitting they've got nothing else but a dead guy. Sheesh! Don't be dense like a republican!
The Professor

[FlemingsGhost]

60. How is it any different than Kerry invoking Clinton policy?

Insider strategists have admitted that Kerry plans to direct economic trade and foreign policy very much like Clinton (There was an article on here on DU, referencing Brent Scowcroft, I believe) They're also banking on Clinton's book giving him a much needed boost.

I'm just sayin' ...

[Beetwasher]

61. They're Not Molesting Clinton's Corpse

Clinton is alive and well thankfully, and if he doesn't want them using his name, his image or his ideas, I'm sure he'll say something. Can the same be said for Reagan?

[rucky]

65. Repeat after me: Bush is no Reagan

I know it hurts to say.

I know it's not entirely honest

I know it's the most effective thing you can say within the realms of good taste.

[Guaranteed]

66. That is one helluva good point.

Tell your friends, use it against freepers.

[opihimoimoi]

67. Rats jumping Bushies Ship "Ukoudafoome"

by the dozens. "Look, there goes another 57689970918173.09" "Damn"