"Republican Plan B"

[swag]

A commenter named Bruce Wilder has some interesting, if pessimistic, things to say over at Economist's View:

"Republican Plan A is to hold onto power in any way they can. Demogogue on torture and the Iraq War. Wag the Dog with endless terror scares. Quietly jawbone the price of gasoline into the basement. Use voting machine shortages and voter ID requirements and the like to minimize the Democratic vote. Use Republican control of all Media to dampen or distort any news favorable to the Democrats and to stifle Democratic messages.

Republican Plan B -- what to do if the Democrats gain some share of power -- is to use the naive earnestness of the Democrats as the basis for political judo. Democrats will reliably try to reverse Republican policies -- to withdraw from Iraq, for example, and to raise taxes to close the deficit and save Social Security, and the Republicans will allow these things to happen -- there's really little choice left in Iraq and the deficit will have to be closed eventually -- and blame the Democrats.

Over and over again, Republicans have said that the war in Iraq can be "won" if the military is only given enough time. This ridiculous and self-serving prognostication, which has often been fed thru the mouths of military analysts and generals, is never challenged. And, it is the premise for an argument that defeat will only follow from withdrawal.

The same tactic will be readied on taxes and the economy. The inevitable recession will be blamed on Democrats, if Democrats have the slightest sliver of power. And, Republican control of all Media will ensure that no competing storyline ever emerges farther than the blogs. Bush may not actually veto a tax increase, but he will fight ruthlessly for as idiotic a fiscal policy as can possibly be imagined."

[gully]

1. Exactly, they'll blame us for their failed policies.

eom

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. Yep. If we take power, they'll blame us for all the problems that

have been created by their maladministration; if we don't take power, they'll continue to deny that anything is going wrong.