Do the Republicans have an unbeatable coalition? (We have to stop for the sake of the courts)

[Syrinx]

As the days and years roll by, I'm becoming more and more convinced that the Republican Party has sewn up a coalition that simply cannot be defeated in the long term.

I'm speaking of the evil bloc, and the easily misled, stupid bloc that will vote for them in every circumstance.

The evil bloc is, at most, about ten percent of the population. Probably more like one to five.

But that still gives them a head start.

And with the continual dumbing down of pubic education, and of the media, the stupid bloc is only going to grow.

Stupid people will continue to vote Republican, while smarter voters will more and more question our whole system of limited choices.

And that will lead to more Republican victory dances, and more right wingers on the courts, that will ignore the law and impose their will on America.

The "activist" judges are on the right and always have been. The cries of "judicial activism" from the right, about the "left," are simply misdirection, that has worked very well so far, and will continue to work, unless someone does something to stop it.

Forgive my pessimism, but we are near the point of no return. Once the right-wing tyrants have total control of the courts, all hope is lost. The right-wing dream of total control will have been achieved, and there will be no going back. Ever. It will be locked in.

That is why they use every parliamentary trick to avoid confirmations of Obama's judges. Distort and delay. Delay and distort.

The time is near, and I'm not being overly-dramatic. This country is soon lost, if there is no change of attitude from our Democratic senators. Or as a last-resort, a groundswell of outrage and change from us.

My senators, from Alabama, are a lost cause, but I will still bug them with emails, letters and phone calls. I ask you all, that are lucky enough to have sane Senators and representatives, to do your best to impress upon them how important the immediate future of the judiciary is. It could not be any more important at all.

This is our last chance.

[opihimoimoi]

1. Don worry...be Happy...GOPers are in death throes...

[vi5]

2. They're only unbeatable....

..because there's just nobody really, truly trying. The only people our side seem to be able to elect are ones that buy into GOP party lines and orthodoxy hook, line, and sinker.

[katnapped]

3. Of course they're unbeatable!

Our side (or at least those supposed to be on our side) is feverishly helping them out

[DaveinJapan]

4. While I fully agree that the issue of judges is paramount, and I *hate* the obstructionism

at the same time I disagree with the notion that their so-called "coalition" is in any way unbeatable.

They've got their 20% or so "base" voters who will never change, but so does the Democratic party. That still leaves upwards of 60% of the voters in varying degrees of "swing" status, and it's up to us liberals to convince them of what's good for them.

Besides, the Republicans have a recent history of being unable to hold onto any momentum. Basically, they invariably blow it and disgust the nation. Ever since Nixon set the gold standard, they've shot themselves in the foot at every turn. Reagan was charismatic, sure, and it was a virtual certainty that he'd get his eight years. Daddy Bush rode in on his coattails but was shown the door quickly, and against a relatively unknown opponent. Then we got Bush Jr, twice, but just by the skin of his teeth BOTH times (if that!), against less than inspirational opponents I'm sorry to say. I do have great respect for both Gore and Kerry, but they were easy to beat (and even then, he barely beat them at all). If a Clinton or an Obama had gone up against Junior Bush, they'd have trounced him. I'm convinced of that (and yes, I even mean a third term Clinton had such a thing been allowed, the "Clinton scandal" meme is over-exaggerated and he still commanded the respect of many voters, at least politically speaking).

Then you have the Congress, they rode in on a wave of populism in 94 and proceeded to make asses of themselves in short order. Gingrich went down in flames, and they did last a while longer but a little more than a decade later the nation came to its' senses and showed them the door. Granted, amnesia has set in again, but watch and see this bunch go down the same way.

In short, they don't know how to govern, nor how to conduct themselves properly in power (watch Boener, it'll be a hoot). They make a great minority party though, since their specialty is knowing how to be nasty and tear others down.

I agree with you that the judicial situation is grim, and has LONG standing consequences to say the least. But even if they get a foothold for a decade or two (let's hope not!), forever is a long time and the elected ones will blow it at one point or another so the balance can be restored.

[yourout]

5. I am affraid things will have to get much worse before they will get better.

The light will eventually go on for all but the most rabid right wingers but by then there will not be much left.