Debate
As the Grey Lady points out in a sort of State of the Union piece today, the Junta is retrenching in the face of their declining ability to have their lies believed by anyone from the Republican elite to Joe Sixpaque. It's always been the basis of whatever 'successes' they've had (meaning political success, not ever any real-world success) that they've lied to the public and to lawmakers to push through destructive programs. As the lie machine is increasingly off the mark, and the polls plummet to new depths, the Junta retreats further to the one and only strategy it's ever really used: executive unilateralism.
In each case, the limited power that the executive was meant to wield has turned into a massive over-reach, to the point where Georgie will soon be putting the crown on his own head.
And don't miss this Rove trick: the "debate," such as it is, is between one faction of the Republican party and another. The Dubai ports deal became an issue in the media not when the Democrats made noise about it, but when Republicans did. Some Personality Cultists maintain that Georgie was okay to sell off our assets to the Osama-loving oil dictators, and others didn't - there's your debate.
Andy our path to one-party power. McCain's been a key player in this strategy. The anti-torture sentiment was his baby, and he delivered just what Rove wanted - toothless legislation that allows Georgie to keep on torturing. Dissent is only 'real' dissent when it's coming from the far right or the insanely far right. Any noise coming from the centre is ignored as "liberal." In fact, the 'left' is now assumed to be the two moderate Republican Maine Senators - Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe. Except that, for all their supposed 'moderation,' both are reliable down-the-line Junta soldiers.
If Congress is sowing its wild oats these days, that's fine with Rove. It's time for the ultra-right to look past Georgie to the next executive/dictator. Rove understands that politics trumps everything, so certain of their soldiers must be seen to be running away from Georgie.
As long as the national debate, as framed by their wholly-owned national media, is carefully doctored to be between "the right" and the "far far loony wingnut crazy fringe right, " they will be fine.
Democrats still haven't figured out how to run a campaign and control the agenda. Partially it's because the right owns the media and simply won't report what the left says. It's partly because Reagan did away with the "Fairness Doctrine," so media outlets can be as partisan as they like with no constraints.
Whatever it is, Democrats must learn how to control a debate so that it's their points (reality and truth) vs. the right, and not right vs. far right.
And they've only got a few months before the mid-terms.
In each case, the limited power that the executive was meant to wield has turned into a massive over-reach, to the point where Georgie will soon be putting the crown on his own head.
And don't miss this Rove trick: the "debate," such as it is, is between one faction of the Republican party and another. The Dubai ports deal became an issue in the media not when the Democrats made noise about it, but when Republicans did. Some Personality Cultists maintain that Georgie was okay to sell off our assets to the Osama-loving oil dictators, and others didn't - there's your debate.
Andy our path to one-party power. McCain's been a key player in this strategy. The anti-torture sentiment was his baby, and he delivered just what Rove wanted - toothless legislation that allows Georgie to keep on torturing. Dissent is only 'real' dissent when it's coming from the far right or the insanely far right. Any noise coming from the centre is ignored as "liberal." In fact, the 'left' is now assumed to be the two moderate Republican Maine Senators - Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe. Except that, for all their supposed 'moderation,' both are reliable down-the-line Junta soldiers.
If Congress is sowing its wild oats these days, that's fine with Rove. It's time for the ultra-right to look past Georgie to the next executive/dictator. Rove understands that politics trumps everything, so certain of their soldiers must be seen to be running away from Georgie.
As long as the national debate, as framed by their wholly-owned national media, is carefully doctored to be between "the right" and the "far far loony wingnut crazy fringe right, " they will be fine.
Democrats still haven't figured out how to run a campaign and control the agenda. Partially it's because the right owns the media and simply won't report what the left says. It's partly because Reagan did away with the "Fairness Doctrine," so media outlets can be as partisan as they like with no constraints.
Whatever it is, Democrats must learn how to control a debate so that it's their points (reality and truth) vs. the right, and not right vs. far right.
And they've only got a few months before the mid-terms.
posted by fiduciary at 1:06 PM
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