Before 1964, I was a registered Democrat. I left them, that year, because of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which escalated our involvement in an unjust war in Vietnam. I remained an independent even though Democrats eventually turned against that war, because, time after time they demonstrated a lack of testicular fortitude when confronted by moral choices.
Soon Democrats may face a choice in whether to filibuster the Gorsuch nomination to the Supreme Court or to wait for a more politically propitious time. I fear that by choosing the latter, they will break the growing spirit of Resistance to the Trump Administration.
In such an eventuality, I offer as an alternative to working with the Democrats, that the movement be directed to taking over the Republican Party, by participating in the 2018 Primaries. The Republicans are a minority party and really the weaker of the two. If they can be taken over it will allow both parties to begin the work of rehabilitating this nation. Even if it is not possible to take them over, just the possibility of a primary challenge weakens Republican candidates knees and affects their behavior.
Your reasoning is excellent; it’s your basic assumptions that are wrong.
ReplyDeleteIn order for an outsider to win a GOP party seat, two things need to happen:
A candidate running for office in a Republican primary will be facing financially backed GOP establishment foes. So, you either have to have already removed money from politics, which will never happen in the next two years, or you need to be well-backed financially yourself.
Secondly, unless the GOP electorate changes its ideals and positions, your alternative idealism may not be acceptable to them.
Trump was able to pull off a win by appealing to the extremist's positions while simultaneously lying to the more moderate GOP electorate, giving them false hopes with undeliverable promises based on false premises and information. Do you see the new GOP opposition as likewise liars, spreading false claims and promises? Even if they followed Trump's formula for victory, that may not be well-accepted in two years. And moneyed interests will still be talking.
I actually feel that you would have an easier time appealing to disenchanted Democrats than to disenchanted Republicans. But, I could be wrong. Few thought Trump would be our president at the beginning of the Republican primaries.
The first thing that is needed is for Democrats to start registering as Republicans so they can enter the Primaries, making no bones about their intentions to get two bites at the apple. If they can't get their candidate into the General election, they will vote for a Democrat. When faced with this prospect, you will see a remarkable change in the behavior of Republican incumbents.
ReplyDeleteThe genie of frustration is out of the bottle. What's the belief on putting it back in? No chance. The con is being revealed more and more. Given the huckster's nature and behavior, I don't believe the Resistance will subside. We know you're fond of chess. ;-) And, this is what this is ... with careful movement of the pieces. Which piece is the Supreme Court nomination? Sometimes one has to be sacrificed for the checkmate.
ReplyDeleteIndependents have most probably gained from both sides of the aisle. They'll align themselves with the party that represents workable sanity. Trumpism continues to pursue and behave in extremely ... if, not shocking ... damaging ways for centrists. Extremes are paralyzing. My own town is predominantly Republican, but there's a rising activism from Democrats who are inviting moderate Republicans to join in. Sounds like along the ideas you're proposing. I intend to pursue and get involved ... if genuinely focused. Kathleen Parker predicted a tsunami in 2018 ... and the conditions are right for that one. Primaries by the ton!
Am I being too cautious?
P. S. Greg, I know about the idealism of getting money out of politics. But, money was not the only factor here. Hillary's campaign was swimming in money. More nefarious actions were at work ... which makes me uneasy about stealth party crossing. If anything, there should be an organized, volunteer effort in assisting voter registration to combat the Republican voter suppression techniques. But, what do I know? Never been a community organizer.
Getting back to the beginning of my post, which is concerned with future action of the Democrats, and in the event that, once again, the Democrats deflate a burgeoning movement, that could indeed have turned into a tsunami, consideration be given to taking over a political party, namely the Republican Party. There may be a certain kinship between my choice of the Republican Party and a gambit in chess.
ReplyDeleteAh, check! Should have known better than to question the strategy ... several moves ahead. Agreed on the "testifular fortitude when confronted with moral choices" ... none. We stand on principle, and, where does it get us? Whereas Republican strategy is always "damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead!" Oh, Lyndon, Lyndon ... haunt the halls of the White House and pick up the bully-in-chief by his ears! He'll cry and blame it all on ... Bannon, Flynn, Conway ... would he throw Kushner under the bus? Nah, he's family business. ;-) Got the lesson.
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