Republicans need Democrats to clean up their mess. They don’t put it that way of course, but WE can, and therein lies the broad theme the entire Democratic Party can use next year. Which is:
Republicans can’t govern. In fact they turn to us do to it for them. So “Cut Out the Middle Man!” Put Democrats in charge.
Anyone reading this knows more than they want to about the absolute mess House Republicans have been in since the current Congress convened in January. It took fifteen excruciating votes for them to finally elect a Speaker. Afterwards they had the gall to complain Democrats wouldn’t step in and help them clean up the mess a relative handful of Republicans (the Free-Dumb caucus) made of what’s usually a straightforward process. To be fair there have been times in the past when the majority had such issues, but this is the first time in the TV age. GOPers looked bad and they knew it so they tried to blame Democrats for not coming to their rescue!
If all that wasn’t bad enough Bratty Matty Gaetz led the ouster of now former Speaker McCarthy a few weeks ago. Sure enough, once again GOPers blamed Democrats for not cleaning up the mess Gaetz and his pals made of the House. After all this time, with “Gym” Jordan sabotaging the candidacy of Steve Scalise and getting himself put up for Speaker HE had failed in three votes, getting fewer votes with each round. And GOPers are STILL blaming Democrats for not cleaning up their freaking mess!
As Ursula wrote in an article yesterday, Lincoln Project’s Rick Wilson puts it bluntly in a video message – Democrats should stand back and make Republicans clean up their own mess. There’s certainly merit to that opinion. I’m still of a mixed mind. If, and that’s a big “if” so-called moderates (they’re actually hard core conservatives but some are semi-sane and practical) are serious about defanging the Freedom Caucus it presents Democrats an opportunity. That’s another subject and lots of articles can (and probably will be) written by me and others about it. It’s beside the point however.
What matters is that House Republicans have devolved into the chaotic crazy gang we’ve seen this year. I believe many of them, starting with McCarthy truly are angry that Democrats didn’t bail them out of their mess, both back in January and now in the current crisis. They NEED our side to come in and be the adults in the room. Sure, they can and will play the blame game but done properly their angst, their desperation for Democrats to come to the rescue can be turned against them. Both in yes, getting the House (and by extension the govt. and the country) through the current crisis but more importantly next year when Democrats have a chance to frame the fall campaign. While Republicans (especially House GOPers) are engaged in bitter primary fights, and of course the shiite-show that will be the GOP Presidential nomination process.
Yes, there are ruby red places where a Democrat has little or no chance of winning. Still, both polling on a variety of issues as well as a lot of election results starting in 2018 prove that we have a large and receptive bloc of voters out there. Getting and keeping them motivated to cast their ballots, and to do so for Democrats will be crucial. In addition to that, retaining Democrats who are worried about President Biden’s age, or who don’t think the Party is progressive enough, or on the other hand not moderate enough will be equally crucial. We can’t have them defecting for third Party candidates. And we need to appeal to every actual Independent voter out there.
I gave you the short and sweet version of the theme for next year. Here’s a more fleshed out version: Republicans can’t govern. Democrats can. In fact, on issue after issue solid majorities of the country support Democratic Party positions and priorities. So, if you’re thinking about giving a Republican(s) one more chance don’t. They not only are out of step with most of the country, they actively work against what you want! In fact, the GOP has been taken over by people who don’t want government to function at all. People that want to take away Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, Voting Rights, Reproductive Rights. They want to destroy what’s left of public education. They even want to take away Religious Freedom and impose a strict, not at all mainstream of Christianity on the entire country including in our schools. So why bother with the Republican Party and their candidates at all? You might think, “Well, MY Republican is okay and might be able to work with Democrats to get things done” but there’s no evidence that’s the case anymore. So cut out the middleman/Republican Party and vote Democratic.
Call me crazy but I hope, especially since I know some from the Lincoln Project read this blog what I say might get to people that might agree, and more importantly can run with it and get the Democratic Party from the top down to do so.
Vote for the competent
Don’t vote for the incompetent.
Two other reasons to vote Democrat: Supreme Court and the guarantee to vote in 2026. We lost the House to MAGA by just 7,000 plus votes nationally. Including seats in NY and CA. Let that sink in.
As they flail around in a legislative sea filled with their own piss and tears…throw them a lifeline made of lead. Time to harpoon the white whale. “Are you ready kids? Aye aye captian!” Oooh…who lives in a House under the sea? Spongejim squarejaw. Porous, yellow, and dumb is he. Spongejim squarejaw. If legislative nonsense is what you wish…Spongejim squarejaw.Then get on the floor and flop like a fish. Spongejim squarejaw. Spongejim squarejaw. Spongejim squarejaw. Hahaha. Argggh.
Brilliant! It’s not uncommon to have an agonist counter balance an antagonist – and vice versa. Both moderate their shared existence so as to slough off, then winkle out, the dysfunctional bits. This ensures the health, vitality and longevity of the system overall. Not all in the GOP are dysfunctional bits, and so, need a helping hand.
The campaign ads write themselves.
Crazy, I know, but “Look, squirrel. The Democrats closed the House because they didn’t vote for any of our candidates.”
Really, that’s what they’re already saying.
No one has ever called Norman Ornstein a flaming progressive, but here’s what he had to say in a recent interview:
“The Democrats did not knock off McCarthy, despite what McCarthy, [former Ohio governor] John Kasich and other House Republicans have said. It is not the job of the minority to save the majority from itself. McCarthy lost for the same reason he was bypassed for the speakership when John Boehner left — he is untrustworthy, amoral and unprincipled. But remember this process of bouncing leaders is not new for Republicans. It happened to Boehner and Paul Ryan before McCarthy. Rest assured, it will happen again!”