Dad first voted for FDR for President in 1944 and Truman in ‘48, but after that he became an active Republican. Ours was a Rockefeller Republican household in the ‘60s, supporting Nelson Rockefeller, the liberal Governor of New York, during the ‘64 and ‘68 Republican nominating process. Pro-civil rights. Pro-choice (before there was such a word). Dad got involved on the local level and received the party’s endorsement for the Minnesota State Legislature in ‘72 (lost by 40 votes). But he was the local school board chairman and mayor of our small town in central Minnesota.
By the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, things were changing. The “Neanderthals” (Dad’s term) gained ascendancy in the local party structure, and he ceased his involvement, but he still voted Republican. In 2007 as the Presidential nominating process heated up, Dad said he might vote for that young black man if he got the nomination. Of course, Obama did get the nomination, but I’m not sure if Dad was able to break his Republican habit when the election judges came to his assisted living home.
Now one wonders whether we are we witnessing the death throes of the Republican party. America needs a two party system, but is this the face of the loyal opposition?
The party is so weak it cannot control its own lunatic fringe. The inmates are in control of the asylum. The party spokes folk are Limbaugh, Hannity, and Palin, liars and lightweights and demogogues. Elected officials do not reproach their own, they fear them. Look what happened to Specter when he dared to be a moderate voice. Some elected officials choose to feed the frenzy for their own political ends … see Grassley and the “death panels”. One aspect seldom noted is their extreme anti-intellectualism wherein ignorance is not merely tolerated, it is embraced. The nativist, racist, anti-intellectualism is mindful of the “Know Nothing” party of a century and a half ago.
This is a party without a head, without a heart, and without a soul.
The mainstream media (MSM) often merely fans the flames, but CBS anchor Katie Couric recently lived up to the tag line of her esteemed predecessor, Walter Cronkite, “and that’s the way it is.”
UPDATE:
I had to add this cartoon from Street Prophets:
Nothing to do with policy???? Katie ignorance is translating the truth into something that it isn’t. Cap and trade, socialized healthcare, immigration, gunrights are all very controversial; especially when the policies as written conflict with the MAJORITY of the countries interests. Katie you are a fine example of biased media, you are nothing but a liberal tool. I wonder if any of these issues were put to a vote by the people how successful would they be? How would you report then?
Joe,
I think your rant just proved Katie’s point. Anger and shouting betray ignorance but don’t advance the discussion because we can’t hear each other. You clearly did not hear what Katie said which is that gun toting idiots at presidential appearances, swastikas on a legislator’s door, and shouting down all discussion during public meetings are not marks of rational debate.