After Obama's re-election almost two weeks ago, there was naturally a lot of celebrating and high-fiving, as one might expect. But a few people in this forum went much further than that, openly and gleefully reveling in the hope that the Republican Party would virtually self-destruct and cease to be capable of providing more than token opposition.
If that's what you think you'd like to see, I suggest that you take just a moment and ponder the likely consequences.
During the weeks leading up to the election, when it was fairly clear that Obama was probably going to win, such thoughts crossed my mind a time or too. Then yesterday, I saw more or less the same set of sentiments articulated by
The Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinio...445_story.html
Here's a key excerpt:
Don’t get me wrong: I want progressive candidates to win those elections. But parties without meaningful competition become flabby, lazy, unresponsive. Democratic candidates shouldn’t win by default, and neither should progressive ideas. A smart, creative, reality-based conservative movement is ultimately good for the liberal cause — and good for the country.
Step out of the echo chamber, Republicans. There’s a big country out there, and it’s trying to tell you something. For the sake of party and nation, try listening.
(end of excerpt)
Robinson is an unabashed liberal and I disagree with him on many things, but I think he's spot on here.
To go a bit further, I think most of us agree that the Republican Party needs a serious reformation. In my mind, the first thing it ought to do is get rid of the fusion with "social policy" zealots (read: single-issue voters obsessed with things like abortion and gay marriage), and articulate an agenda with broader appeal to younger and middle class folks who understand the need for a
sustainable long-term plan involving some modicum of fiscal probity.
And that's just for starters. What's urgently needed is some new blood and a comprehensive plan for a whole new ball game.
My key point is that if you want to see the opposition party stomped into abject irrelevance, you'd better be careful what you wish for!
For a glimpse of what might happen in that event, just take a look at California. Supporters of public-sector unions and other expensive-to-placate special interests have gained a supermajority in the state legislature, and the impending fiscal train wreck has been coming into focus for all to see.
Would you like for entire nation to become like California writ large, but with far fewer percentage points of the population living in nice places like Santa Barbara, the San Francisco Bay Area, or Napa Valley? If so, just wait and see what happens when you try to present the bill for such a progressive agenda to middle class Americans, as eventually you must.
Just a few points to ponder. Thoughts, anyone?
Serious Question for our Progressive Friends
