Right Turn Ahead

Digby takes a look at the Ed Kilgore notion that Tea Party wins in the general will cement the crazy for the foreseeable future.

But because of the way the Democrats inevitably react to these hard right turns, the political center of gravity will be moved right once again. Indeed, I believe that one of the conservative movement's greatest strengths is its consistent ability to pull the country rightward even when they are out of power. I think this is because of their willingness to push the envelope and stick with it long enough for the public and the village to get used to it. They never stop pushing and over time, through wins and losses both, their agenda and their worldview is advanced.

You'd have to argue then that the Republicans are never really out of power then, are they? Yes, Obama's accomplished a significant amount. But when only one in four actually trust the government to do the right thing, the Republicans have successfully argued that government being government is in and of itself bad for America.

But this time could actually be worse. In my view, the combination of economic stress, a fully operational grassroots and astroturf movement and a very efficient propaganda machine could bring about a severe lurch rather than a strong pull to the right. These aren't ordinary times. Without the Democrats exerting a steady counter balance, anything could happen.

What's worse is that a number of Democrats in the House and Senate are openly agreeing with the Republicans, and the counterbalance is being thrown under the bus. Republicans fear their base and operate in order to please it. Democrats despise theirs instead and operate in spite of it. As long as that remains true, there is no counterbalance, and there hasn't been for 30 years. All the thrashing the Republican base does only keeps moving things to the right.

Kilgore points out that the Democrats are playing a different game, appealing to moderation and successfully keeping its left flank under wraps. Under normal circumstances that might seem to be the smart move. But I wouldn't be so sanguine about that. In a time of crisis, when one of the parties in a two party system is a radical, destructive force whose main claim to power is that it will stop anything the majority wants to do (thus proving that government can't do anything)being a moderate, non-confrontational alternative may not be enough to fight them off.

And again, as long as the confrontational, activist alternative is drained of power consistently by the party, there is no alternative.

In any case, I agree with Kilgore that we are coming to the destination of the wingnuts' Long March. If they are able to throw off stalwart hit men like Karl Rove, it's hard to imagine they are going to be stopped by a bunch of squishy Democrats trying hard to split the difference. But it looks like we're going to find out.

I'm personally hoping that America is going to snap out of it, realize what having these nutjobs in charge really means, and that they'll vote for the Dems...but that only works if the Dems offer a clear alternative to the Republicans. "We're not insane!" is not a platform when the other side is going to the mattresses (and lighting them on fire, and then loading the flaming mattresses into catapults and chucking them over the walls).

We're long past the time where the Dems need to show some spinal fortitude.