We all know that there’s no such thing as the GOP establishment — after all, can someone point to a mailing address or letterhead? No? Well, then. We said good day, sir! — and we all know that this non-existent GOP establishment believes, if such a non-existent thing could be said to believe, in political “pragmatism,” to be distinguished from the “purist” idealism of the movement Hobbits who, let’s face it, will have to vote for whomever the non-existent establishment GOP promotes to power. Because what are they going to do, vote for Obama?
But what we may not have known is just how truly dangerous this non-existent GOP establishment, which seems heavy with old Bushies and their “compassionate conservative” supporters (that is, it would seem such, were such an establishment to exist, which we know is not the case), is to our liberties and to the way of life envisioned by the founders and framers, actively working as they do to subvert conservatism and classical liberalism in favor of more “modest” or “manageable” statist solutions to problems of governance, with the focus being on tax cuts and deregulation on businesses and a more smoothly-running overarching nannystate rather than on airy fairy matters of [spit] principle — individual sovereignty, the overweening federal Leviathan, the breakdown of Constitutionalism and the rule of law — or those downer issues that don’t bespeak “optimism” about the future of our country, be it deficits or debt or serious entitlement reform.
Because such issues don’t poll well with the moderates and independents, you see — and if you want to affect change, you must first get elected.
— and of course, if you then want to get re-elected, you can’t risk affecting change in a way that would put off moderates and independents. So just shut up and get your asses in line!
In fact, this non-existent GOP establishment is engaging in an active war against its own base — that is, it would be, were it to exist — working oftentimes with the progressive press to sabotage those who would upset the delicate ruling class order that this non-existent GOP establishment finds quite comfortable and proper, and from within which they vie for controlling power, though it must be said that they are quite content to play second fiddle, as well, because it keeps the base sending in money for the candidates they chose, who in the end will simply reinforce the ruling class dynamic favored by the establishment. Were one to exist, I mean.
It is no accident we have Mitt Romney as a candidate. But even that doesn’t seem to be enough for establishment types, who fear Ryan’s tenuous connection to TEA Party types. That is, they fear that Ryan, with all his talk of change and reform, might, should the GOP gain power, actually try to follow through on such crazy conservative solutions to the “problems” of debt and big government — whereas the “pragmatists” in the GOP know that you only speak of wide-ranging reform, then you compromise with a few small reforms that do nothing much to roll back the movement toward ever-bigger government and ever more centralized control.
In other words, Ryan — like these wretchedly unnuanced TEA Party dullards — is a wild card, and the establishment GOP, were it to exist, doesn’t like wild cards. It likes Bushes.
Which is why we’re seeing lots of “critiques” of the Ryan pick, written by “prominent conservatives,” showing up in Politico or the Huffington Post.
The GOP establishment is looking toward 2016 and a Chris Christie / Jeb Bush ticket, should Romney not be able to pull this election off (and they distrust his political team). They figure another four years of Obama will have the base so riled up that the money will come flowing in — and that after 8 years of Obama, the country will be begging for a change, at which point a Republican, like clockwork, will be due up. And they’ll be ready with their preferred candidates — after whose election, the status quo ruling elite will merely change places at the table, and we’ll enjoy a period of lower taxation and a relaxation of regulations on certain businesses. Until such time as its the Democrats’ turn at the helm.
— At which time the money will start pouring in again from the base. And so on.
That is, this would be their thinking were they to exist. Which we know they don’t. Meaning that these articles detailing the problems with Paul Ryan likely don’t exist, either — and even if they do, they don’t exist in a way attributable to any GOP establishment. Because there is no GOP establishment, sillies. So. QED.
Oh. And fuck Sarah Palin and Herman Cain and Jim DeMint and Michele Bachmann,etc., while you’re at it. Those kinds of “purists” simply don’t get How Washington Works™ — at least, not as well as some “conservative” opinion leaders, who would really just prefer we all shut up an do as we’re directed. It’s the only way to make sure we get and keep power — and if getting and keeping power means having to sacrifice actually putting that power to any kind of substantive use, well, then that’s a sacrifice they are willing to make. On our behalf.
Or at least, they would. If they existed.
The gravity of our joint problem escapes them. Or they’re denying it.
That problem is an all powerful State tending to its own internal business of reminting another false economy in which to re-lever and re-lever again the power of a false State.
All-powerful is a literal term, as is false economy. Connect. The. Dots.
In other words? The establishment right is as mentally ill as the left is: their daily intellectual currency is denial.
Which is another literal term.
From the Fineman piece:
Interesting phrasing and punctuation there, innit? Meanwhile, from a recognized bastion of GOP insiderism, the WSJ Editorial Board: The Bedwetter Caucus
Most of the Republicans that are part of this Non-existent establishment spend a lot of time in DC.
The rest of us – we’re the disenfranchised Visigoths.
Pffft. It won’t be Christie/Jeb in 2016. Christie’s turn isn’t until 2024.
Mitch McConnell gets to lose the 2016 election, then Olympia Snowe gets to lose the 2020 election.
If the Beltway hacks of either party hate it, it must be right.
That the empire can’t collapse is taken as religious dogma among those heavily invested in the status quo…on both sides.
But history shows most empires collapse due to neglect and defacto internal sabotage rather than being defeated by external enemies.
It does, huh?
Anybody see this Onion article yet? I can’t help but think it’s addressed to the Bedwetter Caucus every bit as much as it is to the Dems.
Ryan might not be the perfect candidate, but I can’t deny that watching the usual suspects lose their shit over him is entertaining as hell.
So, Jeff, who do you think wrote that Huff-Po letter that Levin read on-air yesterday?
Did that one dude utter “Buuu” or was it another syllable?
It feels like a repeat of 2008, with Palin/Ryan being chosen to get the Hobbits on board.
Fool me once, and all that.
Rove, is my guess. Because he put out op-eds praising the choice, and he’s a manipulative little RINO fuck.
Rove needs to be put out to pasture. His time is long gone, but he cannot let go of what he once had.
Whether by design or more likely not, Romney’s pick of Ryan has put the non-existent Establishment in a pickle. They have to either drive the MediCare reform train or get run over by MediScare.
Driving the train?:
Somewhat, I think so. In any event it isn’t changing my decision about voting in November.
The Nonexistent GOP Establishment picked Romney. They thought it was worth tossing out 2010 and risking a split in the party for.
He was inevitable.
He’s their pick. So, if he fucked them they then just need to say his name, lie back, and think of… um… bipartisan civility and loyal opposition I guess? At least he’s not a THEOCRAT or NEWT or that stupid purist CULT LEADER bitch PALIN right guys?
I mean the GOP is all in now right? One face one candidate?
They said we ALL had to get behind Romney and stand together once they’d slapped the tea party down in the primaries. Or is that patriotic star stripe and eagle festooned claptrap just yesterday’s dry stale platitude?
Are we falling back to “try and get the senate and keep the house ” already?
Here’s all the sources for this story in another side-swipe at a conservative choice: going on the record that “the timing was off” in the Ryan pick. Usual cast of assholes – McKinnon, Schmidt, Weaver. The remaining anonymous one must be Frum.
“the timing was off”
A READER EMAILS THIS PICTURE of the line waiting to see Paul Ryan at Miami University in Ohio. Click to see it full size so you can see how far it stretches.
The timing is off because it threatens to scuttle Obama’s re-election, an outcome the man himself seems almost intent upon making impossible.
Almost makes me wonder if the Beltway hacks haven’t seen what’s coming, economically, in 2013: “Um, no, actually you know what Barack? You can keep it for another four years.” “Ohhh no! I don’t want it, you take it!”
My sense is no. I think they think being in power is always preferable to being out of power. That said, I think McGehee and palaeomarus might be on to something. These sonsofbitches all talk to each other, and have more in common with each other than with the people and parties they ostensibly represent. The professional democrat has obvious contempt for the people his party claims to champion. I suspect professional republicans pick up this attitude from their democrat colleagues, and that it’s this air of casual contempt for the average republican voter that makes people like McKinnin, Schmidt and Rove ineffective over the middle to long term.
Because, unlike their Democrat counterparts, they’re woefully mistaken.