There is a terrific article out today at the Washington Post blog, saying just that about the current Republican Party today:
Naturally, they are mostly speaking of the national Republican Party, specifically as it applies to Washington and the federal government.
But what better place represents this as fact than Kansas right now, what with the drug out and long-delayed and even expensive session going on which their Governor Brownback stepped out on last week?
What state better exemplifies the irresponsibility and demagoguery and inability to or interest in compromising with the opposing party?
I can't think of one.
The crazy thing, however, about Kansas is that they--the Republicans--don't have one figure they can conveniently continue to block as they do in Washington with Kenyan/Socialist/Communist/Whatever-they-come-up-with-next President Obama. Far from it.
In Kansas, they have the Senate and the House and the Governor's mansion, all, and they've made clear they want to raise the sales taxes on the middle- and lower-classes while lowering taxes on the already-wealthy and corporations.
Fortunately, to date, they haven't been able to make that stick, in spite of the Governor's political pushes. Something about answering to the people back home, I think.
In the meantime, check out this additional article, this time from the LA Times:
A bit from the article:
WASHINGTON – Although the controversies dominating political headlines eventually might undermine PresidentObama's standing with voters, a longer-term reality – a declining number of people who identify themselves as conservatives – could cause much more trouble for his Republican opponents.
Republicans won big in the 2010 midterm election, taking control of the House and numerous state legislatures. That victory corresponded with a significant increase in the percentage of Americans calling themselves conservative, particularly on economic issues. Since then, however, the percentage has steadily declined, according to an annual "values and beliefs" survey conducted by Gallup.
The latest version shows a further drop, with 41% of Americans calling themselves economic conservatives, down from just over 50% at the 2010 peak. On social issues, the share identifying as conservatives has dropped slightly and is now just more than 1 in 3.
On social issues, the big gain has come among those who call themselves liberals, whose ranks have increased from 22% of adults in 2010 to 30% now. On economic issues, gains have mostly come among those calling themselves moderates, with the percentage of liberals holding relatively steady.
So all I can say is, Republicans, keep it up, please, by all means. You're falling apart and people are running away from you, your party and your ideology and in the meantime, you learn nothing whatever.
I love you, Republican Party.
That said, I and all the rest of us Americans would love you even more if you would come back to reality, do what's best for most Americans, not just the wealthy and corporations, and compromise with the other political party for the betterment of the entire nation.
It's not that much to ask.
It's how things used to work.
It's how things used to work.
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