Discussion: Why Republicans Don't Actually Have To Prove They Can Govern

[tfistbmpr]

Why did I know that this was a Mr. Kapur article before I opened it? Wow.

[spork_incident]

And the President still isn’t running again in 2016, which makes Sides’s point pretty irrelevant.

Where does sides claim that Obama will be running in 2016?

.

[sfaw]

Eustace:
I believe the proper modifier(s) for Obama is/are “blackity-black BLACK!” Please make sure you get it right for the next time.

As far as keeping Obama to only two terms: they may have done so, but they will do their utmost to ensure that their supporters know that ONLY IF THEY VOTE FOR REPUBLICANS IN 2016 WILL THE SCARY Ni-CLANG BE PREVENTED FROM WINNING A THIRD TERM. Please also factor this in to any future comments.

[sfaw]

Tanking the booming economy actually hurts anybody in power. The Republicans control the house and the senate. They can’t hide behind Harry Reid anymore

Forgive me for putting it so indelicately, but: you really haven’t been paying attention, have you? I know you mean well, but you apparently fall under the classification “The Rethugs will pay for their obvious attempts to destroy the government and the country.” Ain’t happened yet, and as long as Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch are still alive, it won’t.

[sfaw]

Which raises the question: if Shrummy were to state “I have never been right about anything,” he would then actually be right, creating a logic problem which would cause the World (as we know it) to end?

[sherlock1]

Nothing new! The DoNothings GOPigs are just continuing Dubya’s legacy: “Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.” George W. Bush —Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

Sadly, building on their low/no information “base” and odious hate-filled and foolish ranting followers and banking on enough of the gullible and naive to vote for them, it all works quite well…and all to the benefit of the 1% and the detriment of the 99%.

[sfaw]

So basically this is a no brainer. Do nothing, lie as to why it’s happening and blame democrats and obama.We know this movie already. Been living it for 6 years now. The problem is how to reach the minds of the ill informed that they are screwing you too.

Exactly right. Unfortunately.

[matthew1961]

The problem with this article is that it makes it sound as if it is perfectly normal political behavior to seek to sabotage the country for perceived political gain. It’s not. This is a purely Republican aberration and should be identified as such. Are we really at the point where we blithely reject the possibility that our political leaders might have a shred of concern with the good of the country?

[wombat]

The Republicans will most definitely get caught and get the blame for gridlock because the narrative that the media has created is that they - the Republicans- must now show America that they can govern. They will be getting nothing but wretched press for every act complicating the governance of America.

[ryp]

The only people who have believed the “conventional wisdom” that Republicans have to prove they can govern, are the same hacks who actually believe they are capable of doing so. Everyone else knows they will continue to throw sand in the gears, because that’s what they get elected to do. Please show me the Republican voter who was happy to see McConnell take control of the Senate so he could work with the Obama administration to “get things done”.

[ncsteve]

Unlike others here, I agree with the thesis that the voters will reward Democrats if the economy is going well in 2016 because non-ideological voters largely subscribe to the Green Lantern theory of presidential power on economic matters. Sahil’s thesis, however, presupposes that Congressional action is necessary, and it isn’t.

Congress could make things get better faster if it wasn’t in the hands of a vociferously anti-intellectual reactionary nihilist totalitarian movement, but the only thing that could make the U.S. economy take a nosedive at this point are a) a Eurozone meltdown, b) a financial panic and recession (rather than a reduction in the GDP growth rate) in China and c) an actual default on the U.S. national debt.

Of these three things, the Republicans can only cause one of them. And if they do it, their fingerprints are going to be on the murder weapon.

[obijonkenobi]

Republicans have been perfectly willing to burn down the country so that they can rule over the ruins, why would that behavior change after they were rewarded for it in the last election?

And, besides, they can always fall back on the power of unlimited and untraceable money they’ve unleashed into the election process to fabricate whatever meme necessary to win the White House.

[reibusiscancer]

I can’t tell. Was that making fun of conservatives or were you serious?

[obijonkenobi]

After watching the Republicans for the past six years, the answer is yes.

[chuck_voellinger]

The only way the GOP is really winning is with tax cuts for corporations and helping the 1%, most of the so called culture wars issues they are losing. In fact, the dominos are slowly falling re: Medicaid expansion. Remind me, other than tax cuts, what the hell do they actually stand for?

[fargo116]

Now, if you guys are smart, you will use the ‘incompetent’ word when they try and pass their first bill

[nedrey]

Obama was not on the ballet in 2014 this year either and yet all Republicans were able to tie the Democrat candidate to him. Granted it did the democrats no help when they themselves ran away from Obama (the only exception was Gary Peters of Michigan).

[Bluegigi]

“…they have to prove they can (or will) govern”, that’s the MEDIA crap being sold to you. That was also being peddled during the mid-terms, they’ll have to prove they can or will govern. They got elected (by hook or crook) based on the very fact of not governing because that would imply working with the Black President.
The base of the very white quite old Republican Party is quite content with Republicans not governing, even if it hurts them. Face meet nose, nose meet floor.

[obijonkenobi]

One of the stranger developments during the Obama presidency has been Obama’s inability or unwillingness to use his undeniable intelligence and speaking skills to push back against the Republican messaging machine’s framing of issues. He’s basically missing (or very late) in action leaving a vacuum that the Republicans are more than happy to fill.

For instance, it was only recently that Obama pointed out the obvious disadvantages to this country (besides global warming) of the Keystone XL pipeline yet that debate has been going on for years. When did you ever hear Obama point out that the IRS “scandal” was about the IRS trying to confront the problem of political groups trying to parade as “social welfare” organizations - 501 © (4)'s - in order to hide the source of their money? And on and on.

If he doesn’t wake up in his last two years and use the power of his pulpit and abundant speaking skill to beat them at the framing game, they’ll make up whatever meme they want and get away with it.

[matthew1961]

I agree with you as far as the behavior of the Repubs is concerned. But what I was objecting to is the casual acceptance of this state of affairs by members of the media (in this case Sahil), as if 'twas always thus. We don’t have to pretend that politicians are saints to be outraged by one political party openly seeking to harm the country.