Schadenfreude
After the Radical Right spent years attacking progressives as the "Loony Left" and "moonbats," I can't say this is not making me smile:
It's the wrong strategy, being pursued and driven by all the usual suspects: social conservatives; immigration fanatics; ethically-challenged pork addicts who the former two groups are now calling "moderates" in a fatuous and cynical attempt to portray themselves as the party's real standard bearers, which they are not (please remind me just when Barry Goldwater or Ronald Reagan proposed amending the Constitution to deal with a social concern, or when either claimed that there was simply no more fat to trim from the federal budget). As Silver suggests in his post, too many moderate and libertarian-leaning Republicans are staying silent on this subject, instead of standing up and pointing the finger for our loss squarely where it belongs: not with the Arnold Schwarzeneggers, John McCains, Rudy Giulianis, Susan Collinses, Jim Kolbes or Mary Bonos of this world, but rather with the Tom DeLays, Rick Santorums, Marilyn Musgraves, John Kyls, Jim Inhofes and Conrad Burnses-- a.k.a., the loss-makers.
The extremist elements of the GOP hoisted on its own petard. Delicious.
And Red State's response sounds familiar:
Take a look through all these websites and I can guarantee you that you would search in vain for even one positive mention made of traditional conservative Republicans. The attitude towards decent people like Jon Kyl, Todd Tiarht, Jeb Hensarling, etc. ranges strictly from hatred to contempt.It is remarkable to say the least to see people who claim to be Republicans and yet have such a visceral dislike of their fellow members of the Big Tent even as they preach "inclusion" and praise Reagan's Eleventh Commandment to not speak ill of another Republican.
This doesn't happen with Democrats. I have never seen any Blue Dog, even the most conservative among them, go on the national stage and attack any of his far more liberal Democrat colleagues as "extremists" and/or captives of the "Far Left."
I guess Red State has never heard of the DLC, TNR or Jim Wallis. I tell you what is new here, that anyone is taking on the Radical Right Wing of the Republican Party. Getting spanked in the last election has allowed some folks to get some courage.
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