The Republican Party's radical gift that just keeps on giving.

[RBInMaine]

Ever see the 1990's Oliver Stone film "Nixon"? In one scene, during the primary season before the '64 elections, Nixon is at a NY cocktail party. Nelson Rockefeller, who was challenging Goldwater for the Republican prez nomination, confronts Nixon (a Goldwater man, of course) and says to Nixon (pretty close to this), "So is your boy Goldwater going to split the party? Every time the Republican Party turns to extremism we lose the god damn election. McCarthy never did you any favors in the long run, did he? That's right."

This year, the Republicans have again turned to radicalism, and it is just wonderful for our side. Already Dems candidates, the DNC, and even VEEP Biden are exploiting it. It is the THE best narrative we have, and it is a god damn good one.

The Republicans have crossed the bridge to crazy land, and all we have to do is blow up the bridge so they can't get back. That means ATTACKING the ever living crap out of them relentlessly as the very radicals that they are on every issue and in every way. Independents are mostly pretty thoughtful, and most will not accept wild extremists. Yes, the economy is always the main issue, but there again it fits wonderfully with the Radical Republican narrative. They want to dismantle SS and Medicare, go back to Wall St. deregulation, repeal healthcare reform, etc.

We just need to take every issue and tie it around their over-arching radicalism. This can and should be great fun, and we have nothing at all to lose by clearly and powerfully bloodying their fucking radical right wing eyeballs at every single turn of the page.

As to Beck's dog and pony show desecrating the name of Dr. King this past weekend, I actually LOVE it. They have just heavily motivated not just the African American base to come out and vote in large numbers in November, but many other progressives as well. The RePUKEs just insist upon isolating African Americans and every other non-ultra-white racial and ethnic group so that they will never vote RePUKElican.

We have good candidates, a lot of money, and a great line of attack against the TeaRadical RePUKElicans. There is no reason we can't hold the majorities.

I don't know if Rockefeller ever actually said something like, "Every time we turn to extremism we lose the election," but I for one have been out there canvassing and donating, and I intend to once again prove that right.

[pinto]

1. "crossed the bridge to crazy land". Great line.

:kick:

[RBInMaine]

2. Yeah. I have to admit I borrowed that from someone else and said the same thing you did. Good line!

[firedupdem]

3. You go RB!

That's exactly what we have to do. The media isn't going to help us get this message out there. This is why it's so important to canvas, phone bank and do whatever it takes to make sure people know how freakin nuts these republican tea baggers are.

[emulatorloo]

4. "media isn't going to help" - agreed, they are too busy giving airtime to wingnut bloggers

For example: I have no idea why CNN etc are attempting to mainstream these "Ground Zero Mosque" conspiracy theorists by giving them airtime.

[Beetwasher]

5. Bra-Fucking-Vo!!!

Absofuckinglutely! Damn fine post RB!! :thumbsup:

And there is every indication the Dems ARE engaging exactly as they should. They are not laying down, it's just starting.

[butterfly77]

6. They also..

didn't/don't want people to have their unemployment benefits...

[DirkGently]

7. Good point. At the same time, Dems need to show that they

also affirmatively stand FOR something identifiable. We seem to be confronted with diseased "common wisdom" that says that progressive ideas are simply political poison, and the best we can do is offer a saner version of the of the Money Before People platform the Repubicans have been running on for decades.

Now, when the "crazy" is so close to the surface, is exactly when people ARE able to appreciate liberal / progressive principles because they can see where the alternative has led. This is exactly the atmosphere in which we can actually suggest, out loud, that the our country does not exist at the sufferance of the wealthy, but rather, the other way around.

We need to be as UN-Republican as possible in order for people to discern a difference. Hacking at Social Security and mealy-mouthing issues like religious tolerance and the rights of Americans to marry whom they choose just suggests that we are a watered-down version of the same idiocy which brought us to the present disaster.

We are NOT the crazy conservatives, NOR the "sane" ones. Trying to tiptoe down some imaginary middle line between absolutely freaking nuts and "moderate" will not do. When the conservative "brand" implodes like this, you don't try to quietly and modestly peddle liberal-lite. You raise the old flag high and start waving it. People will come.

[apnu]

8. Sorry for the cynical post but...

... All that is well and good, provide the Dems actually attack something. I'm sick of this sofball shit, when are the elected Dems gonna fight? Where is this bridge destruction you're talking about? It like they're asleep at the switch... again.