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Winner-take-all politics
2005.08.11 — Government | Politics | George W Bush | by Derek Jensen
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"You are either with me or against me!" |
With Social Security private accounts, vague immigration proposals, and other controversial policy positions, George W Bush is spending his political capital like he spends our tax dollars: like a drunken sailor. What will it get him? Little that's concrete, but a lot that is not.
It's unlikely that policies that are controversial among his political base can be pushed thru Congress. Republicans are skittish about supporting the president where it may hurt them in the next elections. And Democrats have no faith in him to do good even when his proposals seem right (like easing immigration woes rather than heeding Neanderthal demands to "close duh borders!").
But even if he fails, Junior is laying the groundwork for a future America that is more conservative. |
But even if he fails, Junior is laying the groundwork for a future America that is more conservative.
W believes that since he won re-election, even by a slim margin, he should get his way on matters of policy. He wasted no time in whipping out the "mandate" word and demanding compliance from both friend and foe.
In Bush's own words:
I earned capital in the campaign—political capital—and now I intend to spend it. It is my style.
"Hey, baby, I've got charisma, and I'm going to use it to seduce you. It is my style. " |
Never mind the bizarre logic of declaring that you possess something that is intangible and subject to opinion. ("Hey, baby, I've got charisma, and I'm going to use it to seduce you. It is my style.") Consider instead the thought process that generated that statement.
Here is a man declaring that it is his style to use whatever power is given to him to get what he wants, without compromise or consensus. Neo-conservatism is a darkly controlling philosophy and demands great loyalty and broad acceptance. Sept 20, 2001:
Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.
Sorry, Switzerland.
Conservatives of the future. [Tysto mod of source] |
The fact that Democrats in Congress are, for example, not rolling over and letting the president appoint radical conservatives and unqualified applicants to public office angers him.
"We won," he thinks. "We should get what we want."
It should be no surprise then that Congressional Republicans are likely to kill the venerable (tho lame) tactic of filibuster by allowing a simple majority to end debate. This is, after all, not a forward-thinking sort of administration. They didn't even plan on how to end a war they'd planned for years to start. What goes around comes around, however, and Republicans are likely to regret their "nuclear option" when they find themselves out of power in a few years.
I imagine [conservatives of the future] as wearing shiny silver Pilgrim outfits as future-retro is taken to its logical extreme. |
In the meantime, they will have made strong inroads in the public mind about all sorts of conservative pet projects. And even tho the won't get everything they want, the Bushies are making it easier for conservatives of the future (whom I imagine as wearing shiny silver Pilgrim outfits as future-retro is taken to its logical extreme).
They may be able to raise the issues of private accounts for Social Security, vouchers for private education, flat taxation, anti-gay and anti-abortion legislation, and even "closing duh borders!" without being thought of as "crazy neo-conservative ideologs."
That label will be taken.
f e e d b a c k
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