Radical Right overreach?

[bobalot]

Is it me or is the Radical Right starting to overreach like the Radical Left did in the 60's and 70's?

Destroying Medicare and raising taxes on the poor while cutting trillions for the rich appears to be incredibly unpopular. It seems to have given the Democrats almost unlimited ammunition in the next presidential campaign.

[Eframepilot]

Probably. The country is so split, though, and voters tend to vote on whether they're currently happy about the economy, so the Republicans can count on winning some elections... but they've really shot themselves in the collective foot with this latest proposed budget.

[Knife]

Two real problems, a majority of America doesn't like current GOP proposals (various polls I've seen the last few days); however, you are a year and a half out from an election and people tend to forget.

[JME2]

Two real problems, a majority of America doesn't like current GOP proposals (various polls I've seen the last few days); however, you are a year and a half out from an election and people tend to forget.

And the GOP could perform a miraculuous PR save.

I personally hope they keep this up, though. I'd love to see these fuckers crash and burn on an epic scale.

[TheHammer]

The Tea Party backed candidates managed to achieve power only due to general voter antipathy to established "mainstream" candidates, and a general lack of enthusiasm from the left in the last general election.

Now that we've started to see what those tea party backed candidates have in mind (Paul Ryan Budget) and seen some of them in action (Scott Walker Governership), I expect you'll see a big pushback from the left in the next election and more of a return to some semblance of normalcy.

[Patrick Degan]

The Tea Party backed candidates managed to achieve power only due to general voter antipathy to established "mainstream" candidates, and a general lack of enthusiasm from the left in the last general election.

Now that we've started to see what those tea party backed candidates have in mind (Paul Ryan Budget) and seen some of them in action (Scott Walker Governership), I expect you'll see a big pushback from the left in the next election and more of a return to some semblance of normalcy.

We may indeed see a pushback from liberals. But "normality" is going to be on the blink for some time to come.

[D.Turtle]

Is it me or is the Radical Right starting to overreach like the Radical Left did in the 60's and 70's?

Destroying Medicare and raising taxes on the poor while cutting trillions for the rich appears to be incredibly unpopular. It seems to have given the Democrats almost unlimited ammunition in the next presidential campaign.

The question is how long such an overreach will have effects. And going by the last few years and elections in the US, it is clear that any backlash will only last as long as it takes to vote someone else into power. After that, the new group in power will "overreach" and get kicked out again.

The results of 2010 have pretty much destroyed any expectations I had of a longer term pushback against the radical right any time soon.

So, yes, the current overreach will help Obama get reelected and cement the impression that centrism and non-partisanism is what Americans want.

[Eframepilot]

The results of 2010 have pretty much destroyed any expectations I had of a longer term pushback against the radical right any time soon.

So, yes, the current overreach will help Obama get reelected and cement the impression that centrism and non-partisanism is what Americans want.

Maybe we'll see the House switch party control every two years, if people decide that the bums are in constant need of being thrown out.

[Knife]

The results of 2010 have pretty much destroyed any expectations I had of a longer term pushback against the radical right any time soon.

LoL, the Teaparty is nothing but pushback from Democratic gains for the last two cycles.

[Ritterin Sophia]

LoL, the Teaparty is nothing but pushback from Democratic gains for the last two cycles.

LOL. You think there has been any democratic gains.

[D.Turtle]

LoL, the Teaparty is nothing but pushback from Democratic gains for the last two cycles.

And thats exactly my point.

Americans are unhappy with government, so they will vote out whoever runs the government. Since Republicans are always convinced they win for being conservative and lose for not being conservative enough, while Democrats are always convinced they win for being conervative enough and lose for not being conservative enough there will continue to be a steady right-wards shift.

And hence, there will not be a pushback against the radical right, and there will be little to no punishment of any perceived overreach, as that is not how American politics works.

[Simon_Jester]

I think the Democrats may be reaching the end of their slide to the right. I know if I were a center-right Democratic strategist looking at the Tea Party, I'd be hard pressed to think of a way to go far enough to the right to compete with that, without opening myself to a dangerous third party challenge from the left.

[D.Turtle]

Obama is going to "compromise" on Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security.

There is always room to the right.

[Mr. Coffee]

Is it me or is the Radical Right starting to overreach like the Radical Left did in the 60's and 70's?

Destroying Medicare and raising taxes on the poor while cutting trillions for the rich appears to be incredibly unpopular. It seems to have given the Democrats almost unlimited ammunition in the next presidential campaign.

You're just now noticing this? The radical/religious right have been over reaching since the Reagan/Carter election when Ron started first courting the motherfuckers as an actual voting block. Ever since it's been a case of someone gives those knuckle dragging motherfuckers an inch and they grab for a mile. Unlike the hippies, these guys latched on to a specific political party and made themselves a home and at this point it's pretty much impossible to get rid of the Radical/Religious Right without disbanding the entire GOP and rewriting our Constitution to specifically say our government is secular and explicitly baring the trappings of religion from government.

So no, not really like the Hippies at all.

[bobalot]

Is it me or is the Radical Right starting to overreach like the Radical Left did in the 60's and 70's?

Destroying Medicare and raising taxes on the poor while cutting trillions for the rich appears to be incredibly unpopular. It seems to have given the Democrats almost unlimited ammunition in the next presidential campaign.

You're just now noticing this? The radical/religious right have been over reaching since the Reagan/Carter election when Ron started first courting the motherfuckers as an actual voting block. Ever since it's been a case of someone gives those knuckle dragging motherfuckers an inch and they grab for a mile. Unlike the hippies, these guys latched on to a specific political party and made themselves a home and at this point it's pretty much impossible to get rid of the Radical/Religious Right without disbanding the entire GOP and rewriting our Constitution to specifically say our government is secular and explicitly baring the trappings of religion from government.

So no, not really like the Hippies at all.

I have watched America for about a decade and watched the rightward slide into nuttiness continue. Every few years or so, I think "This is nuts. They can't continue" but then the following years that prove me wrong.

However, watching the events in Wisconsin and the Republican proposals that are even unpopular to its base, I'm beginning to think perhaps this is the point where the slide ends. I don't expect a leftward shift any time soon (not until the boomers start dying off).

[JME2]

However, watching the events in Wisconsin and the Republican proposals that are even unpopular to its base, I'm beginning to think perhaps this is the point where the slide ends. I don't expect a leftward shift any time soon (not until the boomers start dying off).

My thoughts too. But this may finally start the pebble rolling down the mountain.

[Knife]

LoL, the Teaparty is nothing but pushback from Democratic gains for the last two cycles.

LOL. You think there has been any democratic gains.

Funny, I remember them making gains in 06 and 08, only losing some this last cycle in... a push back from the Tea Party nutballs. My bad.

[Mr. Coffee]

I have watched America for about a decade and watched the rightward slide into nuttiness continue. Every few years or so, I think "This is nuts. They can't continue" but then the following years that prove me wrong.

Welcome to America. We're a nation of people who for 235 years have made a habit of massively over-reacting to everything, internal or expernal.

However, watching the events in Wisconsin and the Republican proposals that are even unpopular to its base, I'm beginning to think perhaps this is the point where the slide ends. I don't expect a leftward shift any time soon (not until the boomers start dying off).

All of that is the logical consequence of a political movement that just will not fucking die. Welcome to the United States of America, where nothing you think of can come close to the reality of just how fucked up we are.

And we have nuclear weapons too. Sleep well.