Posts
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/17/1345507/-Senate-Republicans-soon-to-be-in-disarray?detail=email#
In a theoretically rational world, these "New Cruzians" would be
balanced by the three senators looking at presidential bids, all of whom
have about a year to prove they're Serious Leaders capable of governing
in order to convince voters they could handle the top job. Don't count
on it. It is true that to be considered a Serious Leader in past days
you had to prove yourself capable of governing, but there's no
particular evidence that that is still true in today's Republican party.
One of the presidential contenders is Ted Cruz himself, so he's right
out as a voice of reason; he'll be campaigning on how badly he's damaged
the government, not how well he's made the gears turn. Marco Rubio's
leadership consists of walking back everything reasonable he's ever said
about immigration, lest he get crossways with a base that wasn't having
any of it, so there's not likely to be much new help from that quarter.
And Rand Paul is, like Cruz, a brand built on stubborn opposition and
contrarianism. Of the three, Rubio is the only one not actively hated by
party leadership, which is likely the slogan he'll be putting on his
2016 bumper stickers.
The net result here is that you've got a new Senate majority made up
of people who all need to prove to their bases that they're against
whatever Obama is for, whether that be in immigration reform, budgetary
matters, or breathing. All of them would be heavily damaged by agreeing
to any compromise with Obama on anything. Mitch McConnell now has to
help keep the country running with a three-vote majority of people like that.
And you thought John Boehner cried a lot.
No comments:
Post a Comment