I really didn't want to go too deeply into the current idiocy, but I thought it was worth making one more point. This is for you to think about... (I apologize in advance for the swearing).
I begin with the following assumptions about you (and me):
Now, based on those assumptions, let me point out two separate but related thoughts. First, the more I think about it, I really do think it would be best for McCarthy to make a deal with the Democrats. I think that is a golden opportunity to rid the party of the types who scare the public and who mislabel their paranoia as conservatism, and to cleanse the party's image after a decade of hijacking by hateful assholes who hate everything and anything and want to see the country burn. Unfortunately, I don't think McCarthy has the balls to do this right -- that is, to stand up and make a huge, proactive deal about it -- but I think it is the best course and I will hope he has it in him. You may disagree, and I'm cool with that. I think it's true though. Feel free to explain your rational reasoning if you think I'm right, I would love to hear it.
Either way, of all the options available, the least palatable one is to give concessions to the freak faction and let them hold sway over the party. It's time for that sh*tshow to end.
My second point: I'm done with the freaks, and you should be too. They are not conservatives. They don't understand conservatism, and they don't care about it. They are paranoids and exploiters of paranoids who live in a world of imaginary conspiracies, self-aggrandizing fantasy, idiocy and lunacy. They don't support the GOP and never will. They want to destroy it to get money and adulation from other paranoids. They are using you and the GOP to jerk themselves off and enrich themselves.
Anyone who would humiliate their party, as these twenty assholes are doing right now, is not trying to help the GOP, they are trying to destroy it. They want the drama. Again, they are using the party you need to bring about conservatism to jerk themselves off. It is a tool for them, that is all. If you doubt me, tell me what conservative principle they are standing up for right now? Even dumbass Marjorie Green understands this -- look at her statement about this being about Gaetz and Boebort demanding perks.
Now think about this...
Matt Gaetz is quoted as saying that he doesn't care if the Democrats get the speakership so long as it's not McCarthy. Does that sound like someone who truly has the GOP's best interests at heart? No, that is a child who is threatening to take his ball home if he doesn't get what he wants and what he wants is drama and perks. He doesn't give a rat's ass about conservatism, if he even knows what that is.
Then there are people like Tucker Carlson. For years now, Carlson has attacked the GOP. No matter what the GOP does, he attacks. Does that sound like he wants to make the GOP better or is he using it as a punching bag to make money on you? Why mention Carlson? Because yesterday, he gave an explanation for his failure in predicting a red wave. He said that he misjudged the election because he hates the Democrats so much that it interfered with his judgment. Ok, fine. But here's what caught my attention. When explaining why he was blinded to reality, he said: “I wanted [to see the Democrats lose] so much, not because I like the Republicans — I really dislike them more than I ever have — but I dislike the other side more.” This is what I'm talking about again. There is no subtlety or context in this thought. This is not a man who says, I support the GOP but I wish they were more X or Y. He simply dislikes them. He even says this gratuitously; i.e. there was no reason to even mention the GOP to explain his hate for the Democrats. In other words, he went out of his way to throw that into his explanation so you didn't get the wrong idea and think he actually liked the GOP. This is not a man you should trust or consider an ally. He is anti-GOP, not work-with-the-GOP. This is not constructive. So when he tells you, here's what the GOP should be done, you are getting advice from a man who hates you. Is that smart?
Let me give you one last example of who these people are. There was an idiot who left an anonymous comment here, which I deleted, in which he countered my suggestion by attacking Mitch McConnell on a personal level. Think about that. McConnell has nothing to do with this situation, yet that is his defense -- smearing Mitch McConnell. That person is someone who is so twisted with his own hate of the GOP that he can't even respond rationally. That's not someone you can work with and it's not anyone you want on your side. That is what I'm talking about. It's time to turn our backs on these bigots and fools and nutjobs. They are not our friends or allies and they never will be.
That is why I think McCarthy needs to strike and the rest of the party needs to start getting rid of them. You saw the way MAGA candidates under-performed non-MAGA Republicans by 5%, that's GOP voters sending a message. They want these people gone. Here's the chance, Kevin.
Finally, on a person level, I ask that you think about this. Can you really support people who hate you and are using the things you believe in for their own twisted purposes? Don't support them. Tell your friends why they shouldn't support them too. And watch for people who do this. They will give themselves away through genuine disloyalty which they will justify in the name of purity.
I begin with the following assumptions about you (and me):
(1) You are rational.If you don't believe these things, then go away. I. don't. want. you. here.
(2) You believe in conservative ideas of small government, economic and personal freedom balanced with responsibility, and that traditional values are important for societal cohesion and raising the next generation to be happy and successful.
(3) You understand that the United States is a two party system and that the Republican Party is the one that is closest to what you believe and therefore must be supported, even if imperfect, and steered to where it represents us best.
Now, based on those assumptions, let me point out two separate but related thoughts. First, the more I think about it, I really do think it would be best for McCarthy to make a deal with the Democrats. I think that is a golden opportunity to rid the party of the types who scare the public and who mislabel their paranoia as conservatism, and to cleanse the party's image after a decade of hijacking by hateful assholes who hate everything and anything and want to see the country burn. Unfortunately, I don't think McCarthy has the balls to do this right -- that is, to stand up and make a huge, proactive deal about it -- but I think it is the best course and I will hope he has it in him. You may disagree, and I'm cool with that. I think it's true though. Feel free to explain your rational reasoning if you think I'm right, I would love to hear it.
Either way, of all the options available, the least palatable one is to give concessions to the freak faction and let them hold sway over the party. It's time for that sh*tshow to end.
My second point: I'm done with the freaks, and you should be too. They are not conservatives. They don't understand conservatism, and they don't care about it. They are paranoids and exploiters of paranoids who live in a world of imaginary conspiracies, self-aggrandizing fantasy, idiocy and lunacy. They don't support the GOP and never will. They want to destroy it to get money and adulation from other paranoids. They are using you and the GOP to jerk themselves off and enrich themselves.
Anyone who would humiliate their party, as these twenty assholes are doing right now, is not trying to help the GOP, they are trying to destroy it. They want the drama. Again, they are using the party you need to bring about conservatism to jerk themselves off. It is a tool for them, that is all. If you doubt me, tell me what conservative principle they are standing up for right now? Even dumbass Marjorie Green understands this -- look at her statement about this being about Gaetz and Boebort demanding perks.
Now think about this...
Matt Gaetz is quoted as saying that he doesn't care if the Democrats get the speakership so long as it's not McCarthy. Does that sound like someone who truly has the GOP's best interests at heart? No, that is a child who is threatening to take his ball home if he doesn't get what he wants and what he wants is drama and perks. He doesn't give a rat's ass about conservatism, if he even knows what that is.
Then there are people like Tucker Carlson. For years now, Carlson has attacked the GOP. No matter what the GOP does, he attacks. Does that sound like he wants to make the GOP better or is he using it as a punching bag to make money on you? Why mention Carlson? Because yesterday, he gave an explanation for his failure in predicting a red wave. He said that he misjudged the election because he hates the Democrats so much that it interfered with his judgment. Ok, fine. But here's what caught my attention. When explaining why he was blinded to reality, he said: “I wanted [to see the Democrats lose] so much, not because I like the Republicans — I really dislike them more than I ever have — but I dislike the other side more.” This is what I'm talking about again. There is no subtlety or context in this thought. This is not a man who says, I support the GOP but I wish they were more X or Y. He simply dislikes them. He even says this gratuitously; i.e. there was no reason to even mention the GOP to explain his hate for the Democrats. In other words, he went out of his way to throw that into his explanation so you didn't get the wrong idea and think he actually liked the GOP. This is not a man you should trust or consider an ally. He is anti-GOP, not work-with-the-GOP. This is not constructive. So when he tells you, here's what the GOP should be done, you are getting advice from a man who hates you. Is that smart?
Let me give you one last example of who these people are. There was an idiot who left an anonymous comment here, which I deleted, in which he countered my suggestion by attacking Mitch McConnell on a personal level. Think about that. McConnell has nothing to do with this situation, yet that is his defense -- smearing Mitch McConnell. That person is someone who is so twisted with his own hate of the GOP that he can't even respond rationally. That's not someone you can work with and it's not anyone you want on your side. That is what I'm talking about. It's time to turn our backs on these bigots and fools and nutjobs. They are not our friends or allies and they never will be.
That is why I think McCarthy needs to strike and the rest of the party needs to start getting rid of them. You saw the way MAGA candidates under-performed non-MAGA Republicans by 5%, that's GOP voters sending a message. They want these people gone. Here's the chance, Kevin.
Finally, on a person level, I ask that you think about this. Can you really support people who hate you and are using the things you believe in for their own twisted purposes? Don't support them. Tell your friends why they shouldn't support them too. And watch for people who do this. They will give themselves away through genuine disloyalty which they will justify in the name of purity.
14 comments:
If you negotiate with the Democrats to get the Speaker position, you end up having to negotiate away some control and composition of committees. A disastrously STUPID thing to do.
They will have to give away some control. But there are three reasons to make that trade:
1. They don't have any power anyways. With the Senate locked and the White House belonging to Biden, they can achieve nothing. So holding power is a pointless victory and giving it away is meaningless so long as they hold enough to stop the Dems from doing anything.
2. The benefit is to clean the party image, which would be worth not having that power for two years.
3. The 20 have left no choice. If they wanted to make a statement and not vote the first time, fine. They could do that an move on. But they have made it clear their goal is perpetual drama. At that point, you find other means. So you take advantage of their tactics.
And don't get me wrong. I'm not saying trust the Democrats. They are truly disastrous. Their ideas are hateful and destructive and they should be opposed by every American who loves this country. But right now, the GOP is not up to the task because it's become known as the party of freaks. This is a chance to clear that up (largely at least) without giving up anything of substance. Either way, we spend 2 years with nothing happening in the House. Why not get PR benefits out of it?
What I'm saying is the only power they have is in committee assignments. You don't want to dilute that power at all. You don't have Democrats having any say in who committee chairs are, and in some cases which Democrats get tossed off committees.
McCarthy getting the chair just isn't that important. Much better is he accepts that he's blocked and withdraws, and a compromise dark-horse is found.
There would still be a mess coming out the other end, but it would be nowhere near as big a mess as Democrats having their fingers in the process.
I understand what you're saying, and I get the concern, but the Democrats get their finger in the process either way. In a 50/50 House, the committees are split almost straight down the middle regardless.
Also, the idea of power in this House is an illusion. The true power of committees is to shape bills. No bill will pass this House without overwhelming bipartisan support both here and in the Senate. So that power is meaningless. The best that can be done is exposing something through an investigation, and that's never worked for the House. Two years of the January 6 committee made January 6 MORE popular. The Iran Contra Hearings made Oliver North a national hero. Even Trump's tax returns, they were stonewalled for 6 years and they landed with a pointless thump. In my lifetime, not a single committee hearing has ever resulted in what the party starting it hoped. Add in a stonewalling White House and the next two years are going to be a frustrating bit of uselessness even if the Democrats rolled over completely... which they won't.
It would be far worse to surrender real power over the party to these freaks than it would be to give up a meaningless power the Democrats already largely have.
P.S. Thanks for stating your views rationally! :)
As an aside, I don't really like McCarthy. Never have. And I certainly don't like how he's been a MAGA puppet the last few years. That said, the way to handle it is internally. At most, you hold one protest vote round, and then you give in to political reality. Taking this to the mat and trying to humiliate the party when it's clear that 90% of the elected party supports him is garbage. That's disloyalty. Which is my point: these people are and always have been disloyal. They are not conservatives or GOP people. They do not care about the GOP or conservatism. They are opportunists who are using the GOP for their own ends. As such, they cannot be tolerated anymore if the GOP is to function, and conservatives need to not support them if they truly want to see conservative ideas put in place.
Hey Andrew, Jed here. I would appreciate (perhaps through a separate post) your doing your analysis of the impact of what McCarthy gave up. I would also appreciate your perhaps adding more detail about who is specifically appearing most irrational in the GOP. Republicans have a tough go since they are fighting a battle with Democrats, most of the media, the education system, the entertainment world etc. I guess what I am saying is, I am pissed about how Congress does there business. Asking members to vote on 7,000 page omnibus bills is no way to do business. So while I am no fan of the grandstanding done by some of the twenty, I am not so sure some of what they negotiated for is not a good thing. Your comments are always appreciated
Still Jed - perhaps as an add on, maybe I should mention this. While I abhor, the antics presented by the “gang of twenty” I do not find some of their points abhorent. Taken to a bit larger scale, while I think Donald Trump’s ego made his unfit as president, I cannot say I was against many of his policies. Yes the U.S.A. has to makes its way in the world. Trump fumbled the ball on border protection, but he did have to deal much of the time with a Pelosi led Congress. I am not a fan of the Sean Hannity “real Americans B.S. of course, but while economics drives much of my thinking. I am not totally ambivalent to parts of the culture wars. It seems the socialist wing of the Democratic Party never gives anything. Likewise, in a evenly split electorate, I believe their plan is to change the electorate to give their constituency perpetual power, a so called one party system. They have an edge in cities where machine politics can keep outdated voter roles to vote harvest.
So yes, we need to elect sane Republicans. I happened to hear some commentator talk about a Newsom vs. DeSantis 2024 election. That sure would be an ideal test of the two opposing government models.
Hey Andrew and everyone,
The house speaker votes have been such a mess of party in-fighting that I really have no points to make on who is the best leader for the job. I understand the speaker will help shape future bills/legislation… However in the here and now, It all just came off as political theater.
Honestly, with the way the economy has been going and how busy life has been these last few months… Its hard for me to even look through all the arguments on this subject.
Over the last several days, I have read several hundred comments on various websites.
Most of the arguments I have read come off as genuine, albeit warped views of the reality of the GOP’s problems (mind you I say that respectfully, I know my own views are warped as well lol).
The reality from my view is this: The politicians in both the GOP establishment, the MAGA’s, and the genuine Populist are grifting off of each of their respective bases to try and gain traction. My problem with this is they are all slinging mud at each other instead of making good sound arguments for their respective positions. As a result it has created an obnoxious argumentative situation right down to the individual voters.
My point is while all these views are warped, there is some truth to each of these party positions concerns.
With all that said, I think this whole process was ultimately a good thing. The freedom caucus got its concessions, some of which I agree with. McCarthy getting the speakership is fine with me, even if he is not all that great. Hopefully next time the speaker position is up for vote, we will have a good alternative to put forward.
As it is, McCarthy agreeing to the concessions will allow the House to control the incentive structure for what is to pass. It was a mess of a week, but I suppose It’s all better than just handing the speakership to him without any pushback… It is better than circling the wagons like the democrats do; which leads to no progress at all.
Either-way you look at it, Republicans are going to look bad due to the Democrat controlled Legacy Media IMO. But lets be honest, even without the media carrying water for the Dems… the Republicans make themselves look bad. They need to knock off the hyperbolic bullshit; Examples include Dan Crenshaw calling Republican hold outs “Basically Terrorist”. Also Matt Gaetz is an obnoxious troll who has done nothing but be abrasive with his snarky remarks. I could go on, but you get the point I’m sure
Bottom line: I will give McCarthy the benefit of the doubt, and I truly hope he does a good job for all of us.
-Kyle
Republicans have a history of shooting themselves in the foot and snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Republicans always face an uphill battle in the popular vote due to the nature of the constituency. It is always vulnerable in states with huge cities run by machine populations. As such, to win national elections, Republicans need. To attract independents and peel off some moderate Democrats to win the White House. Each party has its hard fringe elements and right now the Democrats far left is running things. This produces an opportunity for Republicans, but to win the independents or peel off Moderate Dems, the party must elect leaders who are serious, reasonable, and likable - Jed
Hi Jed. Let me work on an article addressing a lot of that. There's a lot there to unpack. It will be a couple days.
Hi Kyle,
This: "The reality from my view is this: The politicians in both the GOP establishment, the MAGA’s, and the genuine Populist are grifting off of each of their respective bases to try and gain traction. My problem with this is they are all slinging mud at each other instead of making good sound arguments for their respective positions. As a result it has created an obnoxious argumentative situation right down to the individual voters."
This is exactly the problem with the GOP. None of this is about policy and none of it is actually aimed at achieving anything. It's theater meant to upset their bases so they keep getting money. And it's turned the GOP into an unelectable monster even if its ideology is something a strong majority of Americans share.
These people trying to enrich themselves has given the left a decade or two of leftward drift now.
Appart from echoing Kyle's thoughts that the process was ultimately a good thing, I want to throw in there that it is my belief the whole spectacle was just that, a spectacle. The vast majority of what McCarthy "conceded" is not just mainstream conservative in nature, but just plain mainstream. A (proably ill-fated) vote on term limits. 72-hour review period before bills are voted on. Tying debt limit increases to spending cuts. What I mean is, I'd be truly worried if I actually thought McCarthy was against those things. It's a good thing I don't think that. What I do think is that politics is loaded up with theater, and the best way to observe it is to remember that.
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