Over at Without Supervision, Loudoun County Democratic Committee chair (and 2008 Congressional primary candidate) Mike Turner cuts loose with some thoughts on the Democrats, the Republicans, the Tea Party, anger, authenticity, and more. It’s a great rant, I definitely recommend that you read all of it. For now, here’s an excerpt – enjoy!
And what about the Republicans? While I am not happy with the Democratic party’s failure to capitalize on an historic opportunity, I am appalled by the institutional inauthenticity of the Republican party. Thanks to Lee Atwater and Karl Rove, the Republican Party now exists to win, not to serve, and the tea party movement reflects that harsh reality. The Republican leadership doesn’t give a twit about the American people or public service, and they have cheerfully handed over the reins of party leadership to the hate and fear crowd.
Karl Rove and President Bush proved to us that Republicans cannot govern. From 2000-2006, with total Republican control of the government for the first time in 80 years, the Republicans quintupled the national debt, set a record number of record-breaking budget deficits, started two wars they didn’t know how to finish, and lost an American city. And what is their message now? Just say “No!” to everything. Several tea partyists have cheerfully declared their intent to shut down government during this time of national economic crisis. That is a profoundly inauthentic mission, and I believe the American people know it. For this reason, despite the polls, I believe there is a very good chance Democrats will retain the House of Representatives. Independents will go to the polls and, in the quiet of their own voting booth, reject a movement backwards to the Do-Nothing era.
Finally, we have the tea party. Ironically, their entire movement is based upon a very authentic anger over the failure of government to function effectively. But the movement will amount to little more than a fad because at its heart, it is systemically inauthentic. There simply is no “there” there. How can Christine O’Donnell campaign on a platform of fiscal responsibility when she is personally a poster child for financial irresponsibility? Sarah Palin and Joe Miller rant about getting the federal government out of our lives, and yet Alaska continues to have the highest per capita dependence on federal funding among all 50 states. Sharon Engle talks of “second amendment solutions” to the Democrats-the first time I’ve ever heard a national candidate openly threaten assassination of those with whom she disagrees-yet claims that the tea party movement is non-violent.
Great stuff, I just wish more Democratic leaders would talk like this.
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