Republicans know how easy jokes about Congress are to make. It’s even less popular than lawyers! Plus, Republicans know jokes about “Congress” go over better in mixed company – no better way to turn half a crowd against you than by pointing out that Congressional Republicans are obstructionist, am I right, Mark Warner?
That’s why roadblock Republicanism works so well – the GOP can create gridlock, count on the media to falsely blame “both sides”, then watch anger at “Washington” & “Congress” fuel its destructive, cynical political agenda (current top item: holding America’s economy hostage in hopes of defeating President Obama in 2012). The whole Republican brand is built around hatred for government. Not desire to improve it – desire to destroy it. As longtime GOP Congressional staffer Mike Lofgren said:
A couple of years ago, a Republican committee staff director told me candidly (and proudly) what the method was to all this obstruction and disruption. Should Republicans succeed in obstructing the Senate from doing its job, it would further lower Congress’s generic favorability rating among the American people. By sabotaging the reputation of an institution of government, the party that is programmatically against government would come out the relative winner…. Undermining Americans’ belief in their own institutions of self-government remains a prime GOP electoral strategy.
And look how well it’s working – approval ratings for Congress sit around 12%, while Republicans are at 41% on the generic Congressional ballot.
Congressional Republicans are like The Emperor in Return of the Jedi. Hatred only makes them grow stronger. Remember, Luke didn’t do anything to destroy the second Death Star except keep The Emperor & Darth Vader occupied. It was the people he’d organized with who took down the shield generator & destroyed the main reactor.
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