When Republicans lose, whether it is an election or an extortion scheme, the purveyors of the true faith must work overtime to prevent independent thought and keep the epistemic closure machine going.
Here is just one example: Karl Rove's column today.
Karl Rove: "Republicans Walked Into Obama's Trap. His goal was to discredit the GOP before 2014. The defunders fell for it."
That is, we Republicans didn't lose. Instead that wily Obama tricked us.
Update I: From leftynyc in the comments who provided a way around the pay wall. For the full Rove coulumn, go here:
http://online.wsj.com/...
Since it is behind a paywall at the Wall Street Journal, I'll borrow from Jonathan Chait's excellent article about Mr. Rove today:
Jonathan Chait, Rove: Obama Tricked Us Into Shutting Down Government
First, Rove argues that the wily Obama tricked the good Republicans:
“Barack Obama set the trap. Some congressional Republicans walked into it.”
Jonathan Chait, Rove: Obama Tricked Us Into Shutting Down Government (quoting Karl Rove)
But it was President Obama's fault anyway for refusing to pay the ransom. That is, Obama caused the shutdown and near default because he would not pay ransom as he should have.
There's plenty of blame to go around for the chaos in Washington, but at the top of the list is the absence of presidential leadership. When Congress is close to agreement but still divided, the country rightly counts on its chief executive to bridge the gaps, make the compromises, and smooth the way to passage.
Instead, President Obama deliberately withdrew from negotiations over the debt ceiling and government shutdown.
Jonathan Chait, Rove: Obama Tricked Us Into Shutting Down Government (quoting Karl Rove)
Chait analyzes the Rovian logic well:
I’ve reread Rove’s column some half dozen times, and I can’t figure out what he thinks Obama’s trap was. Refusing to make concessions to reopen the government after Republicans shut it down and thereby goading them to shut it down in the first place? (This one has a serious sequencing problem.) Passing health-care reform in 2010? Having a federal government at all that Republicans were tempted to shut down?
Jonathan Chait, Rove: Obama Tricked Us Into Shutting Down Government
But I guarantee you that you will start to hear this from right wingers all over. The talking points are out there and epistemic closure will take care of the rest.
"It was all Obama's fault." I'm glad our President is in their heads. Worry, Republicans, because he has many more traps to spring on your sorry asses.
Update I: From leftynyc in the comments who provided a link around the paywall for Rove's column today:
http://www.rove.com/...