I have been amazed at nearly every turn at how Candidate Obama and now President Obama is able to play at least three steps ahead of nearly everyone else on the chessboard.
Pundits wail, commentators panic, the faithful waver, the core wrings its hands, and then the boss makes a move. Suddenly, it's clear that the anxiety is for naught, that the boss has this play down pat, it's behind him and he's already many steps down the road.
One of these neat moves is playing the Republicans until they slipped the loop of the anchor line around their necks voluntarily, then dropping the Rush Limbaugh anchor into 30 fathoms of very cold water.
So many people of all stripe wondered what the boss was up to when he took on Rush Limbaugh personally. What was he doing? You never play up your opponent, give him an equal standing -- NEVER!
Or, maybe never.
So Rush is THEIR boss, now. He is on the radio talking to his millions of minions everyday. He is vilified by KO -- WORST PERSON IN THE WORLLLLLD. He is the keynoter at CPAC (what else would he be?). All the other Rethuglican so-called leaders simply fail:
Jindal -- oops, it's the Muppet Show! Yaaaaay!
McConnell -- No, no, no, a thousand times, no!
Cantor -- Yeah, what Mitch said! Look, I'm a big boy, too!
Boehner -- Yeah, what Mitch said! See, we matter! We have principles!
Palin -- Ummmmm. What was the question? Oh yeah! Partly cloudy and warmer!
Ok, so Rush keeps talking and the crowd keeps edging closer and closer! He's our leader! Even That One says so! Closer, closer -- now slip your head inside this loop of chain, and ...whoops, over the side it goes!
Down, down, down into the dark abyss. Bloop, bloop, bloop.
By identifying the Rethuglicans with Rush as leader, Obama has allowed the RedRightRadicals to identify themselves with a person who can never muster a majority in agreement! In fact, we can be assured that Rush will muster a majority in opposition.
All the while Rovians labored under the misapprehension that they were building a center-right nation, a permanent Republican majority, a huge middle segment of voters was only holding their noses while pulling the lever for Bush. It worked once because the middle was somewhat sick of holding their noses and voting for Clinton, so it gave W even a puncher's chance in 2000 (with the SCOTUS fix in). It worked in 04 because the moving middle balanced disgust with W with loyalty for a president in wartime. Loyal folks that Americans tend to be, W squeaked one out.
But nowhere, nowhere, can anyone with an objective eye see center-right in the nation, nor, for that matter, even in the Rethuglican Party! Center-right? Is that what they call the extremist policies of the Bush Administration, and the even more extreme policies toward which the base Base was driving them?
No, and now the RedRightRadicals are who they are, tied to Rush, tied to minor league leadership and tied to the anchor line, sinking at a rapid clip.
And the boss just pointed them in the right direction. It's like political jujitsu, using the opponent's weight and momentum against him. Hai ya!
RIP. Or simply rest.
No, actually, enjoy the eternal wailing and torture of political Hell.
Really. Enjoy it. You guys earned it!