You know what? It has been a while (like 6 months) since I posted anything here. I understand everybody has opinions, and yada, yada, yada, but I don't think it's very constructive to backyard quarterback about 2010 (or 2008 for that matter), or to see who is more progressive than who.
I have an absolutist view of a few things in the world - but one of them is that the Republicans, overall, are not just against my opinions of what government and American culture should be. They are now fundamentally dangerous to the foundations of how our government is supposed to work.
And today, President Obama doubled-down on what his strategy and core-beliefs have been since day one of the Presidency: Government works when people stop politicking and start governing. And by doing this, he has completely outmaneuvered the GOP. In fact, it probably has won him re-election.
I say probably, because the GOP has sort of handed us a gift (on a platter, wrapped in a bow). Their manufactured debt-ceiling crisis is the worst sort of politics. It plays to the cult-like automotons in their base (that's what 30 years of having your own propagandists, your own news outlets, your own schools, your own churches, and coordinated messaging will do for you), but also to those that have managed to get elected (and that is what 30 years of all of that will do to you).
The GOP is so hell-bent on winning, they are reminding everybody else about what they hate about them. The party is filled with radical idealogues. They don't care about anybody but the rich. They don't want to govern. It was their de-regulation all on their own that caused the financial crisis. It was their war in Iraq that ballooned the deficit. And, clearly, now they don't care it was their fault, and they don't care about you - unless you're a Koch brother. The marketing cult is on the march - and everybody in the bubble is so enthused, how could this be wrong?
Enter President Obama. Who says, "OK, let's seriously balance the budget. We can tweak entitlements and cut some social programs, but let's do this right. Let's cut from the defense budget, close corporate tax loopholes, end corporate welfare. Further, this is a democracy, and if we are going to have sacrifice, it must be shared sacrifice. If we cut programs for those who need them most, then we must raise some revenue from those who have the most."
We on the left say, "Don't touch Medicare and Social Security." That's okay, we should say that. But the left should also recognize a chess move when they see one.
The GOP-cult-in-a-bubble hears the proposal, and in the echo chamber, they think, "We need to win. We cannot win if he agrees with us. We must disagree with him, or how can we possibly win?" And the elected GOP-bubble-people see this and think, "I'm going to get primaried by the Tea Party if I go along with this. If I do the right thing I'll lose my seat."
So they move even further to the right - because that's the only move left for them to make.
Meanwhile, President Obama - our President - has managed to do all of this at the same time:
Seriously address the deficit issue - which is very important to Independent voters - and put a credible plan on the table.
Put the GOP in a corner where they are damned if they do (because a deal means the Tea Party will come after them) and damned if they don't (because a default is their fault).
It reminds every voter outside of the cult-in-a-bubble why the Republicans don't deserve to govern. And if they don't deserve to govern, then they don't deserve to win.