After the RNC spent hours, even days, trying to find out what went wrong, and trying to find a path to electoral victories in the future, the RNC came to a stunning conclusion:
"Our message is correct. We simply didn't present it well."
( I feel like throwing in a random "Fundamentally" or "Fundamental" in there. As in, "Our fundamentalist message is correct.")
We also learned today that the GOP decided to concentrate on "abortion" as their 2013 key issue. Both Rand Paul and John Boehner agreed to make banning all abortions their key program. Let's take them at their word. After all, when they promised to gum up all the works in Congress after 2010, they did precisely what they promised. Ergo, I see no reason to doubt their words or their intent. Given the spanking they received on taxes, on gay marriage, on the role of government, they may have realized that the RNC's vaunted Idea Cupboard was pretty much bare, except for abortion.
From the Church of Ineffable Stupidity:
Before today's announcement about the RNC's direction for 2013, here is what Rence Preibus (1/13/2013) had to say about the President:
“Today’s press conference reveals just how little President Obama cares about deficit reduction. There is nothing ‘responsible’ about continuing to put trillions of dollars on the nation’s credit card,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.
“Instead of showing leadership, the president seems to believe he has no role in leading the country toward fiscal responsibility. Instead, he prefers to cast blame elsewhere. But he is the one who promised to cut the deficit in half in his first term and then presided over the first four $1 trillion deficits in American history, racking up more debt in one term than any president before him.
“Republicans take our spending crisis seriously because it’s a drag on our economy and a threat to our children’s future. President Obama should tackle these issues head on, like a president, instead of running from the problem.”
If it weren't so funny, I'd be crying. In all honesty, having two strong, capable, and rational political parties is healthy for a nation. When both sides honestly try to do what is right for the nation, and compromise in favor of doing good, the results are usually good. Not perfect, not happy, not complete, but generally good. If one side or the other has too much power, they make mistakes or misuse their power.
Unfortunately, what I describe above does not exist in America. We don't have two strong or capable parties. Most importantly, we do not have two rational national parties. Both parties are (ahem) fundamentally flawed.
Today's GOP is simply crazy. If the best and the brightest of them, (those who make up the RNC) honestly believe that their positions are right on all the important issues, ie, taxes, investing in infrastructure, wall street regulations, abortion, then the only conclusion left is that they are stark raving insane. No amount of anti-psychotics or psychotropic medications will do any good. Sad to say, I suspect that those within the RNC have become so brain-washed on their pet issues, and immune to rational arguments that oppose their talking points, that they honestly think that theirs is the only working plan. Even worse, there are enough TeaBuggerers holding office to continue to hold the GOP hostage. And to top it off, their TeaBuggered supporters will punish any effort at compromise, even if it is best for the nation.
But the Democrats have their problems, too. Harry Reid demonstrated exactly how weak-kneed, spineless, and pathetic our side can be, especially in the face of certain victory on filibuster changes. At least our problem can be corrected in future elections. I don't suspect that the degree of mental incapacity on display within the GOP is as easily fixed. Especially when a few billionaires are so willing to invest hundreds of millions in those ideas.
Here is a simple, effective, and workable plan that we should follow. In fact, we should contact all GOPers and Dems and have them sign on to this "agreement."
If the GOP is going to support the concept of "Life" and work on banning all abortions, the the Democrats need to demand that any legislation proposed by the GOP must include a complete ban on assault weapons, large capacity magazines, and a strong mental capacity requirement for any and all gun sales. Additionally, if they really want to save lives, ban all gun shows.
What's that I hear? Do I hear squealing of angry GOPers, upset that we would dare link two issues both intent on saving lives? Can you imagine the sputtering response of Paul Ryan and Ron Paul, when faced with the argument that gun control and abortion bans both save lives?
Honestly, I don't expect that the GOP can afford to combine both issues, not without the TeaBuggerers going postal, and perhaps exploding in violence. The most likely result would be that GOPers would accuse the Democrats of sabotage, by linking the two issues. It would not be pretty, but heck, it would be pretty entertaining. Or as the Chinese say, "exciting times."
So be it.