Despite all the legitimate complaints against the two party system, there is at least one difference between Democratic and Republican leaders. Democratic leaders are not afraid of their base voters, so they feel comfortable in telling us "No, we can't do that." on many issues near and dear to the base voters heart. However, if we persist in our longings for some piece of legislation or policy that Democratic leaders will not push, they have no compunction to tell us to "Fuck off." This is considered a virtue by the Beltway. Meanwhile, Republican leaders in Congress are scared of the Tea Party monster that corporate America helped create, so they go out of their way to provide bread and circuses for the Republican base voter. Nevertheless, there is no condemnation of this cowardly behavior from the sage minds of the Beltway media or establishment.
The recent talk of Obama's impending impeachment springs to mind on this score.
During the 2006 midterm Elections, Nancy Pelosi killed the idea of any impeachment drive against George W. Bush. Whether or not anyone in the base agreed with this decision, I believe there was ample evidence for at least some investigations into the darkness that was the George W. Bush Administration. How about the fact the man lied us into a war? Isn't that an impeachable offense?
To make matters worse on the record of accountability, Obama decided from day one that he "would not look back" when it came to even investigating George W. Bush. It was all in the "past" and we needed to look forward. So there would be no legal ramifications for George W. or his henchmen because there would be no investigations. Period.
Using this type of logic, we would never prosecute crimes because they all took place in the past. But the logic employed by Obama to overlook any wrongdoing by George W. was his way of telling us in the Democratic base, "Fuck off and get over it. There will be no retribution." And it worked. There were plenty of other problems to address at the time, so no one in the base was going to get too worked up or go to the mattresses with the new president on the corruption of the George W. Bush Administration.
To those in the Beltway, Obama's and Pelosi's actions are seen as signs of political courage, strength, and (dare I say?) leadership. People, like myself, who think that accountability is a virtue are dismissed as some kind of dead enders to a political war that ended centuries ago. I'm one of those fanatics that is not to be taken seriously, nor does threatening to change my vote have any sway on the Democratic leadership or the Beltway establishment. Withholding what little money I can give to the Democratic Party doesn't count either.
In short, "Who's afraid of Merlin1963 or any of his ilk?"
Meanwhile, on the other side of the looking glass, Republicans have been talking about impeaching President Obama at least since they took the House in 2010. They lost no time in setting up congressional investigations into various Obama "scandals." These investigations ramped up after Obama won reelection in 2012. Pick your scandal: ACORN stole the election for Obama, Benghazi, the IRS, ...etc.
In the end, the so called scandals under Obama are supposed to lead to his impeachment. It is the corrective action that the Republican base voter demands for the 2008 and 2012 Elections. The scary black man in the White House must be evicted in disgrace to demonstrate that Republican voters were right all along about him.
And Republican leaders in Congress have been co-conspirators on the impeachment drive. Instead of having the courage to tell their base voters, "There is nothing here, and we don't have the votes in the Senate to convict if we had an impeachment trial," we hear nothing to stop another congressional committee on investigating Benghazi. The end game is to find SOMETHING to base impeachment on.
Failing that, Boehner has decided to file a lawsuit against Obama for doing his job. It is weak tea to stall for time with the Republican base. Eventually, there will be a vote in the House to impeach Obama, but Republicans are afraid that some swing voters in the fall might figure out that the "Do Less Than Nothing" Congress will be seen for what it is: a government institution that Republicans have ruthlessly run into the ground like a bunker busting bomb. And it might get some apathetic Democrats to get off their asses and vote in 2014.
As for the Beltway establishment, well, you would have to check your ears to see if you have gone deaf with all the silence about the forthcoming Obama impeachment. During all these investigations of Obama, where are the voices to say, "Enough is enough." Where is the brave Republican leader to tell his or her constituents, "Impeachment is a waste of time!" Where is the virtuous Republican leader who will tell the base, "Fuck Off!"
No where.
And the difference is that the Republican base turns up for elections, and they are not the least bit rational either. Most of the Republican base wants a political lynching of Obama, and they don't care how they get it. And they will turn up to support any Republican who promises Obama's political corpse.
I believe this is the main reason that Mitch McConnell is in trouble in my home state. I have no empirical data to back this up, but I think that McConnell voters soured on him because he promised to make Obama a one term president. Obviously, McConnell failed, and his voters are not likely to forgive this sort of failure.
As for me, I will vote in the fall. I will vote for my congressman, John Yarmuth, and Alison Lundergan Grimes for the Senate. However, both have nothing to fear from me, especially Grimes. And that is one of the fundamental differences between the two parties.