Voter anger is a real thing, but, for the love of all things...this guy, really?!
Asked what innovative ideas he might push in office, [Wisconsin Republican Ron] Johnson didn't talk of tax reform or private Social Security accounts, or of anything a conventional senator might do.
Instead, he committed himself to a "re-education of America" and talked about how expectations of government help are spinning wildly out of control, creating “a culture of dependency" that has little appreciation for what it takes for individuals and businesses to thrive.
Well, that's just lovely, isn't it? Ron Johnson is going to re-educate us on the "culture of dependency" of big government!
(Well, in his defense, he should know about said dependency.)
Rank hypocrisy aside, Steve Benen of the Washington Monthly nails the obvious question (emphasis his):
Are you kidding me? Can you even imagine what the response would be if a liberal Democrat vowed to pursue a "re-education of America" if elected to the U.S. Senate?
Indeed. The traditional media, ever petrified of being limned as leftist commie-lovers, have ignored such a bold proclamation from a candidate who is, it must be said at this point, the frontrunner in his campaign. It is obvious to everyone with half a brain cell that a liberal Democrat would never have been able to make such a comment without withstanding a barrage of unwanted attention for it.
Make no mistake--Ron Johnson is every bit the extremist that Sharron Angle, Christine O'Donnell, and Joe Miller are. But, because his campaign has made an apparently conscious effort to put a palatable face on it, he has not received a fraction of the scrutiny enjoyed by the right-wing triad from Nevada, Delaware, and Alaska.
According to Vandehei's article in Politico, that is by design:
Guided by GOP insider Curt Anderson, Johnson has poured millions of dollars into what often seems like a rather cautious campaign. In the interview, it was clear the professional handlers have gotten to Johnson.
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So he watches his words, ignoring the fact that he's already making the trade-offs conventional politicians make to win office. It will be different once and if he wins, he promises. Then, his true feelings can take voice.
Don't think for a second that he's the only one. Johnson is not an iconoclast--indeed, there are dozens more like him. They are political extremists wise enough (or well coached enough) to keep their mouths shut. Failing that, they at least know enough to suppress their impulses as much as possible.
But, know this: they will shout with full throats immediately after they take the oath of office. Johnson, with his comment, confirms as much.
The American people are being sold an act of political theater with this wild-eyed ideological crusade being dressed up as a legitimate alternative. One only hopes they finally notice that fact sometime before November 2nd.
