A sane GOP member joins in the Debunking of the Perot-"spoiler" Hoax (UPDATE: WashTimes joins!)

[ericson00]

Last edited Thu Aug 6, 2015, 09:38 PM - Edit history (1)

I am duly shocked! For 23 years, the GOP, their allies in the media, and even Clinton-haters from the left have constantly peddled the Perot-Myth: that he was a "spoiler" who "cost Bush re-election." Some voices from our side tried to fight it over the years, and in recent weeks, voices such as Kornacki, Maddow, Bill Scher, and some others joined in the wake of Trumpmania. However, to reverse a common narrative (no matter how true or false) often takes either both sides, or at least the middle.

Now the Earth has finally started spinning clockwise. The American Spectator, a right-wing magazine, is the first on the right to admit the truth: Clinton's wins were far more consequential than ever imagined, and would've been bigger had Perot not been in the race.

Why is this happening? I think because Jeb's opponents in the primaries are going tired of the myth of Bush-electability, desperate enough to smash GOP mythology, or both. Of course there is some benefit in the GOP deluding itself, but mainly, I think the top brass has known its a lie for a while. Its mainly used to smear the Clinton legacy. However, if some Republicans start accepting the truth, they'll move left and the country will be spared more conservatism or more Bushes. It was also used in the same way "born in Kenya" was used against Obama: as a justification for delegitimization, obstructionism, witch hunts, etc. Now the GOP, or the parts that will accept the truth about 1992 owe the country an apology (or maybe 200) for their trickery in the 1990s. The media also ought to apologize for trying to hide the truth about a super-consequential election from us for 23 years: barely anyone aside from Kornacki, EJ Dionne, and a few other brave souls told the truth about it until now.

This could very well affect the GOP primary, at least if Christie wants to win. His state is amongst the Clinton Democrat states, states which voted GOP at least 4 for 6 before Clinton, and 6 for 6 Democrat since Clinton. But it will probably be at least 4 years before the GOP at large accepts the truth.


UPDATE: The conservative Washington Times has joined now! Finally, a 23-year long smear may be coming to an end.

[ericson00]

1. I wonder, is a Republican Leadership Council going to emerge

once the demolition of the Perot-cost-Bush myth goes even further? I think at least the Perot-cost-Bush myth will definitely embolden Jeb's enemies, even tho I think the GOP will be much slower to move left than the Democrats of the 1980s were to move right. Even as much as the GOP will always have redneck hicks at its core, at least potentially the future looks like it could be spared "severe conservatives" as that wing of the GOP will give up in 4-8 years as the Dukakis/Mondale wing of our party did.