Robert Parry: The Only Republican Plan Is to Destroy Democrats, Not Solve Problems

[babylonsister]

The Only Republican Plan Is to Destroy Democrats, Not Solve Problems
Republicans want to block Obama and the Democrats from solving national problems, even at the risk of the personal safety of their political opposition.
April 2, 2010 |


Washington’s conventional wisdom for explaining the intensity of Republican obstructionism toward President Barack Obama breaks down one of two ways: either it’s a philosophical disagreement over the role of government or a desperate need to stay in line with a radicalized right-wing base.

But there is another way to view the GOP political strategy, as neither principled nor reactive to the rantings of Tea Partiers, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. It is that the Republicans are following a playbook that has evolved over more than four decades, to regain power by sabotaging Democratic presidents.

In this analysis, the Republicans believe they can reclaim the lucrative levers of national authority by making the country as ungovernable as possible while a Democrat is in the White House, essentially holding governance hostage until they are restored to power. Then, the Democrats are expected to behave as a docile opposition “for the good of the country” (and usually do).

The “destroy Obama” game plan tracks most closely with Newt Gingrich’s strategy for undermining Bill Clinton 16 years ago. But today’s strategy also traces back to Richard Nixon’s sabotage of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Vietnam peace talks in 1968 and Ronald Reagan’s October Surprise gambit against President Jimmy Carter’s Iran hostage negotiations in 1980.

In all four cases – covering the last four Democratic presidencies – the Republicans did not behave as a loyal opposition but rather as a single-minded political enemy that viewed the White House as its birthright and Democratic control of the Executive Branch as illegitimate.

more...

http://www.alternet.org/news/146277/the_only_republican_plan_is_to_destroy_democrats%2C_not_solve_problems__

[tulsakatz]

1. hasn't that always been their goal?

I recall that Rove wanted to do that. He wanted to, not only beat the democrats, but eliminate them as an opponent. Unfortunately for the GOP, the plan didn't work.

I have no doubt they will continue to try to eliminate democrats in any way they can.....but first they have to present themselves as a credible alternative to democrats!

[Nostalgic]

2. Excellent article

nt

[indepat]

3. If Parry's assessment is valid, Republicans are certainly constitutional domestic

enemies, the enemy within: by their works they shall be known and their record heretofore is impeccable. :-)

[craigmatic]

4. This article is spot on.

The new phenomina of the repubs trying to break government is so 90's. I don't think it'll work this time because we know the same history as them. Sometimes it works to our advantage when they refuse to change. They really haven't had any new ideas since the late 1970's and even then their ideas weren't really new they were straight out of the 1920's. I think Obama realizes that they want to break him. Which is why he trys to makes them look small minded and uncooperative whenever possible. The only way to beat them is to fight and be as strong on your principles as you can while governing the hell out of the country.

[Cosmocat]

11. I have tried to explain this to people here over and over ...

BO is trying to do the right thing, but the benefit to doing the right thing is that his being relentless in taking the high road draws enough of a distinction to the TRUE moderates between he and the Rs ...

The problem is the MSM carrying water for the Rs, so it is never ending the crape that gets propogated as reality ...

But, over time, it will show ...

This is one hope that it turns out a bit better than it did with Clinton ... Clinton was a philander and did lie ... BO is pretty much a clearly decent guy, and even more genuinely likeable than the Big Dog, though being black cuts into his margins ...

[troubledamerican]

5. prelude to Operation Condor, U.S. version

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Condor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_War

[applegrove]

6. Bingo. We knew they were obstructionist but really they want dems to

not succeed at governance. Then when they get into power they don't bother to govern at all. The result? No governance. Which is what they want. Once people are used to no governance they can cut taxes on the rich even more.

[Blaukraut]

7. Pretty depressing. So what can we do about it other than

repeating this cycle over and over again? The Democrats are acting like abused spouses, which, in a way, they are.

[political_Dem]

8. The main thing is that they abandoned their true philosophy a long time ago.

Instead, they adopted the "dog whistle" modus operandi, the Southern Strategy as well as stirring up the masses just to disrupt the system with borderline terrorism, blatant intimidation and outright violence.

If there were smart people amongst them, they'd realize that they are taking pages out of Hitler and Goebbels' playbook down to the letter. However, what they will not realize is that not everybody wants to live in a fascist society. The aftermath of 9/11 showed this. After pouring on the fear for six or so years, the last part of Bush's "occupation" in the white house was fraught with folks being reactionary against the fear.

Let's face it. Fear is stressful. And not everybody wants to continue living with looking over their shoulder and serving a fascist, right-wing overlord as their federal father figure.

[TheKentuckian]

9. Duh!!! They flip on their own ideas just to be contrary and fabricate "facts"

out of whole cloth.

At minimum, they should be sat in the corner with a dunce cap and made to suck their thumbs with their pants around their ankles for a couple of generations rather than even pretend they are credible and have any ideas or even honest good intentions for the nation.

Embrace their hatred and shove good policy down their screeching throats by ANY means necessary.

NEVER NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORIST!!!!!!!!

[Jennicut]

10. Pretty obvious since the moment he took office, I don't get why some of the American

public does not get this. Bipartisanship was dead the minute Obama became President because the Rethugs wanted it that way.