Random Progressive Thoughts on Watching the GOP Pick Their Candidate

by Mark Paxson of King Midget Ramblings

• The power of money and the development of Super PACs since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision continue the distortion of our democratic electoral process. It is remarkable that President Obama has raised over $200 million already and that Super PACs aligned against him will raise much more than that. There seems to be no end of the gross influence of money and fat cats on our elections. From everything I’ve read, Newt Gingrich is only still around because of the checks coming from one donor and his family. And, on the Democrat side, the amount of money being raised is just as sickening. The Super PACs are a horrible result of the Supreme Court’s decision – uncontrolled, unimaginable amounts of money funneled into shady groups with beautifully patriotic names that then spend those untold millions in support of a candidate, but without, wink, wink, coordination from the candidate. And, frequently the ads run by these Super PACs are among the most propagandaistic.
• If the economy continues to grow as it has in recent months, how does the Republican nominee argue against four more years for President Obama? Ended the war in Iraq as promised, in the process of ending the war in Afghanistan, killed bin Laden, uses military force in a targeted manner that achieves narrow but necessary means (see the rescue of the aid workers in Somalia) without further bankrupting the country, brought the economy back from the brink of a depression, passed universal health care in the face of united Republican opposition. The list could go on and, yes, there have been mistakes in the past three years, but, overall, he has actually done what he said he would do when running in 2008. I expect another all-out assault on his “other-ness.” If that’s the case, it will be interesting to see whether such an approach is successful. I think there are enough people in this country who actually like this President as a person that those attacks will fail.
• If President Obama wins in November what will it mean for the Republican Party? I’d like to think there could be some return to maturity, but I’m not hopeful. It seems as though the GOP has been in a long slide into extremism ever since Bill Clinton was elected in 1992 – as though members of the right really believed they had an entitlement to the Presidency and couldn’t accept the idea that the country was, and maybe still is, moving away from the most harsh policies of the right-wing. I certainly won’t claim that the Democrats are immune from playing to the left fringe or are as pure as the driven snow. There were harsh and unfair things said about the second President Bush during his eight years in office. However, where are the responsible adults in the Republican party that could bring them back closer to the center?

Photo credit: motherjones.com

Tagged as: election 2012, GOP primary races, opinion, Politics, the Economy and Other Serious Stuff, the Economy and Other Serious Stuff