How to stay relevant while in the minority? That is the BIG question that faces Republican politicians who remain in Congress.
The reasons the GOP has become irrelevant are clear. Their main positions on policy and their governance capabilities have proven to be total failures in the last dozen years or so. American voters witnessed enough nonsense and booted the Republicans to the curb.
In some areas of policy, like foreign wars of choice, torture, climate change, social tolerance, equality, separation of church and state, and looking after the general welfare of Americans…..the GOP has proven itself to be on the wrong side of history. There's no turning back the clock…..and Republicans remain stiffnecked on these issues.
In other areas, like smaller government and fiscal responsibility, the GOP has proven itself to be all hat and no cattle. They don't do what they say. The proverbial, "bullsh*t walks", is applicable, void where prohibited.
Now firmly entrenched in minority status, and likely to stay that way for awhile, the Republican political party, specifically those dusty relics still left in Congress, desperately search for relevancy.
Many commentators, particularly on the left, tell us that the GOP is now finding relevance as the party of "no." Obstructionism. While there is definitely truth in that, I don't believe obstructing the Democratic majority, per se, is where the GOP has decided to throw down their relevancy gauntlet.
I think it's to be found elsewhere….
Minority Whip Eric Cantor(R-VA) looks for relevance in the stimulus….
"When you’re seeing four times as much money spent on grass in Washington — that is actually lawn grass in Washington — than you do to help small businesses, that has your priorities backwards. [MSNBC]
If you look at the bill that passed the ways and means committee yesterday, for every dollar spent to help small businesses, four dollars is being spent to help upkeep the grass on the lawns of Washington. Again, what does that have to do with a stimulus bill?" [Fox News]
House minority leader John Boehner (R-OH) seeks relevancy for his party…..
"In Congress, we have a red button, a green button and a yellow button, alright. Green means 'yes,' red means 'no,' and yellow means you're a chicken s***.
"And the last thing we need in the White House, in the oval office, behind that big desk, is some chicken who wants to push this yellow button." Link
Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) recently gave us a clue of where the GOP seeks relevancy. Asked about our 44th president, Shelby said….
"Well his father was Kenyan and they said he was born in Hawaii, but I haven't seen any birth certificate," Shelby said. "You have to be born in America to be president." Link
The current Republican members of Congress have decided to find relevancy by saying wild-eyed, batsh*t crazy stuff. The wilder and crazier the stuff they say, the more relevant they believe they become.
That's their plan.
When all your policies have failed, when your governing capabilities have stunk up the country like a rotted corpse…..how do you get the media's attention? How can you ever be noticed again?
Talk crazy talk.
The crazier the talk, the better. Main media, the corporate slugs that they are, love themselves some crazy talk. Can't resist it. Think about Sarah Palin's crazy talk during the campaign. She talked crazy for a reason….to get people's attention. And main media was there, like tiny birds, mouths open, awaiting those crazy tidbits each day.
Those of us on the left hand side of the dial often ask questions like, "How can Republican leaders talk the way they do, in light of the obvious, in light of the facts?"
Now we know the answer. Republicans can only get noticed, Republicans can only be heard, if they talk as if they are completely detached from reality, if they talk crazy. Otherwise, no one pays them any mind.
America is facing major crises….potentially devastating in their potency…..and the minority political party, during these crises, has decided to find their relevance by talking as if they are insane.
'We know we don't have any good ideas, we know we can't, or won't, govern, but we know we can get your attention by acting as if we're nuts.'
Quite a plan.
