So, the results of last Tuesday’s election probably mean that Americans actually are smarter than most politicians and pundits give us credit for, and we are capable of recognizing poor job performance, and voting accordingly. U-S-A! U-S-A!
They probably also mean that either the Republicans didn’t rig this election, or that their techniques could only rig a sufficiently close election. But they could mean that the Republicans did rig the election, and they want to be well out of office before they’re expected to clean any of this mess up.
Except Republicans and pundits are acting too surprised, so, probably not.
I remember in the run-up to the election that media sources kept having articles on how “confident” Karl Rove and the Republicans still were, making it sound for all the world like they had some secret plan that guaranteed victory. And, given the deferential media and cringing Democrats of the past five years, it seemed entirely plausible. The Republicans did have some secret plan. They had occult knowledge, voodoo love spells, mafia hit men, demon gods at their bidding, hypnotic mind control powers, or at least rigged Diebold voting machines.
Now, it appears, there was no secret plan. The secret plan was to keep acting like there was a secret plan.
Suddenly it all seems clear. Karl Rove was like the CEO of a hot new company called The Republicans. Their stock was going up! They had a brilliant business model! They were the Future of Business! Media fawning and gushing ensued, people seemed to be hopping on the bandwagon, there was no upper limit in sight!
And once it all falls down, what used to be lauded as genius, turns out to have been... good luck. A fortunate confluence of circumstance that led to temporary success. Plus, the chutzpah to always act supremely confident and in control. See, if you always act like you know something other people don’t know, it will seem like you actually do, for as long as you succeed.
But when you stop succeeding...
Also, to all of you Republicans who have picked up the habit of saying “Democrat Party” because -- I don’t know, some people theorize it’s to emphasize the “rat,” or something, but honestly, I can’t believe it could possibly be to the the benefit of any Republican saying it, because, IT MAKES YOU SOUND LIKE A MORON. It’s the wrong part of speech, okay? “Democratic” is an adjective, “Democrat” is a noun. Anyway, it failed to win you the last election, so knock it off already.
Which reminds me -- the reason I am not worried about the stupid 700 miles of fence along the U.S.-Mexico border is because I know there is no money to build the stupid thing. But it’s stupid.
And, speaking of immigration and stupid, maybe now that The Republicans isn’t the magical superstar company it used to be, when Republicans demonstrate the collective intelligence and wisdom of a plate of brussels sprouts we can actually start to point out that they are acting like idiots.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Republican-led legislative panel claims in a new report on illegal immigration that abortion is partly to blame because it is causing a shortage of American workers.
All six Democrats on the panel refused to sign the report. Some of them called the abortion assertion ridiculous and embarrassing.
If you read the entire article, it starts to look like the committee chairman, Ed Emery, simply used the report to put forth a few of his favorite notions. You know, like, “I’m in charge of this committee, so I’m going to use it to explain how illegal immigration necessitates a repeal of the income tax and a federal ban on abortion, and also how it ties into the reptilian space alien conspiracy and the fluoridated water plot.”
End : Post-election shtuff roundup : Fri 17 November 2006
