Interesting story at Newsweek.
Have Republicans Been Out-Foxed?
Some conservatives are beginning to question whether Fox News is good for their movement.
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Good commentary by PM Carpenter on the political climate today
"In the mid-20th century, Republicans relied persistently on two political themes: anti-communism and fiscal prudence. They devoured anti-communism for breakfast and all things budgetary for dinner. Steady as she goes, sober, stoic, sensible country-club conservatism.
Over time, however, came their rather depressed realization that political sobriety wasn't gaining them many majorities; they came to realize instead that loud attracted attention; they came to realize that just as unfettered capitalism accrues wealth at the very top, unfettered democracy accumulates political success at the very bottom. A sucker's born every minute, never underestimate the body politic's intelligence, play to the lowest, basest common denominators, that sort of thing.
And by God it worked. Splendidly. The bullshit flew, the votes racked up and the majorities came. Winning at street-level politics -- not parlor philosophy -- became Republicans' dominant theme, and soon enough their only theme.
Feeding it, however, like the addiction it is, requires a constant application of Higher Hysteria. Frenzy the base, panic the populace and promise partisan salvation. And there's only one fix that will do, to maintain the high: more. More hysteria; more, and more aggressive, assaults; more and ever-intense lying.
Which will continue to intensify and degrade this once-stable democracy, until Democratic pols ... start calling it what it is."
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