Posted on 05/10/2005 4:57:14 AM PDT by JBW
The stakes in politics are about to get a lot higher.
The partisan battles in the coming weeks -- on judges, Social Security and the future of Tom DeLay -- are part of a larger struggle in which Republicans are seeking to establish themselves as the dominant party in American politics. Essential to their quest is persuading Democrats, or at least a significant number in their ranks, to accept long-term minority status.
The current acrimony in politics is incomprehensible unless it is understood as the inevitable next act of a long-term struggle. Its ferocity arises from the Democrats' refusal to accept the role assigned them by their opponents. They are taking a stand across a broad front not simply to "obstruct" current GOP designs but to reverse a Republican political offensive that began during Bill Clinton's presidency.
In fact, every one of today's fights can be seen as a response to something that happened in the 1990s.
****
Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform and a leading figure in both the DeLay and Bush political operations, chose more colorful post-election language to describe the future. "Once the minority of House and Senate are comfortable in their minority status, they will have no problem socializing with the Republicans," he told Richard Leiby of The Post. "Any farmer will tell you that certain animals run around and are unpleasant. But when they've been 'fixed,' then they are happy and sedate. They are contented and cheerful."
If you wonder in the coming weeks why Democrats are so reluctant to give ground, remember Norquist's jocular reference to neutering the opposition party. Democrats are neither contented nor cheerful over the prospect of being "fixed." Should that surprise anyone?
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
No, it's the role assigned to them by the voters, and they really don't like it, so to heck with the voters.
bump
Agreed!
Nicely put!
This from one who's already been neutered!
The Conservative Tide began with the optimism of Regan, not with supposed attacks on Clinton.
Mike
Must read later.
Democrats will never accept minority status. The Democrat leadership and its followers are in fact the mirror-image of the British Socialist Party.
Their mission is to socialize America. One step backward, two steps forward.
Re-read the Communist Manifesto and see how far they have succeeded.
Good point.
Dionne's bias does show when he characterizes the current Republican majority stemming from "attacks on Clinton". There is an historical series of events, from Goldwater's "Conscience of a Conservative" to the years in the wilderness following Nixon and Watergate to the beginnings of ascendecy with the election of Reagan in 1980 and the Contract with America in 1994.
The emerging conservative majority did not begin by attacking Clinton, it began during the counter culture revolution of the 1960s and has gathered ground slowly over time. In fact, for all his shortcomings, Clinton governed in large measure as a "centrist" in order to appease conservatives. Compared to the other candidates the Democrats could have nominated in 1992 (does anyone remember Paul Tsongas?) Clinton was the (relatively) conservative choice.
The socialists should be forced to wear electronic tethers.
yeah ,... exactly my first thought upon reading this , obstruct,lie,over and over and,of course, the sin of omission ,... the silence is deafening!!
The problem is your talking about the wrong end.
We should be finding a rotten sock and plumbers tape and handcuffs to shut the Democrats up.
Take in consideration Dirty Harry Reid, Pelosi, Kennedy, The Hillbilly Clintons and the list goes on, I can just picture not having to listen to their rantings
awwwww so peaceful.....
"No, it's the role assigned to them by the voters, and they really don't like it, so to heck with the voters."
That's why they have judges!!
The theory is that when ferral animals (cats) create an annoyance they should be trapped and neutered and released back to their original habitat. The goal is for the animal to maintain the same dominance, to prevent reproducing members of the same species from invading the territory.
The dems have neutered themselves by becoming the party of opposition and obfuscation. They are a dying breed and kill little democrats before they are born. Now they are trying to import replacement democrats by encouraging illegal immigration. What a mess.
Great point it seems that the best way to keep from having an infestation is to build a secure fence so more don't get in and then let those that have been neutered die off.
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