attack, attack, attack.

Maybe a standard question to ask all GOP candidates this year is "Do you agree with...?"

Putting them on the spot to either be on the record with having these extreme beliefs or having to disavow a large segment of their base. Either response would be exploitable.

And what are the chances that we will see this poll, and a report on it, say on NBC's Nightly Propaganda with the Russ Limbaugh fan called Brian Williams ? CBC, ABC news ? Nope, they are doing busy being bent over screaming next to nearest Elephant while collecting their million dollar paydays. Because, in the end, all of these Corporate 'Journalists' and 'Reporters' are EMPLOYEES OF THESE CORPORATIONS that decide what is reported and what is not, and how it's 'presented' or not presented.

The unfortunate thing about any of this is that it requires the Democrats to actually do politics. You know, take a clear stand, fight for it, then reward your friends and punish your opponents.

I've always said that if the Republicans retake the House, Bachmann and the harridan Virginia Fox will introduce a bill of impeachment on the grounds of socialism and foreign birth.

The sad part of this is that the United States may be edging towards ungovernability and instability, the first great democracy to be undermined by the sheer stupidity of the electorate.

There is a large difference in being conservative and being Republican. The republicans are crazy as hell. Problem is so are the democrats. Whats a poor consevative to do?

"Obama is a racist who hates white people."

Yes - I've heard about the extremely contentious and hateful relationship between Obama and his mother, and with her family.
Terrible thing, that.

The GOP needs to be very, very ashamed of itself, for not having stopped this in the bud.

Clearly the poll reveals that Obama has failed to sufficiently reach out to the GOP. I have no doubt that if Obama would stop his partisan rhetoric and start compromising a little that he could make some inroads with these people.

Perhaps if he met them halfway on some issues. For instance, he doesn't have to say that he was born in Kenya. He could say that he was born in Singapore.

Dumbya almost got elected president once and did get elected once-barely-even after Americans had 4 years to judge his incompetence. The days when Democrats could win by pointing out how extreme the GOP is ended in 1964. It all comes down to the economy and the Democrats have and will pay big time unless and until the unemployment rate comes down. If that can not be achieved then the Democrats owe it to the country to do as much as they can before November.

As a humorous aside, TPM has a story up that at least some faction of the teabaggers are opposed to the Citizens United SCOTUS decision. Should make life for the GOP a little more interesting.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/some_tea_partiers_are_expressing.php?ref=fpb

The unfortunate thing about any of this is that it requires the Democrats to actually do politics. You know, take a clear stand, fight for it, then reward your friends and punish your opponents.

Posted by: Greg Worley on February 3, 2010 at 10:58 AM

@Greg

Yes, that's a problem. But Obama laid the foundations for it, by insisting on bipartisanship with a political wing that hates him. This gave turncoat Dem's an out, instead of forcing them to take an early stand - together.

At any rate, lots of fun political theatre this year, get your tickets early.

You wish. Too many Americans still have a frontier mentality, and interpret pugnacious aggressiveness as the hallmark of a good leader - somebody who'll get America kicking ass again, baby! You'd think two draining and horrifically expensive wars that still realistically have no end in sight (and when they do, are unlikely to bring America any of the expected benefits) would teach them a lesson. Sadly, no, and it's been replayed for us time and again.

A pretty broad swath of America likes nothing better than their country kicking the crap out of some other country where their beliefs are different, and preferably where they look different as well. It's a lot easier to sell Perpetual War than it is to sell Healthcare Reform, and you can certainly convince Americans far more easily that they could afford the former than the latter.

Half the Republicans' work is already done for them, by the predisposition and nature of the American voters. It's a lot easier to convince people that what they like to hear is the truth.

I'm thinking that Republicans are so busy getting high on their own supply that you're going to see plenty of batshit crazy stuff coming directly from their political ads. While previous generations of Republican pols knew how to walk the fine line between clever and crazy, these guys really seem to mean it; as evidenced by their Q&A with the president last week, in which they somehow imagined that their reality-free questions would somehow bring Obama to his knees.

So while I definitely don't think Dems can sit on their laurels and wait for Republicans to out themselves, I'm confident that most of these bozos will do fine without any assistance. And honestly, am I the last person remaining who remembers how unpopular these guys still are?

The Other Ed - Exactly. Get them on record. In many cases people have strong views about the parties, but they think "their Rep (or Senator)" is an OK guy/gal who's not like that.

Hopefully soon it will be like the 80s & 90s, when more than a few Southern Dems were trying actively to run away from their own party. It didn't work for them, and it won't work for Republicans now - you can run, but you can't hide.

The days when Democrats could win by pointing out how extreme the GOP is ended in 1964.

I, for one, would like to put that to a test. Anytime the Democrats feel like pointing out how extreme the GOP is, they can go right ahead. Far from using the extremism of the GOP as a political cudgel to club the GOP like a baby seal, Obama has bent over backwards to legitimize GOP ideas, GOP policies, and GOP "input" into the political process.

The republicans are crazy as hell. Problem is so are the democrats. Whats a poor consevative to do?

My advice? Look up the word "magnitude" in your dictionary, and learn its meaning.

Next, look up the word "sophistry" in the same dictionary, and learn its meaning.

Once you start to divest yourself of bullshit and start being honest about things, you'll have a fighting chance.

I'll add that, in the absence of Dems grabbing the reins and enacting meaningful legislation (read: HCR), it will be very difficult to capitalize on the right's circular firing squad antics.

We know the GOP is party bereft of ideas, beholden to rabid ideologues, and completely under the control of the corporate behemoths that brought us to the brink of a full-blown fiscal disaster.

But independents want to see progress and leadership. Until and unless Democrats, seemingly under the influence of fear and paranoia, begin to stand by and promote their agenda, I understand why the alternative is appealing to low-info voters. And these folks are the ones who make or break elections.

Clearly the poll reveals that Obama has failed to sufficiently reach out to the GOP.

BTW, when I typed this, it was obviously meant as a joke. I had no idea that the NYT would report that this is the new WH strategy.

Kurt: "attack, attack, attack."

I second this comment. Unlike the right, we have the ammo to attack with without having to tell a string of lies.

"My fellow Americans .... I just want to let you know, that as president, I have made it clear that I WELCOME differing perspectives in order to move our country ahead. Unfortunately, I did not add the qualifier - that these opinions come from patriotic, well-meaning people who at least start from the notion that we all share common interests in the welfare of the American people and that our discourse be well-informed.

When such people come to my office, I shall listen. As I have said, we may not always agree, but I WILL LISTEN.

However, as is now clear, when people insult my mother's heritage and citizenship; question my patriotism; question my dedication to the safety and well-being of this country; spread abject lies about our policies; go back on their former statements and actions of a little over a year ago; and when people of the Republican party do not stand up against the voices of disunity, dishonesty, and unreason, I will not - nor, in the interests of the American people, I must no longer try to have discussions with the elected officials who now wink and nod at, and even seek the support of, people who have such a low opinion of the intelligence, honesty, and integrity of the American People".

Ah, perchance to dream ...

Posted by: DH Walker on February 3, 2010 at 11:12
Looked up both words. I am not sure if I have been insulted or not. You are way over my head.
PS: I have always enjoyed A fighting chance.

This is part and parcel of the Corzine/Coakley strategy - make the race all about your opponents in an effort to compensate for a brutal political environment. As in New Jersey and Massachusetts, it is likely to fail, as voters' focus will be entirely on the incumbent himself/herself, and whether that individual has done enough to combat unemployment, seems to understand voters' pain, etc.

It will be a difficult strategy to execute even in the best of circumstances. First of all, you'd have to get GOP candidates on record espousing insane views on policy, and I wouldn't count on them being that stupid. If you really think you can get a candidate like Mark Kirk or Dan Coats or Mike Castle on record saying he wants Obama impeached or wants to see Obama's birth certificate - you're engaging in wisful thinking.

Secondly, I don't think independents and right-leaning Democrats really care what the GOP base believes; they care only about what the specific candidate says or does. That wingnuts may also vote for a particular candidate is really niether here nor there.

Unfortunately, the screaming and shouting lumpenproletariat of the GOP scares the poor little Dems who run for public office, who probably used to get chased home from school by these thugs.

Megaphone gapy, my ass. In every ad and in every face to face encounter, the Democrat must say:

Sir (or Madam), a plurality of rank-and-file Republicans wants to see President Obama impeached. Do you?

Sir (or Madam), more than a third of self-identified Republicans believe he wasn't born in the United States. Do you?

Sir (or Madam), a 63% majority of Republicans is convinced the president is a socialist. Are you?

Sir (or Madam), about a fourth of Republicans believe that the president wants terrorists to be successful. Do you?

Sir (or Madam), about a third of Republicans think president Obama is a racist who hates white people. Do you?

Pretty easy, when you think about it.

Not all Democrats have to push this narative in all 50 states; they only have to push it in their own states and Congressional Districts.

However it wouldn't hurt the DNC to get an on cameral quote from those people with teabags stapled to their heads explaining why the Obama should be impeached for being Black while President.

Democrats don't need a megaphone. Starting now, every Republican in every primary should be asked everyday if he believes the president is foreign born? Is he a socialist? Every day the candidates will be forced to stand with the tea baggers or publicly disagree with them. This is best handled at the grass roots level, one on one. Moderate Republicans will either have to identify themselves with people they hate or get up the gumption to take their party back.

it's unlikely to gravitate towards right-wing extremism and bizarre Republican ideas like impeaching the president.

You're assuming the electorate is going to somehow find out that Republicans hold these bizarre and extreme ideas. They won't. The media won't inform them. The Democrats won't make it an issue. And the Republicans will hide everything behind code words and talking points.

And in related news, those on the left still believe in man-made global warming and that George Bush was complicit in the 9-11 attacks and that two elections were stolen and that Sean Penn is still relevant.

I think this is why Obama is pushing this meme about working with the republicans, so when they vote against him on reasonable measures, he can point to their unreasonableness and irrationality. I hope he is telling the Dems to follow his lead.

I'm beginning to think Obama is going to go after the GOP on this and force the MSM to cover the issue (fingers crossed).

bob h:"The sad part of this is that the United States may be edging towards ungovernability and instability, the first great democracy to be undermined by the sheer stupidity of the electorate."

My son, who is wiser than me, keeps pointing out that this statement is not precise. The intelligence of the population has not changed over time. The difference now is that GOP leaders and the media elite are engaged in a well funded misinformation and fear-mongering campaign.

Democracy is failing because it requires informed citizens. Capitalists, unchecked by civic virtue, can manipulate citizens, silence politicians and buy themselves a government.

Here's a thought. Why don't the Democrats try pleasing their own base to fire up their turnout this coming November? From where I sit, it wouldn't be especially difficult. All they'd have to do stop appeasing repubs and echoing their barking points. At the same time, force them into some very unpopular positions on bank and insurance regulation. In short, they need to draw the sharp contrasts that could only highlight right wing insanity.

It wouldn't hurt to bring Dean back either. The Dems managed a pretty consistant national message with him at the helm. Now? We back to herding cats and the circular firing squad.

!Vote and turn back the Crazies! should be the slogan going into the 2010 election cycle.

!Vote against the Crazy! should be another.

Vote to save our nation from the Crazies is a little longer and not given for bumper-sticker venues, but to stave off crazy office holders, a great mobilization of the saner among us is the task of the year. Getting the votes to sustain our new pathway back to our nation's ideals of say due process and other sundry 1st - 10th Amendment rights we currently enjoy is second to none this year.

Otherwise, our new pathway will no doubt be relentlessly attacked should any of the Teabagging persuasions actually get themselves elected to destroy the positive direction we have already chosen in '06 and '08. Staying focused on sustaining a ballot box majority demands no idleness on behave of us all who wish to continue moving away from poor international relations, busted economic policies, fear-mongering, and torture in our name! -Kevo

Given the "megaphone gap," it would take considerable effort on Dems' part to make this a key campaign narrative this year.

The key is for the Democrats to run better candidates than the Republicans run in the Congressional, Senatorial, and Gubernatorial elections; and for those particular candidates to show that they are closer to their constituents than the particular Republicans whom they are running against. In MA, Scott Brown was a better candidate than Martha Coakley; don't forget that Obama has the presidency in part because he was a better candidate than McCain, not just because Obama was more liberal. I doubt that Blanche Lincoln can defeat a Republican opponent by claiming that some Republicans some where are too extreme by Arkansas standards; she will have to show that she personally is closer to Arkansans than the Republican who runs against her. She probably can't do that if she votes for cap-and-trade and health care reform.

Put differently, your presentation of the problems that Democrats face is too abstract for the issues and constituencies that will be active during the elections.

Correction - the GOP base did not fall off the rightwing cliff. The GOP base ran at top speed and dove headfirst off said cliff.

The appropriate response to a minority opposition party that has launched itself off a cliff is not to edge closer to the cliff, but to seize the opportunity to enact the changes that the voters elected you to enact and to caution them about what will happen if the crazy, tin-foil hat wearing cliff jumpers get back in charge.

Hardcore Democrats think you can start massive new spending and entitlement programs with an empty treasury. Crazy as bedbugs.

"But the problem with Democrats counting on this to help their electoral fortunes is that it takes a fairly high level of political knowledge..".

Wrong. The problem with democratic party is that the blue dog's tail wags the party. It cleaves to the GOP like a limpet. Emanuel calls those who don't like it "assholes", and tells them to shut up. Obama never did publicly upbraid him, did he?

These numbers don't surprise me at all.

This is self identified Republicans. How many and what type of self identified Republicans are left after 8 years of Bush? Seriously. A lot of those that were weak identifiers likely self identify as Independent, Democratic, or have opted out. Those that are left are likely going to be more conservative (with a lower c) and tilt with an even hard degree right.

The GOP is the party of Tea Partiers and Birthers now. Sure you have some on the national level who still are straddling and are beholden to this crew but regular people who don't worry about getting reelected. Do they still say the are Republican?

When your opposition is clearly crazier than a shithouse rat, why in the world would you want to make nice with them?

The more Democrats do to publicize as widely as possible the extreme positions of Republicans as purely Republican positions, as ideology that they and no one else owns no matter how deranged their positions sound, the better!
Let them stew in their own juice. AND let us hope that Palin and the Tea Party do their damnedest at their "convention."