MFM Narrative: Success Of Conservatives Is A Sign Of Their Doom

Late last night I did a post about Democrats running scared and turning on Obama/Pelosi/Reid. I added something on from the AP that deserves a little more attention since it seems to be the building narrative.

As GOP civil war rages, Democrats look to benefit

A Republican civil war is raging, with righter-than-thou conservatives dominating ever more primaries in a fight for the party's soul. And the Democrats hope to benefit.

The latest examples of conservative insurgents' clout came Tuesday at opposite ends of the country. In Florida, political newcomer Rick Scott beat longtime congressman and state Attorney General Bill McCollum for the GOP gubernatorial nomination. And in Alaska, tea party activists and Sarah Palin pushed Sen. Lisa Murkowski to the brink of defeat, depending on absentee ballot counts in her race against outsider Joe Miller.

The GOP is likely to survive its bitter intraparty battles in such states as Alaska and Utah, even if voters oust veteran senators in both. But tea party-backed candidates might be a godsend to desperate Democrats elsewhere — in Nevada, Florida and perhaps Kentucky, where the Democrats portray GOP nominees as too extreme for their states.

Slu pointed to this post today from MSNBC.

First Thoughts: Surviving the Tea Party's takeover of the GOP

This rightward movement inside the GOP appears likely to pay big dividends this fall. Republicans are energized, Democrats are not (right now), and the economy is hardly humming -- all of which are a recipe for significant Republican gains in November. But when we head into the 2012 presidential election, when the electorate expands, you got to wonder if a Republican Party that doesn’t have room for a John McCain of 2001-2007, a Charlie Crist of 2007-2008, or a Lisa Murkowski of 2010 can reclaim the center of American politics and the presidency, even if they gain control of Congress in the fall. Then again, the center will judge the GOP on not just how it conducts itself if they get the majority, but on the results.

Oh sure you're doing great now but you guys are soooo screwed come 2012! Suckers!

And finally there's EJ Dionne who always has the best interest of the GOP at heart.

Tuesday's tutorial: a GOP too far right

Republicans are in the midst of an insurrection. Democrats are not. This vast gulf between the situations of the two parties -- not some grand revolt against "the establishment" or "incumbents" -- explains the year's primary results, including Tuesday's jarring outcomes in Florida and Alaska.

...In the short run, the Republican lurch right has unleashed new energy in the party and helps explain why most polls show its supporters more enthusiastic than Democrats about this year's elections. The Democrats' chances of holding down their losses in November depend heavily on whether they can generate a backlash against an increasingly immoderate GOP.

Already, Republicans who won primaries with Tea Party backing -- notably Senate candidates Sharron Angle in Nevada and Rand Paul in Kentucky -- are facing withering Democratic attacks. The question is whether such critiques work only against marquee right-wing candidates or whether the entire Republican Party comes to be seen as moving too far away from the views of what is still a moderate country.

The paradox is that a Republican Party in the grips of ideology needs to shift the campaign in a less ideological direction, hoping that voters simply cast protest ballots against hard economic times. Democrats, who are more doctrinally diverse, have every interest in turning the election into a philosophical contest, arguing that even unhappy voters cannot trust their fate to a party in the grips of a right-wing revolt. Once again on Tuesday, Republican primary participants seemed determined to give Democrats that opportunity.

Look at all these liberals getting along fine without JurnoList, just like big boys!

It's funny but I don't recall the MFM warning the Democrats about going to far left or not using their power to advance their agenda. In retrospect, Democrats probably could have used some of that advice.

Should the GOP win big in November and 2014, we should be mindful of the fate of the Democrats in picking issues and deciding how far to go. But that's a worry for another day. First, we need to win and right now that means harnessing the energy of the party and conservative movement to win and win big.

I wonder how jealous guys like Kos are right now. They couldn't even replace Liebermann in Connecticut. While Angle, Rubio and Paul haven't won their races, it's a pretty good bet at least one and likely two of the the three will. Add that to Lee in Utah and (fingers crossed) Miller in AK and that's a nice haul.

Sure we might have to live with Kirk in IL and Castle in DE (and fingers crossed again) Fiorina in CA but diverse governing coalitions are a feature, not a bug of the American system.

The Democrats had to move to the center, at least rhetorically, to win their majority (think Tester in MT, Webb in VA plus a whole bunch of House members who are now running from the left). Meanwhile, the GOP has a very good chance of improving its numbers by moving right, while tossing out some RINO dead weight.

No wonder the MFM is in full damage control mode.

Added: An MFM Editor who wishes to remain anonymous emails me their thinking on the Democrat's plans...

Step 1: Fail misserably in the midterms

Step 2: ???

Step 3: Profit

Conservatives are doomed! Doomed I tell you!

posted by DrewM. at 01:53 PM

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