Evil GOP Bastards

Since the New Deal, Republicans have been on the wrong side of every issue of concern to ordinary Americans; Social Security, the war in Vietnam, equal rights, civil liberties, church- state separation, consumer issues, public education, reproductive freedom, national health care, labor issues, gun policy, campaign-finance reform, the environment
and tax fairness. No political party could remain so consistently wrong by accident.
The only rational conclusion is that, despite their cynical "family values" propaganda, the Republican Party is a criminal conspiracy to betray the interests of the American people
in favor of plutocratic and corporate interests, and absolutist religious groups.

Whenever idiotic or paranoid fringe-kook conspiracy theories bubble forth from the fevered imaginations and paid propaganda shops of right-wing Crazyland -- no matter how devoid of supporting evidence or even internal coherence -- Steve King is there to lend his support and credibility as a serving United States Congressman. Of course, the nefarious malefactors of said conspiracies are always Democrats -- especially Democratic presidents. Rep. King is very "suspicious" about President Obama's country of birth. King is also outraged by the so-called Benghazi "scandal," calling it "bigger than Watergate." Despite his certainty about the egregiousness of the "scandal," King is hazy about the details. "I don�t think the public has any idea, and I tell you, I don�t either, of the chronology of the events � what took place, and who was where doing what and why," he admitted. MORE

Today, all Democrats are McGoverniks
It was the McGovern Campaign that Made the Democratic Party What It Is Today
Jack Hughes
In 1972, Americans were offered a stark choice. There was Richard Nixon, who had already proved to be a duplicitous demagogue after successfully winning election with a non-existent secret plan" to end the war in Vietnam -- and after the Watergate break-in (for which any rational observer assumed White House involvement). Then there was "peace candidate" Senator George McGovern of South Dakota. For a generation of idealistic young Americans, the election wasn't about politics. It was a conflict between good and evil. The overwhelming landslide defeat of George McGovern's presidential campaign broke the hearts of millions of ardent McGoverniks and ushered in a new era of political cynicism masquerading as realism.

To be described as a 'George McGovern Democrat' was considered
an insult.
"They're the worst kind," George McGovern
once joked.

Of course, in retrospect, McGovern's campaign was doomed from the start. The Democratic Party was not the progressive institution it is today -- still suffering from the influence of Southern Dixiecrats and corrupt big city machines. These factions did everything possible to torpedo McGovern's campaign from within. And then there was the Eagleton thing.

But hopefully, when McGovern died at age 90 on the morning of October 21, 2012, he died with the satisfaction from understanding that the movement he inspired to end the war in Vietnam had ultimately triumphed by transforming the Democratic Party into the unambiguously progressive political force it is today. It is the same McGovern coalition of the young, women, ethnic minorities and organized labor that is now bringing Democratic victories.

While McGovern was so obviously a more honorable man and would have been a much better president, as we saw in 1972 Americans can make awful choices. We were just presented a similar choice between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romney, like Richard Nixon, campaigned on a lie. Instead of secret plan to end a war, Romney promised a secret plan to improve the economy. Romney had no hesitation about lying about literally everything. His entire campaign was a scam -- selling snakeoil and treating his (middle-class) supporters as rubes.

Barack Obama had the two disadvantages of a) being obstructed at every turn by congressional Republicans and then being blamed by them for inaction, and b) being tethered to reality.

As Democrats we were lucky to have a presidential candidate with the brains, organizational skills and stamina to prevent a repeat of 1972. We should be oh-so- very-grateful that a Romney administration will not be inflicted on the "moochers" and "takers," i.e., the poor, the sick and the elderly of this country. We are beyond fortunate that Barack Obama is a once-in-a-generation historical figure that has transformed our country from a center-right to a center-left nation.

But amidst the celebration and relief we should never forget the contribution of the biggest "loser" in American electoral history, whose quixotic campaign to end a stupid, bloody, useless war completely reformed the Democratic Party.

Today, all Democrats are McGoverniks.