Will America Even Be Able to Afford Dunce Caps for Political Class?
The debt ceiling limit crisis has revealed one fact: the current political class of leaders who are largely from the Baby Boomer and post-Baby Boomer generations could never be confused with “The Greatest Generation.” The Most Partisan Generations? Perhaps.
Based on what is leading up to that fateful day of Aug. 2, our political class — weighted down by Baby Boomers’ hubris of Vietnam-era divisions and Richard Nixon’s Republican base-transforming “Southern Strategy,” plus post-Baby Boomers’ being influenced by no-compromise talk radio and ideological news programs — gets a D.
If the grade becomes an “F,” our country may not even be able to afford dunce caps.
Nowhere was this on display more then when President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner gave dueling television speeches on the politician-created debt ceiling limit crisis that threatens to wreak havoc with the American and global economies. Obama correctly noted that compromise has become “a dirty word” among some Republicans and played to his party’s liberal base on taxes. Boehner hurled zingers at Obama and played to his party’s absolutely-no-compromise Tea Party base.
The most perceptive comment on the appearances came from University of Virginia political analyst Larry Sabato who Tweeted: “I’m sorry to hear ‘the entire world is watching’. America has rarely looked more foolish…Dems think Obama did well. Rs think Boehner did well. And in a nutshell there’s the problem.”
You wonder: 235 years of American history have brought us to THIS with these kinds of leaders so incapacitated by partisan ideological boundaries? Whatever happened to consensus, statecraft, coalition-building and smart politicos who could lead their partisans to a greater national goal?
Both parties’ leaders are locked in ideological boxes that their bases won’t let them exit. The Daily Beast’s Andrew Sullivan sees what is unfolding as part of a “cold” Civil War: “This Nixonian achievement has turned the GOP into the party of the South – a minority country within a country. With no ability to communicate within the Democratic Party to bring the South and the rest of the country together, we have stalemate.”
Former CBS Political Producer Brian Goldmith argues that Washington isn’t really broken, the GOP is. And it’s not that simple.
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6 Responses to “Will America Even Be Able to Afford Dunce Caps for Political Class?”
I’m new to this site, and this doesn’t sound very “moderate”, independent or unbiased to me. Perhaps this isn’t the site I want to be on.
We hate to lose readers but if you don’t like it then don’t visit it. We run a variety of viewpoints during a given week or day. My experience is the second someone disagrees with a post they start saying the site isn’t moderate and if they like a post the site is brilliant, thoughtful and balanced. It’s your decision but we will continue to give our individual, honest takes on issues and not try to tailor posts to what someone may wish to read or hear. If you read the description of the site on top we run various viewpoints which could be Michael Reagan, Tina Dupay, EJ Dionne among the syndicated columnists and various writers who may be center, center right or center left. If someone is looking for a site with only one, sole view then they may not enjoy TMV.
As far as I can see from the state of thing the left has compromised and been compromised. Obama went so far as to put Social Security Insurance on the table (and yes indeed, I didn’t like it) so you can’t say the Democratic President doesn’t compromise. The health care bill was huge compromise. I don’t see any Wall St Bankers in jail, they can even still sell derivatives. So what are you talking about?
I disagree.
Why should the government elected majority allow the minority to dictate terms?
The minority should get and have been offered reasonable concession due to their majority in the house, but to dictate the entire process?
No way. It’s like holding a gun to the majority of the American people!
Joe: keep up the good work. I disagree with the guest bloggers more often than I agree, but the positions are thoughtful and well articulated. I learn something coming here.
TMV is non-partisan, as is pollingreport.com
Would be nice to see pollingreport cited more here, as it could be useful to cite “most americans think” with actual numbers.
I use these together to take the national temperature. Booing is boring, leaders present a more interesting alternative. Great site you run here, keep it up!
ph447sf, you nailed it my friend. Careful with that reality based commentary though, some folks can only take it in small doses.