“You’re either with us or against us,” I may be paraphrasing the former President of the United States, but these very words might as well be the mantra of the Republican Party right now.
I now watch the American political discourse with a sense of sadness and dismay as in a few short months the political discussion in the US could be fairly compared to an argument between two young children fighting over a lollipop.
But it’s all politics, right?
Yes and it’s because of this very reason I believe Republicans have a strategy that will see them become a non-entity in American politics within two decades.
Demographically speaking senior citizens are the most reliable voting block in America and a voting block which Republicans are going after by any means necessary. This voting block belongs to a different generation, a different America to the one Obama is leading at this moment – so it is politically smart to structure an argument that Obama is a socialist. Obama is killing the America they knew. In fact once he passes his Nazi health-care plan, all senior-citizens will be lined up to face Obama’s death panels.
It might not be pretty, but the state of Obama’s polls should be more than enough proof to most that this Republican strategy is working.
My question is for how long and what will it cost the Republicans?
America will be a very different country in 20-30 years time. Being a middle-aged White American might mean being an ethnic minority – this is why I see the treatment Republicans are giving to Americas first black President as political suicide.
Ethnic minority voters, the voting block which flocked to Obama by the bucketload will from now on have a more influential voice on who becomes the President of the United States – so calling the first black president a socialist, a terrorist, an illegal immigrant and a liar in the House of Representatives while he is making a joint address will come back to haunt the Republicans.
And on Obama’s polls – let’s not kid ourselves, they are not as bad as the media are making them out to be. He is currently trying to pass sweeping reforms, the likes that America hasn’t seen, and he’s only 6 months into his term. The majority of the disapproval is from disaffected Democrats and independents – I will wager that as the economy continues to recover and if he passes health-care his polls will go back up. So what then for Republicans? What if he passes health-care, what’s your pitch to the American people then?
The problem with the Republican Party is that they don’t stand for anything. The old Republican Party of fiscal restraint and individual freedom is dead. The religious loons who bailed out Lehman Brothers foam at the mouth every time someone mentions the name Obama and want to legislate what goes on in your bedroom are running the show at the GOP and it is a sad show to watch.
Through out this whole summer break, I couldn’t tell you the Republicans’ counter position for Obama’s socialist, Nazi proposal. I know what they think of Obama, I know what they want Jewish citizens to believe about Obama (NAZI-DEATH PANELS ARE COMING TO GET YA!) but I do not know what their solution to health care is.
So if I were a Republican I’d try not to celebrate the light at the end of the tunnel too soon.