Another Prophet of GOP Doom
Harold Myerson’s column in this morning’s Washington Post is typical conventional wisdom blather. Here’s proof that he isn’t that insightful:
But today’s Palinoidal Republicans have lost most of the professionals, much of Wall Street and an increasing chunk of suburbia. What they can claim is the allegiance of the white South and the almost entirely white, non-urban parts of the Mountain West. Of the 40 Republican members of the Senate, fully half, 20, come from the old Confederacy, the Civil War border states where slavery was legal or Oklahoma, which politically is an extension of Texas without Texas’s racial minorities. Ten others come from the Mountain West. The rest of the nation, that is, of course, most of the nation, has become an ever-smaller share of Republican ranks.
I’m getting tired of reading the endless parade of liberal drivel saying that the GOP is doomed to the ash heaps of history. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve read that crap, I’d be well on my way to millionaire status. What Mr. Myerson can’t explain is this: If Republicans are in such sorry shape, why are they leading Democrats in Scott Rasmussen’s generic ballot polling? In fact, why do voters trust Republicans more than Democrats in 9 of the 10 most important issues, including health care and fiscal responsibility?
These questions are rhetorical in nature. Mr. Myerson can’t answer them because he’s dismissed the Tea Party movement. He’s bought into the Democrats’ talking points. He would’ve been better off if he’d interviewed someone who’d attended a tea part or a townhall meeting. Had he done that, he would’ve noticed that there were alot of disgusted independents and Joe Lieberman Democrats in those crowds.
It didn’t help Myerson’s credibility by using this questionable poll to reach his conclusions:
All parties are home to distinct subcultures with distinct beliefs. What’s different about today’s GOP is that increasingly, it is home to just one, and a whole sector of the media, Fox News, talk radio, makes its money by emphasizing this subculture’s sense of separateness, grievance and alarm, and by creating its own set of “facts.” Asked in late July whether they believed Barack Obama was born in the United States, 93 percent of Democrats and 83 percent of independents said yes, but just 42 percent of Republicans agreed.
Behind those numbers, 93 percent, 90 percent and 87 percent of Northeasterners, Midwesterners and Westerners, respectively, said yes, but just 47 percent of Southerners said they believed the president was born in this country. Obama, the Republican base is saying, personifies an America that is increasingly alien to them. It’s multiracial, as they are not. It puts Sonia Sotomayor, who sure doesn’t come from their America, on the Supreme Court. Increasingly, the Republicans have descended into white identity politics.
Myerson uses a DailyKos poll as his proof that 58 percent of Republicans are birthers. What an idiot. Again, Myerson ignores reliable polling in stating that America is a foreign nation to Republicans. Again I’ll ask how that can be if they’re held the generic ballot lead eight straight weeks.
What’s particularly galling to me is that Myerson hasn’t noticed that people’s priorities have shifted significantly since Election Day, 2008. People trusted President Obama and the Democrats then. After the Democrats’ distortions, after the Democrats’ hair-brained policies have failed and after the Democrats attempts to belittle and ignore the American people, voters aren’t likely to support Democrats.
Myerson is writing about an electorate that existed prior to the Democrats passing the GM bailout, prior to the Democrats passing a pork-filled stimulus bill that hasn’t created any jobs (4,000,000 were promised) and prior to the Democrats passing the national energy tax, aka Waxman-Markey.
Myerson’s article is a perfect example of why people don’t trust newspapers to supply trustworthy reporting like they used to. Myerson’s column is nothing more than conventional wisdom psychobabble.
It’s a shame the Washington Post paid good money for such crappy product.
Technorati Tags: Polling, Generic Ballot, Tea Parties, Bailouts, Stimulus Bill, Cap And Trade, Senior Citizens, Democrats, Republicans
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog
August 20th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
First, it’s a shame anyone paid good money to read that garbage in the WaPo.
Second, it sure sounds like if one is not a southern redneck racist then there’s no possibility of them belonging to the Republican Party. Interesting, since the majority of registered Republicans (I believe) are outside the geographic southern states. It is also implied that we in the west are nothing more than those “southern racist states”. It also ignores the fact that an increasing number of middle-class black families are registering Republican and happen to follow such racists as Sowell and Williams.
Last, the jerk is offensive and obviously a typical “diversity” lover. You know, someone who wants you to form your own opinion as long as it is the same as his.
August 20th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
You can always tell an east or west coast elitist, by their incredible smugness. Wonder if he has ever been to someplace like Frankfort, Indiana or Columbus, Nebraska; fly over country where the whisky swilling, barefoot hicks in overalls driving their ‘54 Ford pickups live.
August 20th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
The only time the guy ever sees anyone with a possibly untoward opinion (one that disagrees with his) is when he whisks by a McDonalds on his way to the latest current chic restaurant where he can commiserate with friends about all us knuckledraggers out here and how unfair we are to his lord and savior.