How Jesus Killed The Elephants

Once upon a time, I was a Republican. I spent my formative years under the watchful, avuncular, rheumy eyes of Ronnie Ray-gun and was raised to fear and distrust the institutions of government, particularly the Russian government but also my own. I learned that heavy-metal was evil, gay people were all child molesters and that animals only had themselves to blame for getting in the way of progress when it brutally, remorselessly crushed them and obliterated their habitats.
When I was finally able to participate in my first election, I voted, as a good Republican and a good sailor, for George Walker Bush in 200o. At last an end to the freedom crushing, morally bankrupt Communist abetting Clintons with their pot, broken home, Marxist agenda and orgies.
Then with horrific slowness, as I began to see what effect my vote had had on the country and the world, the protective, insulating scales were spitefully pried from my eyes and I could see exactly what had taken place.
All drama aside (as fun as it is) the fact is this: I was raised a Republican (by a hippie no less) and I genuinely believed most of former president Reagan's positions were correct. Communism was a bad idea, it dehumanized people and turned them into commodities. The free market created wealth through innovation and competition. No nation could enjoy freedom peacefully without being prepared to defend it with violence. These were what I took to be the foundation of the Republican party. What escaped my young mind and continued to escape me until we were several years into W's reign was that times and people change and political realities possibly do so faster than anything else out there. George H. lost to Slick Willy (that's Bill Clinton for you kids) and that loss frankly decimated the party. To be fair, Ronnie had only won in 1980 by creating a coalition that captured a large number of fiscally conservative Democrats (often called "Reagan" or "blue dog" Democrats"). His immediate successor failed to hold on to them. Republican strategists at this point had hit on a new plan however. It took years to come to full fruit but resulted in the recovery of the White House for the Republicans by George W. Simply put, the fiscal conservatives courted and won over the social conservatives.
Unfortunately for us all, "social conservative" isn't as broad a term as it sounds. Here in the United States what it tends to mean is christian fundamentalist. Even more unfortunately this group of previously dormant voters (who had up to this point voted primarily on the basis of relevant national issues, like the rest of us) soon realized that they could use their new found influence over the Republican politicians who voted for them to direct broader national policies in line with their fundamental, religious views. It was no longer sufficient to live their own lives in according with the wishes of a supposed omnipotent sky-fairy, it became, in the collective mind, absolutely vital to ensure that everyone else did too.
This was the beginning of what we now politely refer to as the culture wars. In reality, what we face now is a full scale religious war, a crusade fought in the name of fundamental religiosity against anyone and everyone who doesn't kneel at an approved altar. And it this, the direct result of using these people for the sake of their votes, that the Republican party has to thank for their current unpopularity.
It is a somewhat (but not very) bizarre fact that the act of including a group of people has resulted in the diminishing of the party. In brief, as the fundies became more prominent their irrational and frankly combative ideology has push away an ever growing number of other Americans. What's worse, the majority of the fundies are also largely ignorant, rural types.
As a quick note, I am not using either "ignorant" or "rural" in a derogatory sense. The group I am referring to are ignorant in that they tend to have an ill-informed world view, that is they lack a great deal of information that is relevant (but only on/to those issues that stretch beyond their backyards) and being rural simply means that they are more often than not insulated from the larger world and thus, other perspectives. Only those persons in said communities that willfully and with knowing intent remain ignorant or isolated are worthy of fear, anger and/or contempt.
Getting back to my point however, all of this tends to blend together and get pressed through the filter of assumed authority that religions create. Net result?
Out-group xenophobia and comprehensive intolerance, backed by absolute conviction. As my dear, sainted mother (HA!) put it, "It's no longer simply I'm right and you're wrong, its now I'm right and you're evil."
The core problem with this being that as long as such a large block of people persist in assuming...even insisting on the absolute veracity and righteousness of their positions on all fronts, they absolutely cannot debate or compromise on anything and by definition you cannot have a compromise by one party alone. Politics is essentially defined by compromise. It is the fine old art of giving and thereby receiving concessions from your rivals/neighbors in order that you can live together, peaceably. Finally, just to put the icing on the cake, this has been going on for so long now that people who have been raised on this sort of thing have been elected into office and are therefore even less likely to set aside their desire to introduce policies based on their own religious convictions in order to serve the common good. Indeed, in many cases they cannot even conceive of the idea that we can have a collective, national interest that _doesn't_ stem from their particular dogmas.
Thus, I contend that the Republican party has lost its ability to engage in the basic activity of a political party; the ability to negotiate, peacefully and loyally, with other national political factions and find mutually acceptable compromises on policy decisions. They are in fact in tremendous danger of devolving into something like a less violent, though no less militant reflection of the Taliban. As such, it is no longer a political party in the truest sense of the word.
And that, Friends, is How Jesus Killed The Elephants.

Impeached Cobbler

Here's the short version for those person's who've managed to live under a rock for the last few months, there by escaping the events pouring out of the Land of RodZ.
"Blago" found himself under investigation by federal powers a few months ago. This by itself is not exactly uncharacteristic of politicians in Illinois in general and Springfield in specific. What makes it entertaining is that the nut job (knowing this fact, that he was under scrutiny from federal law enforcement) continued to say and do things that make him look guilty. Specifically, if the federal prosecution is to be believed, he continued to have phone-calls where in he revealed that he was trying to auction off an Illinois Senate seat! This is the definition corruption.
Now, that established, let me move onto my actual point.
I am not interested, at this moment, in the matter of innocence or guilt on the part of Blago. What matters in the matter of an impeachment, in this instance, is the question of whether or not the Governor demonstrated an inability to properly execute his office. Operating under the assumption of innocence (because this is America, dammit) I have to say that the Wizard of RodZ, so thoroughly bungled this thing that his credibility is still in tatters. As a perfect example, let's look at his recent media blitz. Among other things, Blago arranged for an audience with the King. That's right; Larry King. "Captain-frigging-Softball" himself. Wonder of wonders, His Majesty actually dusted off the grill and put the coals to Blago's feet, "Did you say that? Well, but you know if said that," referring to the following;
"It's a (EXPLETIVE LANGUAGE) valuable thing -- thing. You just don't give it away for nothing."
Another quote: "I've got this thing and it's (EXPLETIVE LANGUAGE)
golden. And I'm just not giving it up for (EXPLETIVE LANGUAGE) nothing. I'm not going to do it. And I can always use it. I can parachute me there."
Larry King? A hard interview?
I almost choked.
I get the impression Blago had a bit of indigestion as well. His answers are universally evasive. I mean, "I don't know if I said that, I haven't listened to the tapes yet?" Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Furthermore, Blago keeps trying to talk about how unfair it is that he "can't call witnesses," when this isn't (repeat, IS NOT) a criminal proceeding. He has gone on since then, implying that regardless of his actions A: the people love him for what he's done on their behalf and B: everyone in the state government does the same crap anyway, and you're all a bunch of hypocrites for crucifying me.
Now I am not one to get caught up on what are called "character issues" (meaning "things we can blast you for when you get ahead on actually concrete issues") but Blago has demonstrated two things at least which suggest he isn't fit to lead a sewing circle, let alone the Illinois state government. First is his apparently obliviousness to the actual reality inhabited by the rest of us and the second his general inability not to behave like a litigious prat and offensively arrogant power broker.
All of this is fine though, if the people of Illinois are interested in having either a spoiled, adolescent bully or a loon in charge.
I'm not taking odds on that one.