Realignment Watch: Jindal v. Brooks
This is a follow-up to an earlier post that speculated about a possible scenario in which the Republican party could collapse and make way for a genuine progressive party to the left of the Democrats. There are good reasons to be skeptical of that analysis. And it isn’t a scenario that I actually think is very probable. But it’s one that I think is possible, and I see it as the best hope for a real move to the left in American politics. So I’ll periodically be checking in with events in the political world that seem to point in the direction of a "realignment" of the current two-party system.
Last night I had the misfortune of watching Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal give the Republican response to Obama’s speech to congress:
The speech was horrible. Aside from Jindal’s bizarre "Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood" delivery, the content was just the same tired old "government is the problem" rhetoric. Which displeased not just liberals, but also David Brooks:
The most interesting thing about the above is Brooks’ analysis of what Jindal’s speech signifies about the politics of the GOP:
There’s an intra-Republican debate. Some people say the Republican Party lost its way because they got too moderate. Some people say they got too weird or too conservative. He thinks they got too moderate, and so he’s making that case. I think it’s insane, and I just think it’s a disaster for the party.
We can only hope so.
Let’s always remember that Jindal is an amateur exorcist: http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/bobby_jindals_dance_with_the_d.php
I hope he wins the GOP primaries. I’ve always wanted more exorcists in government.
I have argued on this blog that I thought Peter was a bit off about the coming dominance of the ultra-right in the GOP. After watching Jindal yesterday, I am beginning to question what exactly the GOP is offering and whether I am wrong about the end of moderate Republicanism for the time beginning. Jindal offered nothing more than anti-government ideology with cherry picked examples. His Katrina reference was terrible; most Americans not only think government should have done more, but could have done better. We still have to wait and see what happens. If the GOP hard right sucessfully attacks Sens. Collins and Snow of Maine and Specter of Pennsylvania and gets more conversative candidates on the ballot, then the idea that the Democratic Party can dominate has real credibilty.
I felt that Governor Jindal’s response was very irresponsible during these tough economic times in our country. Yes, in a sense it is up to the people to change the outlook of things in this uncertain market, but what the Governor is asking is that government take a back seat and not help the people of his state at all. This sounds like the old mantra of the Republican party that is starting to come into fruition again, “work hard and you’ll eventually accomplish your goals in life” or some sort of Protestant work ethic that has been revitalized to fit out society. Regardless of this the Governor should realize that people cannot fix the economic situation that they’re in because if there is no employment available then how can these people even help to stimulate the economy. There is no need for rhetoric like this because nothing is solved and no legitimate ideas are ever discussed or brought to light.