by DemFromCT
The failure of conservatism takes another step forward. Thomas Frank, writing in the NY Times, outlines the potential backlash from not properly defining the culprits, who are the thieves and scoundrels currently masquerading as the Bush Administration and their allies (like Jack Abramoff, Bob Ney, Tom DeLay, etc.)
In the absence of a theory of corruption that pins the tail squarely on the elephant, this is certainly what will happen again. Conservatives are infinitely better positioned to capitalize on public disillusionment with the political system, regardless of who does the disillusioning. Indeed, the chorus has already started chanting that the real culprit in the current Beltway scandals is the corrupting influence of government, not conservative operatives or their noble doctrine. The problem with G.O.P. miscreants is simply that they’ve been in D.C. so long they’ve "gone native," to use a favorite phrase of the right; they are “becoming cozy with Beltway mores,” in The Wall Street Journal’s telling. If you don’t like the corruption, you must do away with government.
Were he not the main figure in all this, Jack Abramoff would undoubtedly be nodding in agreement with those editorials. A self-described “free-marketeer” who spent his days fighting “government intervention in the economy” and leading the catcalls at Tip O’Neill, he would undoubtedly have seen the political gold beneath the scandals. If, in our revulsion at Abramoff’s crimes, we are induced to accept Abramoff’s politics, it will be K Street’s greatest triumph yet.
Conservatives love to run against government, even when they are the government. They're best at painting themselves as victims when the real victims are the American people. So, the fall campaign needs to set the record straight. There are two different and major cancers eating away at Washington. One is the incompetent Bush Administration, the other is conservative ideology, which doesn't believe in government in the first place. It's a potent mixture, as anyone can see from inspecting New Orleans and Iraq. Domestically and abroad, conservatism is an ongoing and visible failure.
Even conservatives (voters, not pundits who are paid to ignore the facts) know something's wrong in Washington. That's why the polls look the way they do. Running against a culture of corruption has limited value. Running against a culture of conservatism mixed with a track record of clear-cut incompetence and corruption is what the American people need to see from Democrats this fall.
cross-posted at The Daily Kos
Frank's column is a smart breakdown.
Posted by: Petey | August 22, 2006 at 10:46
The corruption doesn't play terribly well for the Dems. Too many people, including Dems, thinks they are all corrupt, and it just drives people out of the political process altogether. IMHO the competence issue plays much better. People can remember when government worked (under Clinton) and they surely remember when it didn't work at all (Katrina). Stressing that people who fundamentally don't believe in government are bound not to be very good at it makes sense. People need to sense concrete things that gov;t could do to improve their lot and begin to right the income imbalance.
Iraq and Katrina are the inescapable symbols of Bush's incompetence and the root of people's dissatisfaction with him. The rubber-stamp GOP Congress has done nothing to exercise oversight or balance Bush's excesses. Two more years of GOP rule is 2 more years of war, incompetence and high gas prices.
That, to me, is the way to go rather than corruption.
Posted by: Mimikatz | August 22, 2006 at 11:20
Mimikatz, I agree. Corruption is a two-edged sword that is useful only against a specific candidate, not as a broad brush. Used as a broad brush against the Republicans - however true - the accusation can always be made that "everybody does it," illustrated with a few cases from the Democratic side of the aisle. Thus the corruption theme breaks down, or even causes more harm than good by suppressing turnout of people who might otherwise vote Democratic.
Much as it galls me, I think "incompetent Republicans" is a theme that works better. It's easily proved with examples fresh in everybody's mind.
It galls me because "GOP incompetence in Iraq" suggests that the only thing wrong with the Iraqmire is that it was handled poorly, not that it shouldn't have occurred at all. The closest Democrats can get, I suppose, like Clark and others with their "strategic blunder" theme, is to call Iraq a "mistake." I think this conjures up images of the Bush Regime simply erring in its assessment, not in making an immoral choice and initiating an unjust war. Custer made a "mistake" too. But it was the immorality of U.S. Indian policy first concretized by Andy Jackson that was really at fault for what happened on the Little Big Horn 40 years later.
Posted by: Meteor Blades | August 22, 2006 at 12:22
My question is whether "Republican Incompetence", which is clearly provable with Katrina, the CPA and Bush's intuitive decision-style, can be linked to "Conservative Ideology?"
My intuition says that is a likely linkage and would be quite fruitful.
Posted by: Rick B | August 22, 2006 at 12:40
Rick B, I think the answer to your question is "of course!" It's a theme I've long prayed would occur to the Democrats: as Mimikatz notes, "Stressing that people who fundamentally don't believe in government are bound not to be very good at it makes sense." If you don't believe in government, you:
1)genuinely don't believe in governing (ie, that you actually have a responsibility to help, say, the citizens of New Orleans);
2) have no trouble raiding its piggy bank for your own ends and those of your associates;
3) see nothing wrong with populating its agencies with business cronies and 22-year old interns;
4) don't see a problem offering the levers of its power to every nutbar who supports you; and
5) can't do the job.
Incompetence and corrupton are not side issues here; they are the inevitable byproduct of the philosophy. I'm thrilled that Tom Frank's piece has the visibility of the NYT real estate; now we just need the Dems to draw the obvious conclusion and run with it, in 2006 and beyond.
Put a stake in the heart of this pernicious movement already.
Posted by: rj | August 22, 2006 at 13:12
Protect the troops
throw the bastards OUT
nuff said
Posted by: freepatriot | August 22, 2006 at 13:18
Public cynicism about politics is truly underappreciated.
2 years ago I saw a private Yankelovich-conducted survey that showed that Calif voters were extremely cynical, worse than anywhere else in the country, according to the pollster. They had zero confidence money would be spent for what it was supposed to be spent (the context was taxes).
It's safe to assume that cynicism is far deeper than "fans" like we intellectual insiders are easily capable of appreciating.
It doesn't surprise me at all that "culture of corruption" didn't work - and even I thought it might at first. It's seductive, but false, to think that people really are rational about government deep down.
I think that conventional forms of political communication are breaking down fast re: effectiveness (tv commercials, cliched campaign tactics, direct mail, etc.)
Posted by: crab nebula | August 22, 2006 at 13:38
I want to chime in to agree with crab nebula -- it is hard for those of us who care about politics to fathom how very little trust or interest most people have in government. I work to bring groups that don't vote into action and NOBODY thinks government is there for them, or in any sense belongs to them. They know better. And of course, their experience that they don't matter to the system is real.
What the Reps have done is gradually increase the percentage of the population that shares this fundamental withdrawal from active citizenship/engagement -- and most Dems haven't minded because it is a lot easier to fight elections in a smaller, less diverse electorate (maybe until you lose too often.)
Posted by: janinsanfran | August 22, 2006 at 19:21
But as Howard Dean found out, overdepending on those who don't vote doesn't generally pan out.
Posted by: DemFromCT | August 22, 2006 at 19:49
Indeed, best to focus on those who do vote. I was so dissapointed in the young "voters" last election.
However, I keep wanting to see the Dems get smart in the area of communications and I love this frame, "One is the incompetent Bush Administration, the other is conservative ideology, which doesn't believe in government in the first place. It's a potent mixture, as anyone can see from inspecting New Orleans and Iraq." It's simple, pointedly illustrated, and easy to digest. Dem play makers, scratch that down in your notepads.
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