The GOP civil war has started and Obama will continue to fuel it. Aided and abetted each and every step of the way by likes of Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin.
On Hardball tonight, Rachel Maddow insightfully pointed out one of the key differences between Hillary and Barack, during primary HRC made it a big idealogical WAR of US vs Republican conservatism and Barack refuses to make this election a big, bloody ideological WAR. Rachel loved Hillary's combativeness because she wants to stomp on vulnerable conservatism' throat and kill it once and for all with a brutal attack war.
In an interesting parallel, I saw the LEFT egging on and begging for a WARRIOR to take the FIGHT right to the other side very bit as much the RIGHT wanted one in George Bush in 2000/2004. The RIGHT got their GUNSLINGER in chief, they won that battle only to lose the war as it turns out here's a big middle learns to hate such polarizing warriors. For all of "W" mistakes, the greatest legacy may the deep scarring divisions he left behind, the "you're with us or against us" mentalility which in short-term worked for him, but sowed some deep resentments that barred any dissent even within his own party and you can only muzzle Americans so long before they naturally revolt.
Ideologue Warrior in CHIEF is never going to be Barack Obama's style; he uses reason, persuasion and common sense on moderates who don't feel threatened to having to denounce their life-long beliefs to join him. Even as he discussed old liberalism, he presents it in a fresh new way at looking things.
In fact, Obama himself surprised me because he outright called out Rachel (and other frustrated liberals) that LONG for that ideological WAR, that "much to her her chagrin," he sees GOP problem as being "KIDNAPPED" (more on the POWER of that strong verb below) by an incompetent, highly ideological wing of the party and believes that moderates are appalled, too.
And this very tactic of Obama's, winning over opposition and SOFT support on other side, is scaring the bejesus out of GOPers, he's OUR Reagan, appearing so calm, so reasonable, so charismatic as he dismantles their constructs one by one... and make no mistake slowly and surely he's been dismantling bedrock conservative principles of de-regulation, trickle down ecomonics and small, non-involved government. Now he's surely been aided in this DISMANTLING by the economic crisis and Alan Greenspan's own admission there's a FLAW in his de-regulation ideology, but he's giving the opening to other rational fiscal conservatives to question
their own bedrock principles.
And he's giving those liberal/moderate GOPers who stood and said NOTHING while Bush & the Christian Right took over an "out" a get out of jail free pass if you will - your party FAILED you, it was KIDNAPPED from you. KIDNAP, a violent verb that portrays moderates as VICTIMS of a the MEAN OLD RIGHT WING extremists who hijacked the Grand Old Party right from under them and so stained their party's reputation.
It's a fucking brilliant strategy, folks, because Obama is throwing GAS into fires raging amidst GOPers, he's FUELING their civil war using the old proven strategy of DIVIDE and CONQUER.
And his strategy IS working, which incenses the irrational right wing extremists even more and the louder the hard right screams irrational, stupid and slings easily proveable LIES, the more moderate/liberal Replubicans shudder in disgust at THEM (not Obama!).
In fact, watch carefully how Obama taken NOT to attacking "Republican Party" as a whole but calling out SELECT nuts like Hannity and Limbaugh. And the more he calls them out in his calm, reasonable manner, the more RED in the face they get and the more IRRATIONAL they grow. It's an excellent example of how to USE your opponent's strength against them. They do have LOUD voices and get a lot of play in national media, SHOOTING themselves in the FOOT like their 24/7 Ayers obsession when 91% of the country
worrying about THEIR POCKET-BOOKs. Obama shakes his head sadly, and says to moderates look I know you're worried about your 401K, home values, health care for your aging parents so these culture wars are rather silly aren't they in face of all that, and they nod their heads with him.
And the more the right harps on slim guilt by associations attacks, the more they incite their rabid followers to scream Obama's a terrorist, the more they sound positively UNHINGED, OMG he's a COMMIE, he's a black HITLER... the more they drive the RATIONAL moderates away in disgust.
I absolutely LOVE how Obama continues to use the heck out of EXTREME RIGHT WINGers like Hannity AGAINST the GOP!
Obama's refusal to give into Rachel and Liberals (and I'm ONE!!!) need to see a bloody, knock down fight over ideology was DEFINITELY on display tonight in her interview...
She wants him to be our RAH RAH RAH Liberalism WON chief cheerleader and he refused to her face.
Obama's far smarter, he's even more ruthless that I suspected, insidious if you will, his strategy works not to beat the GOP bloody in one big battle, no he seeks to permanently SPLIT the opposition, the GOP in HALF.
Already started it with his empathetic outreach to moderates, "I feel your pain" your grand old party was KIDNAPPED by this right wing INCOMPETENT NUTS. Now the NUTS are frothing at the mouth at him, but the moderates are eating it up b/c MANY agree with HIM and more he's SAVING THEM FACE.
KIDNAP is great verb, it means GOP was STOLEN from moderates, and they SHOULD be angry but not at DEMs or Obama, but AT THE NUTS.
And guess what they ARE, conservatives like Brooks call out the SURPREME example of the nuts, PALIN, as a "CANCER on the GOP." George Will, who will never agree on any real principle with Obama, swings his mighty pen in disgust at the stupidity and crassness of the EXTREMIST.
It's like they are PROUD of their IGNORANCE Obama once said... and Will says you're fucking right, Barack, and the intellectuals within GOP (and yes they are many left who have been too quiet) are rising up and saying JESUS FUCKING CHRIST we've been led off the cliff by THE DIMWITS like Bush!!!
And what does Obama do? Scream you deserve it? No, he's reaching out a hand and helping them land SOFTLY so they are praising him out right.
Social liberal GOPers are finally empowered to speak out from Powell to William Weld. Weld, former governor of Mass, long been a lone voice in the GOP wilderness decrying GOP's intolerance will lead to party growing smaller. He has been advocate for pro-choice GOPers who have been silenced for years. These moderates do NOT see Obama phrasing it us DEMs vs Rep, no they see it as Obama phrasing it as:
THE SANE RATIONAL folks vs the INSANE irrational RIGHT wingnuts.
Brilliant, yes this man is playing CHESS!
The wingnuts see Palin as their Heir to Bush's Gunslinger in Chief, even Joe Scarborough, sometimes a SANE GOPer, salivates how she feeds off attacking, how she INCITES the base with red meat.
Promoting her so much as the WINGNUTS have and will continue to do is POLITICAL SUICIDE for the RIGHT. But they don't see it, they will blame any loss ALL on McCain, ah and that will just feed into Obama's strategy...
Ah, perfect opening for Obama, it gives him MORE ammunition to continue to commiserate with many moderate GOPers who do NOT want another dimwitted BUSH to follow, hey guys sooooooooooooooo sorry that right wing so in charge of your party, why don't you consider BREAKING off... speaking OUT...
CIVIL WAR.
Weld actually gave an insightful interview recently where he called himself more from the Libertarian wing of the GOP. Ron Paul supporters would follow someone like him, he's a fiscal conservative, but socially liberal, never an ideologue, a smart, reasonable man who does NOT demonize opponents with witch-hunts. The Libertarian GOPs until Ron Paul's crusade were too silent within the party. They have been uncorked and I don't believe they will quietly get shoved back into the SILENCED minority within a Palin is our heroine dominated GOP.
The GOP civil war has started and Obama will continue to fuel it. Aided and abetted each and every step of the way by likes of Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin.
Let's hope that civil war last a good long while, as divided they FLAIL.