The Big GOPer aristocracy and their Murdoch-Limbaugh-Rove-NeoCon allies do not agree with the fundamental principal of Jeffersonian Democracy:
"All Men Are Created Equal."
They are playing a different game.
Nicolo Machiavelli's "Fox and Lion" game, if you will... and enhanced. From "The Prince":
...there are two ways of contesting, the one by the law, the other by force; the first method is proper to men, the second to beasts; but because the first is frequently not sufficient, it is necessary to have recourse to the second
A prince, therefore, being compelled knowingly to adopt the beast, ought to choose the fox and the lion...
What the princely/beastly "foxes" do, is that they lie.
The "Birther" meme, racist radio and t.v. rants, gun gimmicks, ads claiming Obama is taking $500-million out of Medicare -- all these are lies that cost them votes. So why do it?
The GOPer/Rovian wrinkle is recruiting mentally disturbed, delusional Americans to be their "lions." Town Halls are the least of it. Nasty game, played now as a blood sport: Dr. Tiller, Yitzhak Rabin, anthrax at Daschle, the Kennedys, MLK and more BTF:::
"Fox and Lion" is an alternative to Rule of Law. Of course, Jeffersonian Democracy did not exist for Machiavelli and his times. The concepts of Rule of Law are what was expounded and expanded for America, so brilliantly, with Jefferson's Declaration of Independence and then with the Constitution.
Machiavelli wrote/didn't_publish/dated The Prince in 1513. "Fox and Lion" players have been rolling them dawgs every century before and since....
Want to understand the seemingly crazy antics of today's rightie propagandists ??? "The Prince" is where to start.
Want to see a modern "fox" take out an adversary? Try the "Tiller/Killer" advertisements for a real-world murder. That monster O'Reilly "fox" on Fox recruited the one "lion" that mattered.
Of course, Limbaugh is the master of lying. His basso profondo vocal instrument converts an unmanly whining content to a faux Voice of Doom. He can't go 30 seconds without a lie.
Still, advertising money rolls in to keep it all going. The DKOS effort to boycott the Glenn Beck advertisers -- golden. There is no other way to limit these "fox" tactics -- logic and facts are irrelevant.
Insurance companies burn an extra $400 billion a year to run a simple payables/receivables system. They have screwed it up, miserably. Pharmas pocket an extra $200+ billion from bribing No Compete pricing out of Medicare. That kind of money floats around and they wouldn't kill anybody. Intimidating Democrats ??? Really... who knew ?
Here's Nicolo and his seminal chapter XVIII:
The Prince - from Chapter 18
...You must know there are two ways of contesting, the one by the law, the other by force; the first method is proper to men, the second to beasts; but because the first is frequently not sufficient, it is necessary to have recourse to the second.
Therefore it is necessary for a prince to understand how to avail himself of the beast and the man. This has been figuratively taught to princes by ancient writers, who describe how Achilles and many other princes of old were given to the Centaur Chiron to nurse, who brought them up in his discipline; which means solely that, as they had for a teacher one who was half beast and half man, so it is necessary for a prince to know how to make use of both natures, and that one without the other is not durable.
[ Consider today's GOPers and their failing "durability." They do see themselves, surely, as princes. ]
A prince, therefore, being compelled knowingly to adopt the beast, ought to choose the fox and the lion; because the lion cannot defend himself against snares and the fox cannot defend himself against wolves. Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves. Those who rely simply on the lion do not understand what they are about. Therefore a wise lord cannot, nor ought he to, keep faith when such observance may be turned against him, and when the reasons that caused him to pledge it exist no longer. If men were entirely good this precept would not hold, but because they are bad, and will not keep faith with you, you too are not bound to observe it with them. Nor will there ever be wanting to a prince legitimate reasons to excuse this nonobservance. Of this endless modern examples could be given, showing how many treaties and engagements have been made void and of no effect through the faithlessness of princes; and he who has known best how to employ the fox has succeeded best.
But it is necessary to know well how to disguise this characteristic, and to be a great pretender and dissembler; and men are so simple, and so subject to present necessities, that he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived. One recent example I cannot pass over in silence. Alexander VI did nothing else but deceive men, nor ever thought of doing otherwise, and he always found victims; for there never was a man who had greater power in asserting, or who with greater oaths would affirm a thing, yet would observe it less; nevertheless his deceits always succeeded according to his wishes, because he well understood this side of mankind.
HERE is the full text of The Prince. One chapter a web page.
Never underestimate Machiavelli.
Jefferson succeeded in building an alternative to naked power politics. But in no way did he repeal the underlying temptations, the interplays of ambition and tactics.
For good governance, go to Jefferson. His system restrains both party and individual appetites. For politics as a blood sport, its Machiavelli all the way.
We should not expect Dr. Tiller to be the final victim.