Of all of the races yesterday, the most interesting for me was the Missouri Senate race. Senator Claire McCaskill was one of the least popular members of the Senate and a virtual guarantee for defeat until Rep. Todd Akin delivered victory from the jaws of defeat. Akin’s infamous rape remarks made him completely toxic to the entire nation and the GOP leadership quickly called for his withdrawal from the race. Akin treated the suggestion as absurd and allowed two deadlines to pass that would have allowed his party to repair the damage that he caused. At one time, politicians would put the interests of their party and their country before their own. However, we live in a different time and Akin is the face of the times: egotistical, selfish, and extremist. Linda MacMahon in Connecticut cut the same intensely egotistical image: spending $100 million of her own money in two unsuccessful efforts to make herself a Senator despite a fairly toxic personality and image associated with professional wrestling. Despite the sound defeat in the last election, MacMahon spent even more of her own money as the former chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment to secure a second defeat. The question for the GOP is whether the disaster this election will cause anyone in the party to consider the eradication of moderates in their party and the loss of what we once called “Rockefeller Republicans.”
In the end, Akin appears to have been unable to even break 40 percent of the vote.
Had Akin withdrawn, the GOP would have likely secured the seat in Missouri. Not only Akin but the entire Tea Party worked last night to the great benefit for the Democrats — alienating moderate voters and securing wins across the country.
Akin will be left to history as a sad clownish figure who refused to accept the obvious reality that his own comments and extremist views destroyed any chance for election. MacMahon will fill another footnote on the amount of money someone is willing to spend in pursuit of egotism. Notably, MacMahon never appeared to have any particular vision or idea or cause — she just wanted to be a Senator and thought she had the money to guarantee it like some choreographed WWF bout. They are not the only such figures in this election.
The question is how we end up with such caricatured candidates in national elections and the overall low quality of politicians in this country. I have long blamed the monopoly of the two major parties on our politics. I still hold that view. However, Akin also represents a sad cultural reality today. It is not just the loss of moderation in politics but a loss of a sense of personal integrity and responsibility. Akin immediately blamed others and refused to stand aside for the benefit of his state and party. He is for me the face of what is wrong with our politics: an anti-intellectual extremist who ultimately shows little sense of duty or calling beyond himself.
Source: USA Today
Blouise, Maybe they will change there name. 😉
SwM,
2014 or 2016 makes little difference … if the Republicans don’t get their act together, it’s going to happen and that is not good for the generations following you and me.
I am soo happy about Warren. We need more just like her, male and female, on both sides of the aisle.
Obama’s campaign was also nearly pitch perfect again. Having Texans calling into Orlando was brilliant although my husband was having trouble with name pronunciations.
Blouise, if the dems ever get the house back you might have a point but it won’t happen in 2014.
bettykath,
Yep … my ” one party democracy ” was tongue in cheek
bettykath, I really don’t think Obama’s goal is to have a feudal society.
anonymously posted,
I know, believe me, I know. It takes forever to get the complete attention of the body politic … one can’t give up leaving the battle to others. One just can’t.
However, a three day vacation to the mountains might hold one’s slide into insanity in check. Do it before the snows come. 🙂
I am sure you think you know, but you can never be sure. Life is funny that way. I must go now.
@Gene: allowing legal fictions to participate in the political process is simply wrong as a matter of principle
We agree on that, 100%.
Blouise, I’m sure you know that a one party democracy isn’t. Since I believe that we are being moved to a feudal society, it’s happening as planned. Reagan broke the unions and started the tax cuts for the wealthy, Pappy Bush was Reagan2. Clinton passed NAFTA which overrides national constitutions and got rid of the 1930s regulations that came after the 1929 Wall Street crash. Bush put us into oil wars that will go on for decades and decimate the middle east and our treasury. His administration really clobbered civil liberties with the PATRIOT Act and instituted tax cuts that greatly accelerated the wealth gap. Those most upset by Bush then got the “good guy”. Obama has continued the wars and the tax cuts and further eroded civil rights with the NDAA and his kill list. He’s working on another trade pact similar to NAFTA for the southern pacific, work that would have continued under Romney. I’m not sure just when the secret surveillance began but it has accelerated under each president, regardless of party. This is just a partial list. It doesn’t matter which party by name, the goal is the same, a feudal society where 1% rule, the next 9% serve them and do quite well. Only about half of the bottom 90% are needed to work the “fields” for whatever that 10% is willing to pay. Romney’s 47% can starve or work as slaves.
“Rampant warrantless wiretapping and the acceleration towards a full-fledged surveillance state are just a few trademarks of the administration of President Barack Obama—don’t expect to hear about it on the news, though. William Binney blew the whistle on the National Security Agency’s spying of Americans, and says it’s a real danger to the constitutional form of our government. Even before 2008, citizens were in danger of losing their civil liberties. Today, however, he says the US is “heading towards a fascist, totalitarian state.” Unfortunately, the Obama administration doesn’t want the truth to reach the media and are trying to cut down on leaks, whether out of the White House or NSA. RT’s Sam Sacks and Meghan Lopez talk to Mr. Binney about Pres. Obama’s war on whistleblowers, the future of Wikileaks and the government’s attempts to censor America” -from the RT / Binney YouTube link
Again, and Bill Binney has it right: The U.S. is “heading towards a fascist, totalitarian state.”
http://www.buzzfeed.com/bensmith/welcome-to-liberal-america New face of America that republicans will need to adapt to,
Doesn’t mean he doesn’t need to go. 😀
Gene, He was unopposed.
All the more reason John of Orange needs to go.
As long as republicans in state legislatures control the redistricting process, there will be no campaign finance reform. Boehner will continue to control the house.and stomp on campaign finance reform.
Tony,
Decisive or not, they did have an effect. And that does not change the fact that allowing legal fictions to participate in the political process is simply wrong as a matter of principle and Constitutional theory. It’s also violates the specifics of our particular social compact which is supposed to invest the ultimate power in the People, not in legal fictions that have neither real personality (in the legal sense of the term) nor any obligation to society other than their selfish profit motives. But yeah, I would like to hear what Silver thinks of the subject. His projections were rockin’ good. Vegas better hope that guy doesn’t play sports book.
Tony C, I agree. Outspent candidates can win in presidential years but not in the off years. So far, Nate Silver is 50 for 50.
http://youtu.be/jBSV9BQXw6I
(Blouise, 😉 … is all I can muster…)
anonymously posted,
Well said.