A defection at Red State. "The simple fact is that for the last two years I think all of us have worked very hard, for free, to try to bolster a Republican majority that hasn't deserved our support. I've given hundreds of dollars and hundreds of hours of my time, and I'm deeply ashamed of having been a part of this movement." (via Dave Winer)

Krugman says "the right-wing coalition that has spent 40 years climbing to its current position of political dominance may be cracking up." He's referring to the "alliance between the preachers and the plutocrats — between the religious right, which hates gays, abortion and the theory of evolution, and the economic right, which hates Social Security, Medicare and taxes on rich people."

For Kowalski at Red State, moral revulsion seems to be the issue. For others, it may be the gross incompetence that has turned Iraq into such a mess. But I'm guessing that for a lot of folks, the impetus to bolt comes from the continued arrogance of those in power, and of those who defend them as noticing their errors is the real problem.

This is a crucial moment for the Democrats. They need to do more than ride the wave of disgust, they need to be positive and welcoming and pragmatic. What are the odds on that?

Comments

[Spags]

The odds aren't very good. A lot of conservatives are upset at the GOP for not being conservative enough and for forgetting the reform agenda that brought them to power. I personally have contributed to the state GOP but will not contribute to the national GOP. Much of what is mentioned in the articles Ed cites is true and felt by many Republicans. That's why I have said in the past that a Democratic victory might be exactly what is needed to bring the GOP back to earth (Of course if they do come back to earth, the Dems will hate them more). The number of conservatives asking for Hastert's head has more to do with the accumulation of disgust, and the Foley scandal- even though the attacks on Hastert aren't warranted- is the perfect opportunity to dump them overboard by the Right the same way the Strom Thurmond episode which was also blown out of proportion, provided an opportunity for the Right to dump Lott- an act that I fully supported.

However, the Democrats move to the Left is exactly the wrong move at the wrong time, and they have not provided any alternatives for centrists to vote for them.

From Right Wing Nuthouse:

"It is clear from the polls that the American people are so fed up with Republicans that this summer, they turned toward the Democrats to see what they had to offer in the way of new ideas and new leadership. What they got was a blend of deranged Bush bashing, conspiracy mongering, and outright lies about their intentions. This latest Republican scandal will probably not amount to much (despite the efforts of the netnuts to make it into something larger than it is as they tried to do with the Gannon/Guckert affair) which means that as the American people continue to implore the Democrats to give them something that they can vote for, all they do is remind the country why they have lost so many previous elections in the first place."

[Jeffrey Sykes]

What does the left hate?

[global yokel]

People like Kowalski over at RedState got played for fools by the Roves and Cheneys and Bushes. At least he is smart enough to recognize it and walk away.

The big scam is that the economic elitists and power-trippers in the Republican party managed to bamboozle their rank and file into believing in a "conservatism" that was in fact a fraud. They were aided and abetted in this endeavor by our thoroughly corrupt media establishment.

The ethos of the modern Republican party doesn't even faintly resemble authentic conservatism. It's some perverse variety of patriarchal corporate fascism whose only purpose is to advance the interests of the owner/investor class. The leaders of this nefarious movement don't actually give a rat's ass about abortion or gun control or school vouchers or any of the other hot-button social issues that their constituents care about so fervently; they simply exploit those issues because it is a way to keep their base engaged and frothing at the mouth.

The wonder is that it took people like Kowalski so long to see through the fog....

[cajun]

Spags,

I'm curious to know what you mean by the "Democrat's move to the Left?"

I'm a loyal Democrat and fairly up to date on the news, and I haven't seen any indications that the Party is moving visibly leftward. I don't see any wild leftist policy proposals or anything that would lead me to believe that the Democrats are shifting away from the center-right position they've been stuck in for years. I would be dancing in the streets if the D's were moving leftward...

[owillis]

Ed, why is it Dems need to be welcoming and pragmatic when the GOP has been neither? I just don't understand the notion that while the GOP plays hardball the Dems must always play pattycake.

[Ed Cone]

I'm not urging the Dems to be weak, Oliver, but to be smart and big-hearted.

One of Bush's worst mistakes as a leader was to try to govern as if he had mandate when he didn't, and to be polarizing at a time when unity was the need.

And I definitely don't want the Dems to justify any behavior on the grounds that the other guys did it...that's pretty much what we're hearing in some of the Clinton-based counterattacks over Foley, and it's just lame.

[Ishmael]

"The ethos of the modern Republican party doesn't even faintly resemble authentic conservatism. It's some perverse variety of patriarchal corporate fascism whose only purpose is to advance the interests of the owner/investor class. The leaders of this nefarious movement don't actually give a rat's ass about abortion or gun control or school vouchers or any of the other hot-button social issues that their constituents care about so fervently; they simply exploit those issues because it is a way to keep their base engaged and frothing at the mouth."

I love it when someone sees clearly what is going on.

As for the Dems and the left leaners - this is true also. Unfortunately both parties have to woo the fringe in order to win at the polls. Moderatation has become the leisure suit of politics.

[Bubba]

"I just don't understand the notion that while the GOP plays hardball the Dems must always play pattycake."

We get THAT statement from Oliver Willis, of all people?

That's WAY too funny, Oliver.

Entertain us further.

[Spags]

"And I definitely don't want the Dems to justify any behavior on the grounds that the other guys did it...that's pretty much what we're hearing in some of the Clinton-based counterattacks over Foley, and it's just lame."

Ed, I'm keeping that one for future reference.

"It's some perverse variety of patriarchal corporate fascism whose only purpose is to advance the interests of the owner/investor class."

There are a lot of conservatives who agree strongly with this sentiment, myself included. On the other hand, there are a lot of conservatives who don't want the religious right to control everything either. We'd all be libertarians if they would get passed their drug obsession.

[johnb]

"We'd all be libertarians if they would get passed their drug obsession."

I agree in part, I'm all for legalizing most of the garbage and taxing the snot out of it. I'm just sick of hearing stoners tell me how 'not harmful' the stuff is. Legalize most of it, allow companies and individuals to discriminate against those that use it and be done with it.

Frankly, I find the Libertarian position on uncontrolled borders and immigration unpalatable.