Right Wing Talk Radio

The Republican Party Crisis: Does It Have A Future, Or Is It To Go Into The Dustbin Of History?

As we enter the year 2013 in two days, the long term future of the Republican Party as a legitimate long term alternative to the Democratic Party is in dire threat of disappearing into the dustbin of history!

The Republican Party lost the Presidential and Congressional Elections of 2012 in a sound repudiation, with Barack Obama soundly defeating Mitt Romney. The US Senate, with 23 of 33 seats up for election being Democratic seats, and expected to lose some seats, ended up winning 25 of the seats, gaining three seats and only losing Nebraska to the Republicans. The US House of Representatives, while remaining in Republican hands, saw a gain of ten House seats by the Democrats. If it was not for gerrymandering by many Republican state legislatures, the Democrats would have gained control, as they won more total votes nationally in House races than the Republicans.

So the GOP really was walloped, and yet the party seems unable to accept what happened, and have allowed themselves to be hijacked by extremist groups, including the Tea Party Movement, Americans For Tax Reform, right wing talk show hosts on radio and Fox News Channel, the National Rifle Association,The Koch Brothers and other millionaires and billionaires, right wing preachers, and anti immigrant nativists and anti women’s rights elements, therefore resisting the need to move back from the extreme right to the moderate center, where the party had many victories over the years as a more mainstream conservative alternative to the Democratic Party.

It is now a moment of reckoning, as the Republican Party is about to implode, as public opinion polls make clear that the party will be blamed if America goes off the “fiscal cliff”, and taxes go up on everyone, and ruthless spending cuts, which hurt the most needy and disadvantaged in our society, occur!

There is a possibility that the Republican Party will go into the dustbin of history, if they do not reform in time for the midterm elections of 2014, which could, ironically, lead to the demise of the party on its 160th anniversary, having been founded as a reform oriented party in 1854, replacing the Whig Party!

John Boehner and Mitch McConnell have a major burden to deal with as the New Year begins, and their own personal futures, as well as that of their party, is meeting the challenge of becoming what they once were, a mainstream centrist party that can appeal to the changing demographics of America, or be replaced by a modern day Whig Party, with statesmen and leaders on the model of Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, and former Whigs who started the Republican Party, such as Abraham Lincoln!

The Right Wing Media Industrial Complex And Christian Extremists Must Be Excised From The Republican Party As A Cancer!

The only way for the Republican Party to survive long term is to excise the cancer, the poison, that is the right wing media industrial complex, as well as Christian extremists!

This means that Conservative Talk Radio and Fox News Channel needs to be divorced from the GOP! And the same for right wing preachers who promote racism, and are control freaks!

So Republicans must tell Rush Limbaugh to go to hell, as a destructive force!

So Republicans must tell Fox News Channel, its owner Rupert Murdoch, and its self satisfied talk show hosts–including Sean Hannity and Bill O’ Reilly–and all of the other “guests” who spew lies, hate and propaganda, to take a hike!

Republicans must also tell Michael Savage, Michael Reagan, Mark Levin, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Laura Ingraham, and Glenn Beck to drop dead!

And anyone not specifically mentioned above, but willing to enrich himself or herself by causing division and spewing poison, should be told they are no longer welcome in the Republican tent.

And finally, all of the Christian extremists, who think the government is supposed to be a theocracy, and wish to force their bigotry on women and gays, must be told that hell is waiting for them NOW, not later!

Bill Clinton PBS Documentary Reminds Us Of What We Wished To Forget: The Depth Of Republican And Conservative Venom Of Twenty Years Ago Which Remains Today!

Last night, and continuing tonight, PBS is presenting another part of its great AMERICAN EXPERIENCE series on the Presidency, finally doing a four hour analysis of Bill Clinton, the man and the President.

As always, PBS does an excellent job, and so far, it brings back memories of the times of the 42nd President of the United States, the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, and the faces and memories that many of the American people would like to forget–the ugliness and nastiness of the right wing, led by Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, and even the mean Bob Dole and others, who set out to destroy the Presidency of Bill Clinton, failed in many ways, but crippled his ability to get things done, with him assisting them by his reckless personal behavior.

We have seen a sanitizing and whitewash of Bill Clinton, trying to idealize how great his times were. While the economy did soar, the partisanship on every bill reminds us very much of the times of Barack Obama, and actually, in many ways, the times of Jimmy Carter as well, in the late 1970s.

The idea that bipartisanship disappeared suddenly with the ascension of Barack Obama is refuted by the reality that conservatives and Republicans are really no different than they were under Carter and Clinton. It is just that with the new media and internet potential, much greater than under Carter and Clinton, the vicious attacks and obstructionism can be ever the greater.

It is amazing how human beings look back and glorify and romanticize the past, trying to forget the evil, divisive, obstructive behavior of those in opposition. But the difficult times we are going through now are really just more of the same, and the only answer is, unfortunately, that liberals and progressives must be as aggressive and activist in opposing the right wing media and the Republican Party, as they are truly the enemy of making America a better place for those who are not fortunate enough to have the power and wealth of the elite in our society.

If we act gentlemanly and ladylike, the result will be defeat and retreat. If we are going to see change and reform to better the vast majority of the American people, we will have to use, sadly, the tactics used by the other side.

This disturbs those who want a truce and a centrist response, but that will only help the right wing to accomplish its goals which are a danger to the American future!

Indications That Right Wing Hate Talk Is Losing Its Following: John Avlon

It could be that the age of Right Wing Hate Talk Radio is starting to decline, as younger people are not drawn to that as much as older white people, who are drawn to it by their fear of Barack Obama and change.

Glenn Beck is losing listeners in key markets as he continues to spread hate and paranoia, making sane people realize how he is unconcerned about promoting hysteria and fear as long as he can make millions of dollars. There are some indications that Fox News Channel is starting to lose its enthusiasm for Beck, as well.

Rush Limbaugh is also losing support, as his maniacal behavior and ridiculous accusations, along with his pure disrespect of public figures, is beginning to turn people off.

Sean Hannity and Mark Levin are also finding less receptive radio audiences, and Hannity is seen as more hypocritical than ever, as he goes to Republican events and ties himself to the GOP propaganda line.

Rather than the propaganda coming from these and other right wing talk show hosts, more than ever those who listen or watch political shows want independent, intelligent analysis and political humor, which helps Jon Stewart gain a great following on Comedy Channel, as he shows the craziness and hypocrisy of these talk show hosts. Stephen Colbert is also very effective in demonstrating the shortcomings and narrow mindedness of Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin and others.

John Avlon, who first came up with the term “wingnuts” to refer to these talk show hosts and many of the Tea Party political candidates, is to be thanked for having uncovered the reality that the right wing propaganda is, seemingly, on a decline and will be far less significant over the next five years!