Views » October 27, 2005

How the Right Has Won

By Craig Aaron

Sometimes schadenfreude just feels so good. There’s nothing like watching Tom Delay get nailed for money laundering, or, as In These Times went to press, placing bets on whether Karl Rove or Scooter Libby would be the first one frog-marched out of the White House. Bill Frist is under investigation for possible insider trading. And super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s imbroglio—which involves Indian casinos, sweatshops, a gangland murder, a kosher deli and Ralph Reed—is simply breathtaking.

Even when Republicans should be running for political cover, they continue to operate with impunity. In the latest audacious example, the Republican leadership is proposing to offset the cost of Hurricane Katrina by slashing $50 billion from Medicaid, food stamps and student loan programs. Yet they continue to push for another $70 billion in tax cuts, including elimination of the estate tax.

Despite losing his title as majority leader, The Hammer still twisted arms on the House floor for the Gasoline for America’s Security (GAS) Act. The bill—described by the Natural Resources Defense Council as a “grab-bag of polluter-friendly policies”—barely passed after the vote was held open for 40 extra minutes. Democrats in the chamber chanted “shame, shame,” but of course the Republican leadership has none.

Conventional wisdom says that to stay in power, a party must appeal to swing voters and the moderate middle. If the party veers too far right or left, the laws of political gravity should bring it down. But the Bush administration and radical right-wingers in Congress continue to gut programs supported by most Americans while lining the pockets of their corporate cronies without ever facing repercussions on Election Day.

How do they do it?

That’s the question political scientists Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson examine in their excellent new book, Off Center: The Republican Revolution and the Erosion of American Democracy. They dispute that the country has become more socially conservative, arguing the preponderance of polling data shows that “if anything, public opinion has grown more centrist on such issues, and more tolerant of the divergent views, values and behaviors of other Americans.”

Off Center shows how the Republicans furthered their unpopular policies through a potent combination of centralization, misinformation, secrecy and “backlash insurance”—a variety of tactics used to keep wayward members in line while shielding them from voter outrage. One of the most common forms is “catch and release,” in which the leadership allows moderates to vote their “conscience” as long as it won’t threaten passage of a bill.

The end result—seen in the Bush administration’s massive tax cuts, the energy bill boondoggle or the bloated Medicare prescription drug benefit—is that the right’s political machine now has “the motive and the means to get into law major policies that few Americans support—and to shield themselves from the risk that millions on the losing end of the bargain will realize they’ve been had.”

Cracks in the GOP facade are starting to show—almost all of the “New Power Brokers” named in Off Center are either under investigation or indictment. But the right won’t be easy to supplant. For one, the GOP has perfected the art of gerrymandering to the point where one political scientist estimates the Democrats would have needed to win 57 percent of the vote nationwide to retake the House in 2004.

So what can be done to break the Republican hegemony? The solution will not be to hope “that the masses will wake up and suddenly take an interest in politics,” Hacker and Pierson argue. “The problem is deeper. In our increasingly unequal society, in which government activity is not just extensive but extensively complex, voters have proved no match for a mobilized and coordinated conservative movement capable of managing the agenda and shaping and distorting the flow of information to citizens.”

Once upon a time, organized labor served as a crucial counterweight to the corporate right. Unions provided much more than a bigger paycheck for workers. As Hacker and Pierson remind us, “We often forget that they have always been crucial political actors, helping workers identify common issues, informing them about political and policy considerations, and shaping political debates.”

But Hacker and Pierson conclude that class still matters. “Since the 1950s,” they write, “the relation between income and party allegiance—with poor and working-class voters favoring the Democrats—has become stronger, not weaker.” The problem for Democrats is less about working people voting against their interests than not voting at all.

There’s much talk these days about Democrats needing to come up with “new ideas” to slow the Republican juggernaut. Perhaps first they should dust off some old ones, like solidarity.

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• Reader Comments

  “There’s much talk these days about Democrats needing to come up with “new ideas” to slow the Republican juggernaut. Perhaps first they should dust off some old ones, like solidarity.”

  No, not “new ideas”, nor even “solidarity” first, which doesn’t mean much unless the Dems can show (not just say) that they have something to offer that’s likely to be an improvement on what the Reps are carrying out.

  But a few old ideas will do. For example, 1) increasing tax breaks for small businesses, 2) energetically enforcing ethics rules in the legislature (there’s some of this now, but not enough, and it’s so tainted by partisan prejudice), 3) strict religious neutrality as a guiding principle of law, both statutory and Consitutional, 4) building or re-building relationships with important allies (now is an opportunity vis a vis the EU, after the Iranian president’s recent intemperate remarks about Israel), 5) using America’s media clout to denounce, marginalize, and humiliate dictators and oppressor-parties, 6) slashing and vetoing porky spending projects, 7) creating a progressive but rational tax system reflecting the idea that those who have more are expected to pay more, while not eviscerating nor really even harming the investor class (i.e. no more tax cuts aimed at the uber-rich), 8) using publicity, legal interference, and behavioral example to undermine the worldwide trade in arms of every type, 9) promoting safe, intelligent and effective means for family planning around the globe (i.e. not just a fixation upon abstinence), and 10) developing non-petroleum fuel sources for as many applications as physicists and chemical engineers can devise.

  Three new ideas could be 1) investing the needed funds and personnel toward stabilizing Iraq and Afghanistan, and 2), as an adjunct to 1), formulating and sticking to a plan to get US troops out of those places in a logical, prompt manner. A fine 3rd idea would be to end computerized counting of ballots. No electronic data system is hack-proof, tamper-proof, or able to be empirically verified by the hands and minds of human counters. Use 100% recycled, low- or no-bleach paper ballots.

  Just a few suggestions. After all, it’s not as if the Dems are the clearinghouse for great ideas or great leaders at the moment. The solidarity can come after, IF they’re able to put together anything other than a nebulous anti-Bush line.

  Maybe they can adapt Reagan’s old campaign question: “Are you [voters] better off after Rep dominance of the federal branches of government, or not?” Then they’ll have to show they’ve got something real to replace what’s in hand now, and that has an outside chance of attracting voters who have more motivating them than a distaste for Bush et al.

  2006 is right around the corner…

  Posted by Kuya on Oct 28, 2005 at 6:01 AM

  The old saying about the duck, “if it walks like a duck….” etc, applies to “democrats” too. Quite a few vote with the republicans in the house and senate, on tax cuts, patriot acts, bankruptcy bills, CAFTA, etc, etc. They are, in effect, republicans, and if we could get rid of them we might find that those remaining are actually a pretty cohesive, united bunch. I recently told a fundraising caller from the DCC (I may have the initials wrong) that I wasn’t going to make good on my pledge this year out of disgust that so many of them voted for the bills mentioned, and more. Their presence in the party is why so many people see so little difference between the parties, and little reason to participate in “elections” pitting wealthy white men and their corporate sponsors against each other.

  Posted by Kenneth D. Brown on Oct 28, 2005 at 8:37 AM

  HOW THE LEFT HAS LOST should be the title.

  Everything Aaron talks about is exactly why Democrats haven’t made any gains in ten years.

  The solution will not be to hope “that the masses will wake up and suddenly take an interest in politics,”

  No, of course not. Because that is indicative of a Party in denial. In fact, the masses are awake and are flocking to the other party because the Party is 1) asleep, 2) stuck in Back to the Future, 3) fantasizing of past glories, 4) take your pick.

  Medicare, Social Security, welfare, all good ideas, in their time. They were infinitely better than what they replaced, because there was nothing to replace.

  But they weren’t the best and greatest. They are showing their age. Social Security has become any but secure, mortgaging children’s futures for their grandparents. Welfare created the permanent (and expensive) “nanny state”. Even the other party is afraid to touch the out-of-control Medicare costs.

  And to roll out the unions as an example of pure Democratic principles while chortling about gross Republican indiscretions is funny. I guess Aaron isn’t old enough to remember the union corruption and underworlds links in the 60s and 70s.

  Most Americans do remember. Especially the union membership. Maybe the recent rendering asunder of the AFL-CIO that we are hearing is an aftershock of intransigent union leadership that (still) isn’t listening to its rank-and-file.

  hmmm.. Replace “union” with “party” and “AFL-CIO” with “DFL” in that last paragraph, and maybe we can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

  The Republicans have sure seen the light.

  In these times, the progressive faction of the Republican Party, pioneered by Kemp and Gingrich and personified by the Bushs’ “Thousand Points of Light” and “Compassionate Conservatism” has stolen the Democratic thunder. Laugh all you want at George & Son’s simplistic phrases, but they are the ones laughing all the way to the White House.

  The Democratic Party has got to stop being so conservative in their political actions.

  Posted by Jay Cline on Oct 28, 2005 at 9:48 AM

  Kuya, Cline -

  You are being rational again.  You are wasting your time again.

  Discussing politics and economics with a Liberal is like discussing nuclear physics with a turnip.

  There is a fundamental mismatch in comprehension between Liberals and Conservatives.  Thus, a Liberal can argue forcefully, passionately, earnestly that actions by a fascist dictatorship in WWII were terrible, just terrible; but identical actions by leftist dictatorships over a period of eighty years, resulting in innocent deaths an order of magnitude greater than anything the fascists ever did, do not intrude into Liberal thinking.  Not only that, Liberals falsely identify Conservatives with fascists, and proudly identify themselves with leftists, with no sense of comprehension, irony, or shame. 

  Another aspect: Liberals compare Bush to Hitler and Conservatives to brownshirts.  But most of the violence in the 2004 election seemed to be coming from leftist operatives and union thugs.  The American Center for Voting Rights (AC4VR) recently issued a scholarly report on the 2004 election entitled Democrat Operatives Far More Involved In Voter Intimidation And Suppression In 2004, Thousands Of Americans Disenfranchised By Vote Fraud On Election Day.  Examples of dastardly Democratic deeds abound, including the slashed tires in Milwaukee, the phone calls giving false times and places for voting in Ohio, and Republican campaign worker in Florida who had his arm broken by union thugs.  Other reports of Democratic mischief include gunshots fired, break-ins, thefts, and destruction of campaign signs and property.  If Republicans were involved in electoral misdeeds, it seems to have gone virtually unmentioned in the Liberal Press.  So who is acting like a brownshirt? 

  The AC4VR report came out in August, but it is just now gaining attention.  It’s a good read if you want to know what is going on in the world of electoral politics. 

  http://www.ac4vr.com/news/acvrnews080205.html

  Of the multiple natural and unnatural disasters that have befallen in the last four years, all of them were handled in a cool and professional manner - except Katrina in Louisiana.  Louisiana is blessed with a corrupt and incompetent Democratic Party government.  The death toll from Katrina in Louisiana was far higher than necessary.  If the emergency plans for hurricane evacuation had been followed by Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin, the buses that were not mobilized would have removed tens of thousands of evacuees to safer parts, saving lots of lives.  The Democrats solution to this problem - blame President Bush.  In fact, President Bush does take responsibility, as befits a Commander-in-Chief, and Democratic incompetence in this manner will not happen again.  But Democrats are resourceful little illigitimi, as seen in their twisting of the truth as regards their own election fraud.  Be alert.

  Posted by scorp on Oct 28, 2005 at 6:07 PM

  Kenneth D. Brown’s comment,

  “I recently told a fund raising caller from the DCC (I may have the initials wrong) that I wasn’t going to make good on my pledge this year out of disgust that so many of them voted for the bills mentioned, and more.”
  ——————————

  How similar to my experience. 

  First Delay and now Reynolds have offered the position “Honorary Chairman of the Business Advisory Council” to advise the President on small business issues. Twice they verbally denied it is a fund raising ploy — twice the written details proved it is just that.

  From the website:  http://www.businessadvisorycouncil.org/bac_contents/membership/

  “We will spend in excess of $3.6 million recruiting broadbased support, and an additional $2.5 million in advertising. Most of these funds must come from our Honorary Chairmen. Your gifts are the seed money needed to create the grassroots support that can finally lead to a breakthrough on health care reform, debt reduction, social security, tax and education reform, and sound economic policy that keeps this economy growing! “

  (If you are going to lie, be sure you are good at it.)

  I’m sending this to the RNCC, Tom Reynolds, in response to yet another plea for my “Republican Membership Dues”.

  To the RNCC: I am not and have never been a member of any political party. President Bush received my vote twice, not because I thought he was so good, but because I felt the other choice was worse. He got my vote primarily due to his pledge of Homeland Security. However, he has continued to allow illegals free access to our country and its benefits. His proposal to solve this by creating a sub-minimum wage category is disgusting. We flunked the Katrina test.

  The current administration is NOT conservative in any sense of the term. It has continued to sell out our jobs, our currency and our future, preferring to favor CEOs and their off-shoring of American jobs while they stuff their own pockets.

  Eisenhower warned of the dangers in a military/industrial complex — what we now have is a Congressional/Business complex with little loyalty to the U.S. citizen. Societies are formed for the mutual benefit of all the members.

  Our two party system has been merged and become an oligarchy.

  Posted by whattheheck on Oct 28, 2005 at 6:37 PM

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