Story at POLITICO that may document the first shots fired in a post 2012 election "GOP Civil War".
Republican strategist Steve Schmidt said early Wednesday morning on MSNBC that it’s time for Republican leaders to stand up to “extreme statements” and “nonsense” coming from within the GOP, including Rush Limbaugh.
“Now, people calling for revolution and these extreme statements — when I talk about a civil war in the Republican Party, what I mean is, it’s time for Republican elected leaders to stand up and to repudiate this nonsense, and to repudiate it directly,” Schmidt said.Amen brother. But it is hard to tell where this will ultimately lead as for The Party of Lincoln to return to it's roots and then go on to ultimately deliver successful policy for the country, many members will have to shed the deeply believed falsehoods that have created the monetary morons, libertarian radicals, metal-lovers, and homophobes that currently populate a large sector within the party.
The problems within the GOP require corrective action that goes much deeper than simply the immediate rebuke of boorish and inflammatory comments often made by the many GOP friendly radio show hosts who shill for the gold-sellers.
Not exactly on your topic here Matt but interesting none the less I saw this at Daily Kos this morning in a post discussing the disappointment the billionaires have regarding the money they threw at the elections this year.
ReplyDelete“What if that $400 million being doled out to printing companies, TV stations, staffers, phone companies for robocalls, production companies, video editors, graphic designers, radio stations, etc throughout the swing states ended up providing the very economic stimulus necessary to improve the local economy to the point that the voters stuck with Obama???”
I think this is an insightful observation. So what might it say in terms of S=I + (S-I)
or how “redistribution” can be a form of stimulus, or the effectiveness of trickle down.
These guys, Adelson, Koch etc. took billions of there saved up cash and spent it on political ads trying to sway an election. That was not new money added via credit from banks or govt injection of NFA it was, in most cases I imagine, simply saved up hoarded cash that was reinjected into the spending stream and much of it ended up in democrats pockets for sure or at least in working class guys pockets. This definitely acted as a stimulus and supported the local economies of Ohio, Florida etc and likely was keeping those economies going just at a time when the hopes of these guys was to demonstrate to everyone how bad the economy was and why you shoudnt reelect barack Obama.
So they took prior period savings, spent it (invested in their minds) which resulted in less saving for them but more saving for someone else (a wash in net saving economy wide) Economic activity upticked but they got no “return” on their investment. So activity did trickle down, the investors got no return, they transferred their savings to some working class guys and the economy improved. So if trickle down is actually a redistribution it can result in a stimulus.
But if this is pointed out to the 1% they will stop this because it didnt get them what they really wanted.
Now my head hurts.
Encouraging to see that the resiliency of the US electorate still exceeds the net influence of the entire financial industry ... which Mosler has long claimed is more trouble than it's worth.
ReplyDeleteWhy wouldn't the GOP muzzle Limbaugh? The US Army & Congresss once muzzled Joe McCarthy. There are other examples.
ReplyDeleteBenedict Arnolds, just trying out different suits?
Greg,
ReplyDeleteSo basically you're saying Citizens United was good for the working man. ;-)
Other than philanthropy, this is the only way "trickle down" has any possibility of working, the 0.1% "accidentally" dis-saving. Otherwise it's progressive taxation/spending (which is government-forced dis-saving) or nothing.
Fortunately for us, the 0.1% doesn't understand closed-system arithmetic so they will never figure it out. It cuts both ways.
"So basically you're saying Citizens United was good for the working man. ;-)"
ReplyDeleteYes!!!! But dont tell the Adelsons and Kochs
On second thought, lets get Nate Silver to tell them and then they are sure to NOT believe it and likely continue!!
All kidding aside I think this is just an example of how futile the efforts of the elite to control things with their money often ends up being. Not that they cant inflict some enormous harm but in general they are just cogs too. Their spending is someone elses income just like their income is the result of someone elses spending. So if it takes the prospect of a "Black great redistributor" to scare them into voluntarily redistributing..... so be it. The more explicit they get with their efforts though(like the right wing bosses who threaten jobs for voting the wrong way) the more vulnerable they become to failing. I cant imagine too many Americans think its kosher for a boss to fire people because they voted for Obama and they dont think its kosher to DIRECTLY buy an election. Many people who are alright with the Citizens United as it stands would quickly turn against the ruling IF they thought the Adelsons etc had simply turned to straight bribery or extortion.
Maybe the folks at Reason magazine (that I used to subscribe to years ago) were right about money and elections. Open it up completely and put no limits on it. Maybe I can start running a business that takes the Adelsons money and helps them get their word out while using that money for my own purposes........ individualism at its best.
Something to think about anyway
The problem is that the GOP's and Limbaugh's interest are not the same and their goals are polar.
ReplyDeleteGOP wants votes and power.
Limbuagh's target market is advertisers and his product is his listners. The more of a product (listeners) he has, the more the demand from advertisers and the prices his affiliates can charge. And his product grows with strife and Republicans out of power.
I would not be surprised if Limbaugh secretly donates to Democrats.
Given all the money spent on this election and no real return on investment, maybe they will start to sit it out and let the Chinese Politburo or the Likud Party handle the contributions.
ReplyDeleteI think the Rs have a trouble with the demographics and their base assumptions. They figure you can tell twelve million people to leave the country and invade the bedrooms of all Americans and barely disguise their racism and then ask for these people's vote. Idiots. That's what they need to change or they will find a dust bin waiting for them.
Be nice if they found out how money works too, but that also goes for the other party of idiots.
Greg,
ReplyDeleteright.... that is "in paradigm" thinking...
Paul,
Ive been looking at some html 5 tools to perhaps animate transactions within your recent NEP system diagram.... if you care to communicate on this: franko.matthew_at_gmail.com
Crake & Jon,
looks like the party is heading for permanent minority unless they can shake the "spell" of Limbaugh and the others...
Apostle Paul to the Galatians: "Oh foolish Galatians! Who bewitches you?" Gal 3:1
Who bewitches the GOP?
rsp,
Totally Matt.
ReplyDeleteAnd the big problem for the republican party is that if/when they do reevaluate themselves they'll find themselves siding right up alongside OBAMA!!!! LOL!!!
So many people are just so obstinately self-righteous they refuse to learn or accept anything new or different from their own views. What's the definition of stupidity again? OH yeah I re-member now...
Obama...the greatest republican president of the 21st century....(someone remind me where this leaves liberals again....)