Conservatives, celebrate the historic victory you won today!

Larry Kummer, Editor

11 years ago

Summary: The votes are counted. The Democratic Party defeated the GOP. The Left won a phantom victory. The Right won the real thing. This is not the full story about the election, which has so many threads (each with its own implications). It might be the most important. Also — see the posters at the end of the post.

It’s time to add another post to the Smackdowns Page: President Romney will prove an effective President, reshaping America for his constituents., posted in April 2012. Romney surprised me by hiring top professionals but running an incompetent campaign, most especially by failing to move to the center after securing the nomination (this error epitomized by his choice of Ryan as VP). (Update:) Also, the economy was stronger than I anticipated (which by itself explains Obama’s win).

But that’s not the big story. There are two more important stories at work — longer in duration, larger in effect on America. Stranger and more complex than what I foresaw.

The effect of the defeats in 2008 and 2012 on the GOP.
The victory of conservatives that will change the course of America

(1) The effect of the defeats in 2008 and 2012 on the GOP

In November 2008 I wrote that the GOP faced two choices:

Door #1: reflection and rebuilding

This option would have been far more difficult. What did the Grand Old Party do wrong? How should its platform change to better express its beliefs for the 21st century? How can it offer something to America that is more than a weak echo of the Democratic Party’s solutions, instead of policies attractive only to a small extreme?

Door #2: Purge the Party, keeping only the faithful led by Rush and Fox

This would have two results:

Glenn Beck explained what could be done, & they did it.

(a) The GOP would become irrelevant extremists, like the Green and Socialist parties, as both membership and (equally or more important) funding dwindle. Few Americans, and even fewer in our ruling elites, have much interest in losers. No matter how pure their ideology.

(b) The center of gravity to America’s political ideological spectrum would shift left. In most of America the primaries would become the key contests in local, State, and national elections, are they are in so many areas today (due to both local political dominance plus gerrymandering).

In 2008 the GOP chose Door #2 (they face the exact same choices today). But the result was the opposite of what I forecast.

(2) The victory of conservatives will change the course of America

True victory comes from converting opponents to adherents. As the GOP has done with the Democratic Party in some many areas of public policy. They differ on what weeds we can smoke, who does what in the bedroom — and about the consequences (contraception, abortion, aid to single mothers).

Look at the similarities in their policies.

Both parties serve the banks, lavish public funds on defense contractors, and intend to cut social welfare benefits.
Both support the Long War (now based on a campaign of assassinations) against fundamentalist Islam, and the war on Iran.
Both are advocates for our mad profitless American Empire, and steadily erode civil liberties.
Both support Israel’s interests over America’s.
Both approve the massive gulag holding 2.3 million Americans.
While both talk big, neither plans large changes in the complex American flat tax system (ie, a roughly flat rate for most Americans except the poor, calculated including all taxes at all levels).

Obama’s signature domestic policy achievement consists of enacting Romney’s healthcare plan — designed by Heritage and other GOP think-tanks, applauded by Newt Gingrich. A plan more conservative than Nixon proposed in 1974, let alone any proposed by liberals.

Conservatives have shifted the Overton Window — the range of thought politically viable at any time — decisively to the Right. That’s a historic victory, and one likely to continue for some time.

The result has left the Left as orphans, with no political home — while the Right owns the GOP.

The Right should be celebrating tonight. The Left should mourn. What might change this situation?

(3) This series about the results of Campaign 2012