(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . The GOP Is Eating Itself. Or Us. [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-10-05 Obergefell v. Hodges. I want you to keep that in mind. Kevin McCarthy’s first-in-the-Union’s fall from Speakership grace isn’t just a sign of the chaos in the GOP. It’s a harbinger of the moral and ideological decay of a major party. As Paul Kane reports in the Washington Post, the forces for anarchy within the GOP have been growing for 30 years. (I’d say even longer, at least since before Reagan, but I’m not a political scientist, so I’ll go with the stated.) What began as the Freedom Caucus has become what can only be described as the Chaos Caucus. McCarthy thought he could control the elemental bacchanalia of Matt Gaetz, or the unbridled nihilism of Nancy Mace. The fact the *rest* of the GOP was surprised that he failed brilliantly illustrates their political naivete. They should’ve seen this coming a billion miles away, yet they didn’t. And it sets up the biggest issue they have going forward. Here’s the problem the GOP faces: they are fighting primary challenges from far-right extremists, in solidly 30+ R districts. This draws resources from more competitive areas. They are basically fighting off a cancer. One of their own making, to be sure. But it siphons resources from more competitive races. The more they spend on the primaries, the less they have to spend in the general election. And the more often radical right elements are elected in the primary, the greater the chance they’ll be defeated in the general. It’s not bad enough the GOP just doesn’t have a platform; the platform the radical right is trying to bring (eliminate government, vastly reduce taxes on the wealthy, destroy regulation, institute Christofascist theocracy at the most extreme or elements thereof in the least extreme) is not popular. Most Americans just aren’t interested in what they’re selling. The only reason blow-hards like Jim Jordan even exist is because of gerrymandering. Without voter-suppression methods like gerrymandering, many states would not have the ultra-conservative governments they have. Anyway. I wanted you to keep Obergefell v. Hodges in mind. This is because that decision came after years of very hard work. But it came because states around the country passed anti-same-sex marriage legislation. They pushed too hard, too fast, and in the face of growing public support for same-sex marriage, and their very resistance forced the hand of the supreme court, based on the overwhelming public support for same-sex marriage. My point is, the same thing is happening here, but in a different venue. The GOP is fighting hard to stave off the MAGA onslaught, knowing their policies are not very popular. But they are apparently losing that battle. On the other hand: it’s from the “I’d vote for a brain-eating zombie over a progressive any day” party. I don’t know how that makes me feel, honestly. The fact the GOP is fighting this in what should be solidly GOP districts kinda terrifies me. Like there’s a zombie outbreak I see coming, but have no power to stop. And I think it’s the MAGAs pushing too hard, too fast. I think the general political body will reject it, just like they did Obergefell, and the Chaos Caucus will lose power. Maybe even drag the GOP down with it. At least, I sure as fuck hope so. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/10/5/2197696/-The-GOP-Is-Eating-Itself-Or-Us?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/