What’s most discomforting to you? The Administration starts its 4th year of protracted, partisan trench warfare. Somehow it forgot that Catholic bishops and their friends nearly derailed the entire health care boondoggle over abortion issues. How precisely does one forget that searing experience?
Obama apologists claim re-energizing a new ideological front against them was the goal all along. Or if not the goal, they quickly add, don’t worry. Rick Santorum benefits – genius kung fu.
All of which tells us that Obama and Friends really don’t understand contemporary politics and our polity. Still. At this late date. Their calculations remain small, traditional, rooted in the Old Consensus.
Galvanizing reluctantly dormant social wedge issue politics will not serve to improve participatory political pluralism. Such easily avoided political malpractice energizes the most anti-liberal democratic, anti-Enightenment forces and gives them legitimacy.
Whether it temporarily benefits the electoral fate of a single individual is completely besides the point. Only neophytes look at this in the temporary tweet blip landscape. Giving voice to these forces needlessly will de-stablize and echo in politics beyond today’s 24 news cycle. Amateurs may think this is just a hornets nest within Rightist circles (a) today’s Movement began as ‘just a hornets nest’; (b) MSNBC, San Francisco and the Upper West Side are not the only Democratic weathervanes.
Obama by necessity is not only his own political agent. He — as any president — serves as steward for the fabric and weal of society. Some compromises and concessions are the oxygen for participatory democracy. When that itself is under siege and question, all the more reason to avoid such a Freshman Unforced Error.
Astute observers of American culture and politics know this to be true. This unnecessary political fumble? An augur. And reminder of what ‘victory’ will mean.
Comment says
The bishops are pissing off many Catholics. Obama won Catholic women handily and they are pretty much the backbone of the church. Wild Bill Donahue is now posting immature Red State-ish photos of Obama in unflattering or uppity poses. He’s not kidding anyone. BHO could have handled the Bishops better, but they have not been acting in good faith – For years they have claimed to be for universal care and have consistantly raised last minute objections that they ignore in other countries.
Bishops should reflect why they are partly to blame for fact RC pews ignore their birth control rules. They are part of the problem. Many of them are uninspiring speakers – whiners. So many people just put up with them out of tribal loyalty while resenting the piss poor sermons, bad music ar mass, etc
cabbie @ 69th street bridge says
The entertainment value of the Faux News grifters taking turns as Presidental candidates probably still has some mileage but whoever remains is still a bottom feeder. You’ve documented a lot of the degeneration of the GOP into a counter enlightenment cult, probably getting more and more beyond the hope of redemption. At least in Wisconsin and Ohio there’s been some pushback, more than POTUS has provided but stopping the Bircher-ization might be more wishful thinking at this point. Can’t believe that the AM radio waves are so hard to counter but people in that demographic have instilled with so much fear of “others” they’re probably beyond rational though. Sglover’s post (and link) on the Homeowners Thrown Under The Bus thread was eye openining, didn’t realize the cult was that bad on the Blue Team.
This is a pretty good hypothetical look at Pres Santorum’s Inaguration Day (at least Blackadder II was set after The Renaissance which probably won’t be seen in these parts for awhile). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-eAXGs1saA