Dear Friends,
It seems to me, blame is the property of republicans and credit is the bailiwick of democrats, regardless of facts. A case in point, the democrats will never sign a deal with the republicans to avoid the fiscal cliff, unless the republicans are positioned to take all responsibility for the resultant economic disaster looming in the next few years. To put a finer point on this idea, Obama knows the republicans are terrified of blame, and so will turn on their values, constituents and our country, to avoid it. The unbiased media will dutifully carry the water and blame the republicans for any and all negative outcomes while crediting democrats with any small good economic news.
This paradigm is the history of American politics in the Twentieth Century. Historical examples would fill volumes. Woodrow Wilson escaped all blame for the disastrous economic policies he enacted that put the US into a deeper recession in 1920 than the one Obama inherited. It was only the enlightened policies of Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge that created the economic conditions that led to the economic boom in the 1920’s. Herbert Hoover, the quintessential republican progressive, enacted typically Keynesian policies after the downturn of 1929. His policies were essentially exactly the same as Franklin Roosevelt, but Roosevelt was called a hero, despite the horrendous economy the US labored under during his entire term. Hoover was even blamed for the lack of rain during the Dust Bowl. Roosevelt was credited as a hero of the people despite his naked attacks on Our Constitution coupled with the poor economic performance of the country under his watch.
The unbiased media can be relied on, by the democrats and progressives, to do whatever is necessary to blame republicans and anyone who proposes a return to Constitutional rule. They leap to the defense of democrats and attack republicans at every turn. In the 1990’s Gingrich ran on a contract with America. It was called the contract ON America by the unbiased press. In it he pledged to balance the budget. For this he was called foolish. Clinton claimed it was impossible. When The republicans won the House of Representatives, for the first time since the Second World War, due to the contract with America, Gingrich enacted every segment of his plan. The result was vitriol piled on by the unbiased media… and a balanced budget. Gingrich was then driven from office and Clinton got the credit for Gingrich’s balanced budget.
Obama is doing everything in his power to drive the US off the fiscal cliff. The unbiased media ignore this fact and set up the republicans for blame if and when the talks fail. Obama has given the republicans a noose to put around their necks, by calling on them to declare what taxes they would raise, knowing they will happily hang themselves to get some credit. This sets up the republicans for the inevitable political backlash that will result from raising taxes, and the negative economic consequences, while Obama has taken all spending cuts off the table. Obama has no fear of receiving blame for anything that happens during his watch because it is the unbiased media’s job to ensure that political outcome.
Republicans are falling all over themselves to reach an agreement with the democrats because they know this too. They seek to avoid blame and garner some credit. They have given up on basic republican ideals like limited government, low taxes, and deficit reduction to try, futilely, to avoid blame. In doing so they guarantee blame will land at their doorstep. They are willing to stab their constituents in the back to get unbiased media praise. Praise that will never come their way. After this they will wring their hands why no one votes for them. Of course no one will vote for a political party that is willing to throw their constituents under the bus to garner favor with their political foes. This is why Romney had such a low turnout. He abandoned his base of 60%, of the US population, for the 10% of undecideds. He got the 10% and lost the 60%.
The upshot is that the republican party will either go the way of the Whigs, a new party rising to replace them, or they will stop seeking to avoid blame, embracing it and cater to their base. The pipe dream of an unbiased media, that gives a republican any credit for anything, is just that… political opium smoke. The future of the American experiment is at stake. The unbiased media have chosen sides, the political establishment has made their decision, it is only the American people who are left in the political wilderness. Our children’s future is put at risk by Obama’s policies, but blame is the bailiwick of republicans, and credit the territory of democrats, ensuring more of the same. To the detriment of everyone on the planet.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
