I'm afraid that's a correct analysis. Once a political party is led by neofascist ideologues (who then try to distract us from this fact by hiring actor and convicted rapist Trump to keep us stuck in TDS 24/7), they cannot back down. What they already did is too monstrous to just flip-flop and tell us: you know what, democracy won, so we'll bury the hatch and will give up neofascism and go back to believing in democracy again.
As El-Sayed so correctly stated when asked why Vance and Trump kept telling the world that he was "evil" because he is a Muslim: once you put something like that on the table, you only have one choice, and that is to keep escalating.
This has now very clearly become the fate of the GOP. They will make things worse until the entire party is destroyed.
The only question is when that will happen, and what cost the American people and the world will have to pay before it's done.
"A party that can’t change doesn’t simply disappear. It waits." The image that immediately came to mind when reading that was of a lion stalking it's prey. That's a warning we should heed.
The MAGA movements seems deflated now, but we thought the same after Jan. 6. Despite the malignant election lies and failed insurrection, they returned for more of the same with Trump 2.0. How do we prevent that resurgence this time?
Yes, Adam, it is all very tiring. But a human condition. I am in a very angry stage as I see J Jordan elevated to any thing. I know him and his level of world view. There is no changing this; as I said, I’m from this world and actual Ohio field space. There is no changing for him.
Conservatives need to create a new party. There is no other choice.
I'm a progressive, but if you go back to the original liberal versus conservative political philosophies, there will always be a healthy debate to have. A democracy vitally needs a constant, real, respectful debate among all of us.
Fortunately, today the Democratic party is a big-tent party, with about one-third being progressives, one-third moderates, and one-third Blue Dogs representing red districts/states. And Democratic leadership has always been very good at negotiating real compromises between all three factions, so at least, the debate WILL continue.
But the GOP basically turned the US into a one-party state. That's is never a good idea.
It will obviously take years before a pro-democracy conservative party will be able to take off.
And personally, as a progressive I'm not even sure that conservative political philosophy is strong enough to compete with leftwing ideas (knowing how evidence-based those tend to be). And I didn't invent this analysis, conservatives themselves already proposed it half a century ago. Read for instance "The Stupid Party", an op-ed the founder of neoconservatism, Irving Kristol, wrote in the WSJ in 1976. He starts his article by claiming that the only way for conservatives to win elections is when voters vote based on emotional reactivity rather than rational thinking. So as long as intellectuals participate in the public debate, he claims, conservatives cannot but lose elections.
What we see today is the direct result of this belief. If you're convinced your political philosophy is too weak to make sense in a rational way, you WILL begin to sincerely invest time and money in propaganda machines, tryng to create fake resentment against Democrats. Neocons did that when lying to the entire world about the Iraq war, or about who is actually fiscally responsible (2010). But once you start lying, you HAVE to double down again and again. Neofascism is merely the logical outcome of the GOP decision to adopt neoconservatism.
So where are the REAL conservative intellectuals who are competent enough to be able to come up with truly new AND conservative pro-democracy ideas... ?
Good question. Where are they and why aren't we hearing from them? Even on the local level the sane Republicans have no voice even if they do have opinions.
I would say that mere opinions aren't good enough. We need evidence-based big political ideas, so ideas about how to move forward based on facts and strong moral values. THAT is when the debate can begin.
It seems as if the only place where SOME on the right still try to do this is precisely the Heritage Foundation and professors such as Patrick Deneen and other similar neofascists. Vance sometimes tries to dip into it too (reason why Peter Thiel, also an ideologue, bankrolls his career).
The problem? These are ideologues. So none of them have any real intellectual work to propose, since developing a philosophy requires a rigorous love for the truth above anything else. Ideologies skip the truth and deliberately distort it to try to frame the personal opinions of those who develop them in a way that SOUNDS intellectual/rational but isn't, and therefore is easy to debunk.
No two people will always agree on everything all the time. That's just life! My husband of 61 years and I don't each like the same veggies; we don't agree on decor all the time; we don't always agree on what we should wear when going out. The main thing we agreed on when we first married and moved into our first home: I take care of the inside and he takes care of the outside, including dragging out the trash bins. So, debate is a healthy way of looking at the pros and cons of each item on the list and making sure the people you are serving will get the best options, even if they make one of you a little edgy!!
I'm not sure Adam has answers though. For now, what he seems to call "conservative" is the combination of a strong moral spine (if anything, that's exactly what Democrats have today, and for decades already) with ideas that the GOP has falsely claimed only Republicans would believe in, while it's not only a fact that many Democrats believe them, it's also ONLY Democrats who are genuine about signing them into law.
I love how he's informing us about crucial facts here. That's what all REAL media do. And his reports reflect strong moral values. That too is what all real media do. But I don't see any real, new ideas yet, and that would be "conservative". Do you?
Adam, such a well-thought-out analysis of how the Republican Party is reacting to the election results. More of the same rhetoric and venom. Let them stew while the rest of us work toward a better America.
What made me sadder than having the most repugnant human on earth for a leader was the thought that I might live in a country where most of the people supported the most repugnant human on earth. What made me happiest about the midterms was to learn that I don't. My father and his family immigrated to the US from Italy shortly before WWII. I appreciate the difficulty and bravery of moving to a new country because your old country has turned toxic. I don't think I have that in me. So thank you America. But politics has gotten so ugly on so many levels people wanted a change. The electorate was uninformed and desparate. Trump has informed them and made them more desparate. The Democrats need to remember that Trump was not elected out of the middle of utopia. I appreciate the newly elected representatives who campaigned on inclusion not just of race and religion but also party politics. I don't understand why the Republicans came back from such a resounding message from the electorate doubling down on the policies that led to their defeat. As I read more about this Republican activity all over the country I realize that going forward the new leaders will have to be very wise, careful and even handed with their treatment of our country.
Totally agree. When someone refuses, yes refuses, to get to the acceptance stage of grief is a sign of mental dysfunction. They are ruled by something other than improving their own health. They chose to live in repeating the first four stages over and over forever. It is a sign of a mental dysfunction, choosing irrationality, irrelevancy, and regression. It is a death spiral by choice. And thus, the cult has drunk the final dose of the cyanide laced kool aide and dies.
I’m afraid that you’ve nailed it, Adam. Our side’s journalists kept saying that Trump‘s numbers were plummeting, but they really stayed at 30% no matter what he did. It grieves me to know that 30% of our country approves of his Cruelty enough to overlook his incompetence. I don’t think those people are going to change, Which means that we have to stay alert and keep working so that they never take over again. Thank God for the other 70%.
We’ve lived through this process relatively recently: Obama’s win and its boomerang aftermath that fueled MAGA. These extremists don’t die; they go underground to refuel. We have seen this process; we must correct what we can and steadfastly fight the rest.
Thank you Adam for upholding honesty and decency. My sincere appreciation on this Veterans Day.
Adam, I think some of this Blue Wave happened in part to your push to tell the truth!
I used to be a solid Republican, then turned RINO, now an Independent.
If you run for President — you got my vote, regardless of party👍👍
Ditto
This is an incredible synopsis, Adam!
I can't wait to see Gym Jordan go against Jamie Raskin! It won't be pretty!
I think it's going to be glorious! Gym Jordan couldn't do well against my cats.
i have five cats. they would be thrilled to join your cats for a jordan clawing party.
Welcome to the mess!
I have the sweetest, most gentle Golden Retriever service dog who would decimate Gymbo in less than a minute. Can he help?
I'm afraid that's a correct analysis. Once a political party is led by neofascist ideologues (who then try to distract us from this fact by hiring actor and convicted rapist Trump to keep us stuck in TDS 24/7), they cannot back down. What they already did is too monstrous to just flip-flop and tell us: you know what, democracy won, so we'll bury the hatch and will give up neofascism and go back to believing in democracy again.
As El-Sayed so correctly stated when asked why Vance and Trump kept telling the world that he was "evil" because he is a Muslim: once you put something like that on the table, you only have one choice, and that is to keep escalating.
This has now very clearly become the fate of the GOP. They will make things worse until the entire party is destroyed.
The only question is when that will happen, and what cost the American people and the world will have to pay before it's done.
"A party that can’t change doesn’t simply disappear. It waits." The image that immediately came to mind when reading that was of a lion stalking it's prey. That's a warning we should heed.
i wish you were wrong, but you are absolutely correct!
The MAGA movements seems deflated now, but we thought the same after Jan. 6. Despite the malignant election lies and failed insurrection, they returned for more of the same with Trump 2.0. How do we prevent that resurgence this time?
Thank you Adam!! You are such a strong voice of sanity. Please consider running for office again!!!
Yes, Adam, it is all very tiring. But a human condition. I am in a very angry stage as I see J Jordan elevated to any thing. I know him and his level of world view. There is no changing this; as I said, I’m from this world and actual Ohio field space. There is no changing for him.
Conservatives need to create a new party. There is no other choice.
I'm a progressive, but if you go back to the original liberal versus conservative political philosophies, there will always be a healthy debate to have. A democracy vitally needs a constant, real, respectful debate among all of us.
Fortunately, today the Democratic party is a big-tent party, with about one-third being progressives, one-third moderates, and one-third Blue Dogs representing red districts/states. And Democratic leadership has always been very good at negotiating real compromises between all three factions, so at least, the debate WILL continue.
But the GOP basically turned the US into a one-party state. That's is never a good idea.
It will obviously take years before a pro-democracy conservative party will be able to take off.
And personally, as a progressive I'm not even sure that conservative political philosophy is strong enough to compete with leftwing ideas (knowing how evidence-based those tend to be). And I didn't invent this analysis, conservatives themselves already proposed it half a century ago. Read for instance "The Stupid Party", an op-ed the founder of neoconservatism, Irving Kristol, wrote in the WSJ in 1976. He starts his article by claiming that the only way for conservatives to win elections is when voters vote based on emotional reactivity rather than rational thinking. So as long as intellectuals participate in the public debate, he claims, conservatives cannot but lose elections.
What we see today is the direct result of this belief. If you're convinced your political philosophy is too weak to make sense in a rational way, you WILL begin to sincerely invest time and money in propaganda machines, tryng to create fake resentment against Democrats. Neocons did that when lying to the entire world about the Iraq war, or about who is actually fiscally responsible (2010). But once you start lying, you HAVE to double down again and again. Neofascism is merely the logical outcome of the GOP decision to adopt neoconservatism.
So where are the REAL conservative intellectuals who are competent enough to be able to come up with truly new AND conservative pro-democracy ideas... ?
I'm afraid I don't see any. Do you?
Good question. Where are they and why aren't we hearing from them? Even on the local level the sane Republicans have no voice even if they do have opinions.
I would say that mere opinions aren't good enough. We need evidence-based big political ideas, so ideas about how to move forward based on facts and strong moral values. THAT is when the debate can begin.
It seems as if the only place where SOME on the right still try to do this is precisely the Heritage Foundation and professors such as Patrick Deneen and other similar neofascists. Vance sometimes tries to dip into it too (reason why Peter Thiel, also an ideologue, bankrolls his career).
The problem? These are ideologues. So none of them have any real intellectual work to propose, since developing a philosophy requires a rigorous love for the truth above anything else. Ideologies skip the truth and deliberately distort it to try to frame the personal opinions of those who develop them in a way that SOUNDS intellectual/rational but isn't, and therefore is easy to debunk.
No two people will always agree on everything all the time. That's just life! My husband of 61 years and I don't each like the same veggies; we don't agree on decor all the time; we don't always agree on what we should wear when going out. The main thing we agreed on when we first married and moved into our first home: I take care of the inside and he takes care of the outside, including dragging out the trash bins. So, debate is a healthy way of looking at the pros and cons of each item on the list and making sure the people you are serving will get the best options, even if they make one of you a little edgy!!
You just listened to one. Voters kick them out of office and they go to substack.
I'm not sure Adam has answers though. For now, what he seems to call "conservative" is the combination of a strong moral spine (if anything, that's exactly what Democrats have today, and for decades already) with ideas that the GOP has falsely claimed only Republicans would believe in, while it's not only a fact that many Democrats believe them, it's also ONLY Democrats who are genuine about signing them into law.
I love how he's informing us about crucial facts here. That's what all REAL media do. And his reports reflect strong moral values. That too is what all real media do. But I don't see any real, new ideas yet, and that would be "conservative". Do you?
They did not accept loss or learn anything. Cults can't do that
i think you just solved the riddle of why they reacted as they did.
A Veterans Day greeting to you
Needed that laugh in your caption. Wishing you much strength as you guide us and your former colleagues through this chaos.
Great analysis and conclusion. You never stop amazing me.
Adam, such a well-thought-out analysis of how the Republican Party is reacting to the election results. More of the same rhetoric and venom. Let them stew while the rest of us work toward a better America.
What made me sadder than having the most repugnant human on earth for a leader was the thought that I might live in a country where most of the people supported the most repugnant human on earth. What made me happiest about the midterms was to learn that I don't. My father and his family immigrated to the US from Italy shortly before WWII. I appreciate the difficulty and bravery of moving to a new country because your old country has turned toxic. I don't think I have that in me. So thank you America. But politics has gotten so ugly on so many levels people wanted a change. The electorate was uninformed and desparate. Trump has informed them and made them more desparate. The Democrats need to remember that Trump was not elected out of the middle of utopia. I appreciate the newly elected representatives who campaigned on inclusion not just of race and religion but also party politics. I don't understand why the Republicans came back from such a resounding message from the electorate doubling down on the policies that led to their defeat. As I read more about this Republican activity all over the country I realize that going forward the new leaders will have to be very wise, careful and even handed with their treatment of our country.
For years, I have referred to Jordan as “Ohio’s shame.” I still do!
Lifelong Ohioan here!
northeast ohio here! indeed jordan is our shame.
WHO in God's name from Ohio then keeps voting him in?
Excellent question!
Totally agree. When someone refuses, yes refuses, to get to the acceptance stage of grief is a sign of mental dysfunction. They are ruled by something other than improving their own health. They chose to live in repeating the first four stages over and over forever. It is a sign of a mental dysfunction, choosing irrationality, irrelevancy, and regression. It is a death spiral by choice. And thus, the cult has drunk the final dose of the cyanide laced kool aide and dies.
I’m afraid that you’ve nailed it, Adam. Our side’s journalists kept saying that Trump‘s numbers were plummeting, but they really stayed at 30% no matter what he did. It grieves me to know that 30% of our country approves of his Cruelty enough to overlook his incompetence. I don’t think those people are going to change, Which means that we have to stay alert and keep working so that they never take over again. Thank God for the other 70%.
We’ve lived through this process relatively recently: Obama’s win and its boomerang aftermath that fueled MAGA. These extremists don’t die; they go underground to refuel. We have seen this process; we must correct what we can and steadfastly fight the rest.