This isn't a very comforting scenario, but The New Republic's Ed Kilgore may be onto something. In a fairly succinct post, Kilgore points out that the GOP has been poisoning the political environment and driving both Democrat's and Obama's poll numbers down, but that same polling shows that this strategy isn't helping their own numbers any at all.Despite the fact that they aren't benefitting from this, they keep sabotaging debate with complete bullshit and unfounded attacks on Democrats. If it's not helping them with the electorate, why keep doing it? Kilgore has a disturbing explanation:
Republicans are currently viewed more negatively than any minority party in the previous four midterms in terms of both net favorables and the difference in net favorables between parties.
It's possible, and perhaps even probable, that the GOP strategy for 2010 is to create a political environment so toxic and voter-alienating that Republicans can win a very low turnout election by whipping their base into a genuine frenzy. That's obviously not a very good scenario for the country, and it remains to be seen if it's even good for the GOP.
Then again, it might just be that they don't have any other strategy, because they don't have any clear leadership. Still, if Kilgore's guess is correct and this scorched-earth strategy turns out to be a winner, don't expect politics to ever be about ideas again. It'll just be mudslinging and bullshit -- i.e., a teabagger nation -- from now until it stops working.
Here's hoping he's wrong.
