It’s fascinating actually… The Republican method of governing is similar to all of their other policies. The “less is more” philosophy, of less regulation, less government, etc. leads to short term gains at the cost of long term issues. De-regulating banks, for example, lead to short term surges is stock prices, but long term, tend to result in market crashes and devastation. Comparatively, President Obama’s increases in regulations stymied economic growth to a degree, but maintained that recovery over longer period of time. Not a 3% growth, only 2%, but consistent for 7 years… A much better play for people worried about the country in 20 years, as opposed to just the next election cycle.
This policy seems like the same sort of short-sighted thinking. The GOP eliminates the filibuster on Supreme Court vacancies (which they used successfully, when they weren’t in power), now they’ll eliminate another check on Executive power (because they hold it for the moment). It’ll be great to stack the court for the moment… but when they lose power, either because of the inevitable back and forth of politics, or as an honest to god backlash to their current stupidity, they’ll have no remaining tools to combat a Democratic majority. They’ll cry about the Imperial Presidency, but will have no one but themselves to blame for having held a firesale on political protections.
The fact that they are doing all this, while simultaneously pushing a legislative agenda that will cost them power in both Congress and the White House, is astonishing. I’m not sure if they’re panicking, or just blind to the grave they are digging for themselves.
I suppose it’s entirely possible that they realize that this is their last at bat, and they’re going to squeeze as much as they can out of this fruit before demographics and political backlash peel their fingers off, permanently. But I can’t help but wonder if they are actually so deluded and personally unaware of the fact that, not only are they willfully committing every crime they accused President Obama of, but they are simultaneously stripping Congress of the only hand-brakes they had.
