The Year That Humbled the DC Establishment

Real Clear Politics ^ | December 21, 2010 | David Paul Kuhn

[Still Thinking]

The media establishment that hyped this Democratic president but refused to be humbled with him. Pundits' premises so fundamentally disproved. The conservative collapse that was not. The so-told emerging liberal era that was not. The Democratic leaders who bought the hype, acting on the masochistic premise that if big liberal things were done, the American mind's apprehension to big liberal things could be undone. The Republican generals saved by conservative foot soldiers. A liberal opposition that, all over again, undid itself in Pyrrhic victory. It was a year of conventional irony.

But there was a particular irony to the chasm between the excessive rhetoric that greeted this president and the electoral rebuke that closed the year. These were, nearly, the best of liberal times. The most progressive legislation passed since at least the Beatles broke up. But it was also the worst of liberal times. Liberalism's most historic midterm defeat since the radio broadcast of Orson Welles' adaptation of "War of the Worlds."

This year in politics witnessed the center-right nation righting itself. And with it came the left's recurring reality check: American liberalism's success is often its undoing.

So we relived the narrative arc of the New Deal and the Great Society, only more rapidly, with a lower apex and a swifter fall. One more liberal foundation sundered.

[Still Thinking]

I love the second paragraph. "Liberals passed all sorts of liberal legislation, but still got slaughtered in the election!" Sort of like when liberals say "The prison population is way up and yet crime is down!!" like it's some kind of paradox. This author doesn't think that as you can see if you read the rest of the article, but that paragraph sounds like it.

[Mr. K]

They are acting like this is over..

it is a LONG WAY from being over.

I would not be surprised if there are torches and pitchforks needed to get some of these bastards out of washington

[Still Thinking]

They are acting like this is over..

I wouldn't say that, necessarily. From near the end of the article:

The Republican establishment rode that tiger to the ballot box. Tea party activists rallied around deficit issues. And Republicans found religion because of it. The GOP offered a two-year sermon to Democrats on spending. But most Republicans quickly dispensed with those concerns by December, backing a tax-deal that added more to the debt than the stimulus bill. How the sanctimonious thrive in politics.

Several tea party favorites, Republican Senators Tom Coburn and Jim Demint, did oppose the deal. The GOP establishment has already learned that this tiger will not tame so easily. The tea party's bite, among allies, will likely be worse next year.

[Texas Fossil]

The GOP establishment has already learned that this tiger will not tame so easily. The tea party's bite, among allies, will likely be worse next year.

BTTT! They may ignore it, but it will not change what is coming. There is a lesson that will be learned in 2011 that DC has never seen before. Scorched earth....

[yldstrk]

The political elite has NOT learned.

The Republicans were NOT put back in.

They were given another chance, that is all. If they flub it

THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY!

[sgtyork]

I’ll agree with that.

Back to the article, I think that the defeat of the omnibus was the Rep’s adherence to cutting spending.

Also, that was one of the toughest articles to read I’ve seen in years. The guy must have been drunk.

[reefdiver]

Best laugh for me was Corp. cue ball. Republicans and Conservatives were done for generations.

Can’t make the connection between His wife an Him, But she’s got to just shake her head at times over his statements.

[arthurus]

The victory is not “pyrrhic” unless it is utterly undone. That won’t happen. And now the regulatory agencies have taken over and we are being essentially ruled by decree.The Republic is over unless these new politicians do some mighty deeds the like have not been done before.

[MasterGunner01]

The DC Establishment is NOT humbled in the least; they are licking their chops at the possibility of corrupting the incoming freshman class in the House. Donkeys and RINOs see this as business as usual.

The Senate is just a corrupt boy's/girl's club. We still have to take out the trash there in 2012 and 2014, but 2010 was a start.

The problem for the ‘pubbies will be to keep them from relapsing into their usual RINO proclivities. Mr. Boehner in the House and Sen. McConnell don't inspire confidence in their abilities to demonstrate a steel-spine and iron-willed determination. They're more linguine-spine and mushy-willed. We will see.

[GBA]

Relapse? Too late for that. Mr. Boehner has gotten off to a remarkably poor start and blew past ‘relapsing into RINO proclivities’ before the 2010 election returns had been counted.

[Luke21]

Always tough for me to read this stuff. In my district they re-elected the fools like nothing happened.