Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Why the Republicans Lost

By Bill Maher

Mitt Romney has lost and he'll soon be accepting his new job as professor of method acting at The New School in New York City. And after watching him play all these different characters over the last two years, really, who better?

Now comes the hand-wringing and finger-pointing that always follows electoral defeat; 500 columns of "If they'd done what I said, something, something, measuring the drapes in the Oval Office." And they'll all miss the forest for the trees. Except Dick Morris -- he's always right.

So now that I'm done telling you how everyone else will be full of shit and focusing on the wrong things, let me focus you on the big picture thing that's absolutely correct: Mitt Romney lost because of the Republican brand and Republican policies. There are other reasons, of course, like Mitt being unlovable to anyone not named Ann Romney, but nothing trumps the idea that 2/3rds of America thinks the other 1/3 is a frightening conglomerate of Bible-thumpers, xenophobes, and vaginophobes. (Not a word, but should be.)

Take Mitt's pivot from being "severely conservative" to being "the white Barack Obama." Sure, everyone tacks to the middle after the primaries, but Mitt's performance was different: it was a full-scale repudiation of just about every idea that conservatives hold dear. The positions were changed. The rhetoric was completely different. He was basically Barack Obama, Caucasian Edition.
Now I know what you're saying: this is what Mitt Romney always does. Being a shape-shifting phony isn't an act; that's who he is! And this is true.

But it isn't who Michele Bachmann is. When it comes to nutty right-wing beliefs that are completely false, she's a true believer. And yet what was Michele Bachmann saying during the waning days of her too-close-for-comfort campaign? She was putting out an ad distancing herself from her own Party -- even her conservative district:

"Michele Bachmann is an independent voice working for us, saying no to big spending by both political parties but bringing them together..."

Then Michele pops on the screen and says, "That’s why I've been an independent voice working for you..."

Wow. ...I'm just saying. When even Michele Bachmann can't run as a proud Republican, your brand identification has reached "pink slime" territory.

19 comments:

Anthony Hopper said...

Interesting Analysis.

lol said...

I agree with you.

duckdawdger said...

Your blog begs the question what now? Here's two answers!

If it’s legitimate change, the Republican body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down!

Even when change begins in that horrible situation of election defeat, that is something that God intended to happen.

C said...

The problem with the Republican Party is the Christian Right and all their medieval beliefs; moral, social, and scientific. All of the GOP pander to them. They really are not part of reality. Sonething like 40% of people in this country believe in young "flat" earth and deny human evolutionary biology. Descent modification common ancestor not that complex. They claim they like science but not when it comes to human anatomy and brain & behavior. Granted liberals been guilty to of disliking results of science of human nature.
I'm so relieved Obama won and we held the senate. I was really surprised. I under estimated America. It gives me hope little under half is uniformed and bubblelicious! I still don't know how the smart repubs can vote for the repub party of today. I wish we had a choice between two party's but we don't. Black Americans would like a choice to and know that dems could take them for granted. GOP wake up and give black Americans, scientists, and free thinkers a choice.

Anonymous said...

Spot on mate; additional confirmation of the "bubble" you introduced to the political discourse. Confederate Anglo America and the rural Anglo citizens tagging them live in an alternate reality where the residual & long term consequence of Reagan union busting the failed policies of Bush2, Cheney & Rove does not (in their minds) touch them. Even though they're on food stamps, near homeless and have the lowest per capita income of the nation.

Mike Dorn Wiss said...

Here's my commentary, Bill. Friends suggest I sound a lot like you. I take that as a compliment.

http://www.mikedornwiss.com/words/notes-opinion-and-drivel

lotusgdess said...

If the GOP could emerge from 1959 they might have figured out few things that are very different in 2012. There are no Cubans alive now who give a shit about Castro/Bay of Pigs. Most young people today have absorbed many of the values of the 60s generation. They don't care about who fucks who, who gets high, immigration etc. Younger people don't tend to think it's the immigrants who are ruining the US. They don't assume women are inferior. They believe it's the plutocrats who are causing their education costs to skyrocket & have shipped all the jobs overseas. Demographics are gonna make the GOP go the way of the Whigs unless they decide to do something about their brand. Outside of the South, they are becoming irrelevant.

Amy said...

Bill, would be interested in your take on Romney's newest excuse - that he lost because of Obama's "gifts" to specific constituents...another way of denying responsibility for being so out of touch...

Anonymous said...

Bill, Next time Romneys' religion comes up, ask the republican guest what Fox would have done if the democratic canidate was a Mormon.

starwar123 said...

The reality is that america is becoming young and more educated (well kind of) while many from my generation are becoming a bunch of good for nothing, at least some of of are trying to be more knowledgeable. religious nuts are a dying specie. I just hope I'll live to see them all dead.

Wayne said...

I love the line 'the other 1/3 is a frightening conglomerate of Bible-thumpers, xenophobes, and vaginophobes.' The icing on the Republican 'Let them eat cake' is their unrelenting defense of tax breaks for the filthy rich; and they wonder why the economic bottom 2/3 of voters are turned off by their party. Oh yeah, you forgot to add 'homophobes'. Btw 'Religulous' is great; it's about time someone had the balls to stand up to the insane brain-washing.

starwar123 said...

everyone! re-tweet and share this link in Facebook so we can have president Obama on the Show!
http://wh.gov/XPWV

ampoule led e14 said...

They made some mistakes that should be ovoid later to try next time ..
ampoule led e14

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Informasi Terbaru said...

Amazing article. I'm so relieved Obama won and we held the senate. I was really surprised. I under estimated America. It gives me hope little under half is uniformed and bubblelicious! I still don't know how the smart repubs can vote for the repub party of today Ijin nitip yo. Disukai | Global TV Streaming | RCTI Online | Erakata.Com | Saksuk.com | Cheap golf bags for sale | Iconia PC Tablet dengan Windows 8

Anonymous said...

He lost simply because he had Paul Ryan as a running mate, and he attacked SS and Medicare... a political kiss of death. Romney even lost the popular vote in FLORIDA!!! Imagine that!

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