Taking a little liberty with Mario Puzo: "I hate those goddamn Republicans"

The evidential quality of merciless comeuppance continues to droppeth like the gentle rain, and today's cloudy horizon is even stormier than yesterday's. I speak, of course, of the Republican pickle, and what a pickle it seems to be.

Yesterday, citing a WaPo-ABC News poll, I noted with good cheer that "Democrats 'overwhelmingly ... want a new direction,' but three out of every four independents are right there on the sidelines with them. Not really so astounding, you say? Then try this on: so are 'half of Republicans.' Half. Or, put another way, self-loathing within the GOP is now on a par with self-satisfaction."

Today comes reinforcement, and may God bless what I pray is the lethally accurate statistical methodology of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. For its calculus shows that "only 36 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say the GOP 'does an excellent or good job' of 'standing up for traditional GOP positions' on issues like reducing the size of government, cutting taxes and promoting conservative social issues."

Hence two out of every three GOPers are, in Dick Cheney's famous formulation, pissed off big-time. And signs of their troubled dysuria only get better from there. For instance the 36 percent figure is "a decline of 25 points since July 2004. In fact, it’s the lowest Republican rating for the GOP since Pew began tracking the issue in 2000." Contentment within is plunging, or, if one prefers the more positive angle, dissatisfaction is skyrocketing. Oh, happy days.

As well, related polling has shown that for the first time since the pre-Vietnam era "Americans now see the two parties as equally qualified to face down national security threats -- erasing the 'security advantage' Republicans have long relied on." Its testosterone level remains dangerously high, but so far the party's come-hither leers have increasingly failed to seduce.

But what I found the most eye-popping in Pew's results was this little electoral gem: As of today, in a head-to-head match-up with Rudy Giuliani, Hillary Clinton "wins the South." To boot, in what you might view as something of a statistical redundancy, she "polls evenly with Giuliani among voters who attend church at least once a week."

Michael Dimock, the associate director of Pew's research, chimed in with the drearily true: "It’s very early in the race, and we would all be shocked if the South went for Clinton." Yes, so would we, and so would -- especially -- the South. But such a Republican-plummeting, even-Steven finding at any point during this primary season is no less than stunning as a signal of extraordinarily troubled waters for the party of good-ole-boy hyperpatriotism and church-lady devotionals.

Don't get me wrong. I haven't taken leave of my progressive senses and signed on with the "Handsprings for Hillary" club. I find her schmoozing with the right's sensibilities immensely distasteful, however politically pragmatic and electorally clever.

On the other hand, until I do indeed take leave of my senses, I remain in real-world residence. And the bottom line is that classic formulation of the lesser of two evils. Although I may never actually cast a vote for Hillary, if Hillary it be -- writing in, instead, Mr. Gore or Kucinich or Ms. Moneypenny-- I'm at least convinced another Clinton White House would swindle slightly fewer citizens and start slightly fewer buffoonish wars than a Giuliani, Romney or Thompson presidency. And that, these days, may be about as good as this country can get.

But, for me, an even deeper bottom line springs from the emotional well of "The Godfather"'s Pete Clemenza, who so philosophically and succinctly stated his warring preferences in a rather polarized fashion: "I hate those goddamn Barzinis."

Amen, Brother Pete, as for the Republicans. In the shortest of historical order they turned out the lights of this often shining nation-state of the globe, and any enemy of that enemy is, loosely, our friend ... I suppose, for I can suppose no other.

No doubt the Grand Old Party will again crank up the fear-mongering and authoritarianism-hugging and Jesus-loving flag-waving and thereby rally many of their apostates from their disillusioned stupor. 2008 will be a rollicking ride through a living hell, and no doubt the GOP's efforts will avail better than the polls now indicate.

But we can at least savor its current condition. Comeuppance, however fleeting, is a joyful thing.

****

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Comments

[quousque]

Hate is perhaps a bit too much ......... despise is more apt. The Righties' Achilles Heel has always been being dispespected, so mock them rather than descend into their mindset. Hopefully it soon will be Springtime for Bushies, and we can then celebrate today's Hogan's Heroes.

[clarence swinney]

SWINNEY LIST FOR ATTACKS

Feel free to distribute

Google search

Clarence swinney +

Democrats create wealth—(do not brag)
84 democratic accomplishments—(quiet—do not awaken Democrats)
praise Clinton (Gore gored Gore by not using this)
salute Clinton
113 good things on Clinton
good comments on Clinton by world leaders
Clinton 30 character
Hillary
Reagan scandals (eulogize this Noonan)
How to identify a republican
Reagan firsts (Mt Rushmore)
Carter versus Reagan
Bush lies
Bush waffles( read these facts and say he is sane)
Moogumboo
Bush econovomits (only man to brag on failures)
Zoom economy
Swoosh (want armageddon here you have it)
Tax & spend liberal (how dumb can D be?)
King Richard
Clinton record on terrorism awesome
Swinney fact check
Hootenanny

North Carolina Hootenannys to commence in 2008.
Party-Celebration-foot stomping-yelling—a Big Time
Good things about Democrats and bad things about Republicans
Easy—Facts/History support Democrats.
ALL-AMERICAN PARTY vs 20% PARTY

Enjoy. Feel free to publish.

Clarence swinney
President-lifeaholics of America
Burlington nc
[email protected]

new book—LIFEAHOLICS—to be published 1-15-08
Book signing and presentation in North Carolina only.

[clarence swinney]

John Hagee is promoting Armageddon

He may get it.

Iran=Russia pal

200 ICBM
7 stories underground
Each can carry 10 Nukes
Pentagon admits they cannot stop russian ICBM once in flight.

Each ICBM wil destory everything in a 200 mile radius.

Now this is Fear.

[Phlorescent Center]

Republicans are all immoral, thieves, murderers, anti-American lying fascist and heathen cultists who would love to put half the country into Death Camps.

They are going to lie and stampede enough cowardly hypocritical Southerners and mid-western welfare queens with a war in Iran and a bigger pile of free worthless money in farm bills and useless military bases to steal government again.

Cynical calculating Dems like Pelosi and Clinton are in league with Satan's spawn Lord Cheney and H.I.M Bush.

[Dick Stafford]

You are so right!
I HATE those goddamn republicans!