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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBLAME THE REPUBLICANS: The 2 Parties Are NOT The Same
The important thing now is to make the Republicans pay the price for being obstinate
......... If Republicans are being intransigent and the American people want compromise, then, in theory, the Republicans will get blamed. And that does seem to be happening: The GOP polls terribly, and they lost the 2012 election.
But at the elite level which encompasses everyone from CEOs to media professionals theres a desire to keep up good relations on both sides of the aisle. And so its safer, when things are going wrong, to offer an anodyne criticism that offends nobody both sides should come together! then to actually blame one side or the other. Its a way to be angry about Washingtons failure without alienating anyone powerful. That goes doubly for commercial actors, like Starbucks, that need to sell coffee to both Republicans and Democrats.
That breaks the system. It hurts the basic mechanism of accountability, which is the publics ability to apportion blame. If one sides intransigence will lead to both sides getting blamed, then it makes perfect sense to be intransigent: Youll get all the benefits and only half the blame.
The two parties are not equivalent right now. The two sides are not the same. If you want Washington to come together, you need to make it painful for those who are breaking it apart. Telling both sides to come together when its predominantly one side breaking the negotiations apart actually makes it easier on those whore refusing to compromise.
But at the elite level which encompasses everyone from CEOs to media professionals theres a desire to keep up good relations on both sides of the aisle. And so its safer, when things are going wrong, to offer an anodyne criticism that offends nobody both sides should come together! then to actually blame one side or the other. Its a way to be angry about Washingtons failure without alienating anyone powerful. That goes doubly for commercial actors, like Starbucks, that need to sell coffee to both Republicans and Democrats.
That breaks the system. It hurts the basic mechanism of accountability, which is the publics ability to apportion blame. If one sides intransigence will lead to both sides getting blamed, then it makes perfect sense to be intransigent: Youll get all the benefits and only half the blame.
The two parties are not equivalent right now. The two sides are not the same. If you want Washington to come together, you need to make it painful for those who are breaking it apart. Telling both sides to come together when its predominantly one side breaking the negotiations apart actually makes it easier on those whore refusing to compromise.
MORE:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/28/come-together-breaks-washington-apart/
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BLAME THE REPUBLICANS: The 2 Parties Are NOT The Same (Original Post)
kpete
Dec 2012
OP
Heard some of that 'both sides just need to come together' crap on the radio yesterday and wanted to
Gidney N Cloyd
Dec 2012
#1
Actually they are the, one may want to cut social security and Medicare a little more. Nt
daa
Dec 2012
#2
Gidney N Cloyd
(19,847 posts)1. Heard some of that 'both sides just need to come together' crap on the radio yesterday and wanted to
...SCREAM!
(WGN Dean Richards and Leslie Kieling, I'm looking at YOU)
daa
(2,621 posts)2. Actually they are the, one may want to cut social security and Medicare a little more. Nt
Control-Z
(15,682 posts)4. "Actually they are the,
one may want to cut social security and Medicare a little more."
"Actually they are the, what? Same? Surely you didn't mean to say same?
daa
(2,621 posts)5. Yes, the same. Cut benefits, raise defense and tax cuts - the same corporate suits. Nt
k8conant
(3,030 posts)3. Make the Republicans give in...
their "brand" sucks.