We’re set up, unlike other states in the union, where it’s collectively Alaskans own the resources. So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs.

-- Sarah Palin, August 2008


There are socialist principles to that, yes. Taking more from a small business or small business owners or from a hard-working families and then redistributing that money according to a politician's priorities -- there are hints of socialism in there and that's why I don't fault or discredit Joe the Plumber for bringing that up, asking if that is socialism.

-- Sarah Palin, October 2008

As well as this bit of Awesome:

Palin... tried to burnish her foreign policy credentials by meeting here with Israel's ambassador to the United States, apologizing for the session's delay.

"We look forward to ... working with your Jewish agency," she told Ambassador Sallai Meridor just before her speech outside Washington.

So now that the libertarians have abandoned the party, and the corporatists are all hopping on the Obandwagon, what remains of the GOP?

I have a dream. I dream that the GOP becomes solely the party of stupid crazy white people, self-marginalizes and implodes with the know-nothing Palin leading the charge. I hope they relegate themselves to Bircher status.

Historically, because of our awesomely undemocratic electoral system which necessitates a duopolistic party arrangement, third parties only come to national prominence when events shift and one of the two duopoles implodes. At which point a previously marginal party is elevated to co-ruler status and the puppet-show can continue. This is essentially how the Republican party came into existence in the first place.


So let's hope the current formation of the GOP is currently becoming one of those imploding parties. Let's also hope that since Obama, who is running as what could only be called a conservative in any sane (i.e. non-American) political taxonomy, leads the Democratic Party into becoming the standard bearer for state-capitalist conservatism. Let's further hope that some genuinely progressive now-marginal third party is elevated to play Punch to the Dem's Judy and we could actually have open public discussion about, say, not killing people for fun.

Hell, while we're at it, let's hope everyone gets a Pony for the Baby Jesus' birthday.

But seriously...Let's assume the Republicans don't get their shit together within the next few years, which isn't an outlandish assumption at the moment. The next four years will be a period of activism and soul-searching for Progressives. Depending on the breaks, Obama will implement more or less of his proposed program, likely less if history is any guide. Campaign promises rarely correlate with policy outcomes.

Even though it is likely that Obama will have a strong electoral mandate and a favorable if not filibuster proof legislature, partisans will blame this “failure” on various factors, right-wing intransigence/obstruction, inheritance of a terrible geo-political and economic quagmire, internal party factions such as the DLC and the Blue Dogs maintaining control, resistance from the military-industrial complex, Israel, China, Russia, what have you.

So much for the die-hards. Such excuses will look exceedingly weak in the face of a fractured and disorganized GOP. At some point the electoral euphoria will wear off and honest left-leaning folk are going to have to make a decision about whether and how to openly criticize or oppose an Obama administration. Once more Democrats are actually running the show, “more and better Democrats” will cease to be a viable solution to achieving a livable world. Assuming a moribund GOP, it will be more difficult to mau-mau into silence the people that wish to leave the Party.

So what then? A new Kos-ian internal Party putch for the neverending ouster of the old-guard that is thwarting progress? Or perhaps with the GOP in shambles it will be increasingly uncomfortable to be on board with the Other War Party and people will begin to jump ship? And what would they jump into?

Imagine a mainstream American political landscape in which the Christianists were about as powerful as the current Greens, the Democrats were widely perceived to be the right-wing faction they are, and the Green Party or some likeness were elevated to actually being a left-opposition party . Not bad as fantasies go. Granted, if we're just gonna make shit up, I can do a lot better than that, but still...