GOPer Madness

When President Obama labelled the Paul Ryan plan as "ending Medicare as we know it," the reaction among voters was fierce.  So right now, Congressional GOPers are so unpopular that if the election were this November, they might all lose.  Meanwhile, GOPer presidential candidates are either inaudible (and certainly inaudible on the Ryan plan) or celebrated for clownishness.  Barack Obama was always lucky about his GOPer opponents, and right now he couldn't be luckier.

Right now Medicare is a noose around GOPer prospects.  While some slowly try to back away from it, while getting very angry at fellow GOPers who criticize it, others are doubling down. One GOPer Rep got so testy at a town meeting that he snapped back at a constituent: "I will take my hands off Medicare and when there is no Medicare I will come see you sir."

Meanwhile, more is coming out about just how bad the proposal is--not just for future seniors, but for today's.  

All of this suggests GOPers would be toast in November. The only problem is that the elections aren't this November.  They are a year and a half away.  The economy, unemployment, various foreign hotspots are all wild cards that could play into the outcomes at any time.  The GOPer field looks predictable: Michelle Bachmanniac will jump in, destroy Tim Palenta in Iowa, Romneycare cleans up in New Hampshire, and somebody gets in late because even the GOPer electorate is sullen about their choices, especially if by then the President looks a lot more vulnerable than he does now. 

The only surprise so far is Sarah Palin, who was quiet for so long.  Then Tina Fay did her Palin on Saturday Night Live, then Palin went on Fox and did a bad version of Tina Fay's act.  "Sarah Palin" has become such an icon that the actual Sarah Palin is a poor imitation.

Meanwhile, congressional GOPers continue their attempted terrorism over the debt ceiling.  While the White House and others try to impress on everyone how serious it is for the U.S. to default, even briefly, and columnist Dionne insists the GOPer hostage threat is fake, a lot of what passes for establishment GOPers extend their denial habit to insisting deadbeat America won't be so bad.   Is this yet another hapless political suicide act, or a desperate attempt to force a crisis and try to blame the Dems?  Too bad it's American children who as usual will wind up paying the price.  Even when they're old.

 Updates: This one minute video on why raising the debt ceiling is absolutely necessary.  This piece: "How Republicans Are Convincing Themselves That A Debt Default Wouldn’t Be So Bad — And Why They’re Wrong" with specifics.