Firedog Lake: Why Should Republicans Change A Winning Strategy For Obama?

Why, indeed? Unless you’re Newt Gingrich, but that’s another political story.

Jon Walker says:

So, when Obama asks Republicans to be bipartisan, he is asking them to make a very bad personal, political, and professional choice. Working with Democrats would require Republicans to give up a working political strategy. It would increase the chance that these same Republican senators would loss their jobs. It would also help Obama and the Democrats look good, more centrist, and very effective. The result of helping Democrats look good would probably be to prolong the amount of time Republicans spend in the minority.

Obama acknowledges that it would be very stupid for Republican to work with Democrats. Even after saying that being bipartisan would put Republican senators’ jobs in jeopardy, he honestly expects them to want to work with him.

Yes, well. There’s also the fact that Republicans are on very firm ground because the American people hate every piece of proposed legislation.

Even political dumbells can read opinion polls and see that “bipartisanship”, i.e. supporting unpopular legislation, would be suicide.

But don’t rule Republican suicide. Their impulse is to work across the aisle and make deals. Holding the line causes them psychic pain. Guys like Lyndsey Graham and John McCain and Olympia Snowe want, so badly, to be helpy helpers–the Democrats legislation is just too damn bad to do it.

Posted in Democrats • Political Animals • Republicans