tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6052097781213973653.post7127377277345290649..comments2023-10-25T02:52:26.716-07:00Comments on Tzimiskes: Some Praise for the Republican Primary ElectorateTzimiskeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002441291627298737noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6052097781213973653.post-81736054088718710582012-02-27T17:21:19.935-08:002012-02-27T17:21:19.935-08:00Perhaps I'm over-analyzing it, but I do feel t...Perhaps I'm over-analyzing it, but I do feel that the base is critical of the actual policy suggestions being made. This doesn't require them to be carefully analyzing policies, it just requires them recognizing that what is being proposed falls far short of the rhetoric. They've been told that Obama's policies are extreme socialist corruptions of the American way and that correcting the country's course will require radically new policies that will change Washington and give us a new way of doing things. They want the equivalent of Ronald Reagan suggesting a radical change from past policies and suggesting new ways to conceive of America and our social and economic problems (set aside for the moment some of the pragmatism of some of Reagan's actual policy and some continuities of his policies, they were framed radically and this is the myth that has passed into history).<br /><br />But they're not being given anything approaching this. They've responded to radical rhetoric about what's wrong and the vast changes being needed. But they recognize that all they're being given is warmed over policies that are just slight extensions of policy goals going back to Reagan. I think the base is up to recognizing this, they want, and they've been told to expect, game-changing policies that will make the contrast with Obama and the past stark. What they're getting is the same dish that's been served for 30 years. <br /><br />While it definitely requires a bit of establishment analysis for them to realize that proposals like 9-9-9 aren't the game-changer they were hoping for, it is worth noting that they've recognized that they're not getting the radical change from politics as usual that they've been led to expect by all the fiery rhetoric by this year's candidates. Unfortunately, this hasn't yet led them to think about why no one seems to be able to come up with policies that will deliver fairly well articulated demands, but they certainly do seem to be recognizing that no one has yet delivered anything even close to the alternative to Obama that they keep hearing is both possible and more American.Tzimiskeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13002441291627298737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6052097781213973653.post-75913030514336096702012-02-27T08:50:49.408-08:002012-02-27T08:50:49.408-08:00I think this is overly gracious to the Republican ...I think this is overly gracious to the Republican field. I think the indecision is a result not of any particular policy issue but rather the popular attribution, disgust breeding apathy breeding disgust. I don't think there is enough difference in what any of the candidates say to make it an issue of policy, and frankly, I'm not sure any electorate is analytical enough to base their decisions on the likelihood of party-standart promises leading to effective macro solutions.Lenny DeFrancohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15221384643271005131noreply@blogger.com