Speaking of Karl Rove (OK, I wasn’t, but everyone seems to be), GOP’s recent electoral failure points to the self-correcting nature of a health democracy.
Rove’s strategy of getting out the base and winning by 1% (or one vote) is largely predicated, I think, on the belief that a small base is sufficient because of a largely apathetic electorate.
We saw the limit of that theory on Nov. 7, 2006.The problem for the GOP is that the wreckage of the Bush Administration and its congressional abettors is so widely and deeply strewn around the country – and the world – that people were finally moved to demand some cleanup. If the Administration and Republican Congress had done even a mediocre job , Rove’s strategy might have held up.
But Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Rove have proven so corrupt, so governmentally inept, so venal, so mired in political calculation that they failed at the basic tasks of government, and no amount of political lipstick could make the public kiss that pig.
It took a while, but hooray for the people!