As we all know by now, the Republicans have been working to create a permanent, perpetual majority in government for some time. Fred Hiatt talks about the “chinks in the Republican armor” today in the Washington Post, pointing out that this plan may be coming apart.
The image was of links in a chain of power that the Democrats could never break. The GOP, having captured both houses of Congress and the White House, could press lobbyists to hire only Republicans and give money only to Republicans. The money would guarantee dominance in state legislatures. The legislatures would redraw congressional districts so that Democrats could never win. And if anyone objected, too bad; Republican-appointed judges could be counted on to slap down any complainers.
All in all, a perfect loop. Even when House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was indicted in September, he was depicted as a no-longer-essential cog in the apparatus he had helped design and build. People could come and go, the chain would remain.
The mood in Washington today is different. It’s been remembered that the chain holds only as long as most people vote next year the way they voted last year.
He goes on to point out that despite all their attempts to cement power, our government is not immune from public sentiment, and that is what is eroding their strategy. In some cases, it is threatening to undo it completely — for instance, the redistricting in Texas that created the Republican majority is now scheduled to be reviewed by the Supreme Court.
I’m so exhausted from the last decade of Republican outrages, lies, and political horror that I am finding it hard to be optimistic about their downfall. Nevertheless, I am somewhat amazed by it — who could have predicted that they would burn themselves out so quickly?
