"Blame it on Bush" is the sarcastic phrase which John McCain could be heard sneering to his colleagues shortly after his defeat in 2008, as if knowingly exasperated that the democrats could do no better than to excuse their poor economic numbers by blaming the last president. This kind of spin is presumably intended to silence the democrats' defense that they inherited a disaster for which no quick fix is possible. If the American public does have this short a memory, then perhaps the republican reputation is safe. But I have to wonder, is it really enough to the republicans themselves just to convince the electorate? Sure, maybe for a cynical few but this is a party of such thoughtful people as Barry Goldwater, William F. Buckley and many others, folks who spend time (presumably over cigars) considering the philosophy behind their policies. Republican ideology differs from democratic ideology for a reason. They want a different outcome than the democrats, one that they honestly believe is better for the country. It matters to any member of any party whether the implementation of their policies actually works.
And yet the republicans, after having been delivered unchecked power in all three branches of American government in 2004, witnessed soon after a global economic collapse tied in no small part to policies they implemented a few short years before. No amount of distraction, voter suppression or redistricting can quell the gnawing doubt that has to come with that.
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