Extinction bursts of medium importance

Of all the eliminationist rhetoric emenating from the xenophobic true believers, I think their unqualified belief in a sweeping midterm victory for, um, not Democrats is one of the more interesting. Talk of pushing the "libruls" into the sea and "all good Americans hate Democrats" or my favorite of the Americans are having a liberal agenda pushed down their throats and they will make you pay variety. Imagine my suprize to see that Teabaggers are even less likely to support republicans that side with wall street, see here for more detail.

So, we have the usual balancing act of money vs. votes. Wall street has been sending more of their increasing "campaign contributions" and lobbying funds to Democrats, there are fluctuations of course, but generally an upward trend since Bill Clinton proved he could be an efficient manager of fiscal policy. People voted for Democrats in the last two elections with many hopes of changes, but I don't think getting more cozy with big banks was one of them.

Not to be outdone, the lazy republicans who have done nothing for the last year but collect paychecks and screech about socialism and takeovers by a black man, seem to be thinking that if they just continue their obstructionism as usual it will not be construed by the pitchfork crowd as supporting wall st. Will it work? Depends I guess on the actual savvy of teabags. Logic, common sense and even consistancy seems to bounce off their entrenched ideological frames. So McConnell and the other do-nothings may get away with it. Certainly doesn't have to though, teabags, like most angry Americans, have a subconscious understanding that nobody in Washington really speaks for them. This is evident in their inconsistant demands and paranoia about the government.

My advice to Democrats, be bold! Make the financial reform bill as strong as you can, big finance is already showering the lunatics that allowed them to crash the economy not 3 years ago with money. What have you got to lose now? The silent majority will support reregulation and even the outspoken teabags will be forced to confront and reconcile their libertarianism with the desire not to be crushed by big money. Most are probably disciplined enough to overcome this brush with reality, but as with anytime true believers are faced with doublethink it causes anxiety. So, we on the left will get some level of reregulation, bringing us closer to the New Deal society that worked pretty darn well for 40 years, and deflate the "enthusiasm gap" a little. And just as with the health care reform law, "they will like us when we win."