Is that John Boehner will act like Winston Churchill. That is to say, we are screwed.
Let me explain. I am not talking about Churchill the indomitably courageous enemy of Hitler. I am not talking about Churchill the only politician to win a Nobel prize in literature. I am talking about Churchill the politician who betrayed his party out of personal ambition -- twice. He crossed the aisle and became a liberal for a position in the Asquith government, then helped split and destroy the liberal party to make and keep David Lloyd George Prime Minister.
I am equally saying we need a Republican who acts like Ramsey MacDonald or David Lloyd George. Lloyd George would be best, since he permanently crippled his party.
Right now a faction of 5 Republican Senators and 25 Republican representatives can rule the country. In particular, if Boehner allows the majority of the House to over rule the majority of his caucus, he can be a speaker more powerful than Sam Rayburn himself. Boehner and 24 yellow cats (the opposites of blue dogs) can be so useful to the Democrats that the Democrat yellow cat caucus will keep him in the big chair facing out even if the rump Republican caucus tries to replace him with Cantor.
Unfortunately Boehner doesn't have the guts to grab power. So we are doomed to four more years of gridlock probably including another recession, possibly including default and eventually leading to the drowning of Washington DC when Antarctica melts.
Churchill and George didn't do it by themselves. The English royal family gave a crucial assist by tacitly changing their support from the Tories to Labour after the trauma of seeing every other royal family killed or deposed. Labour of course couldn't carry the football until Atlee was in charge.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what the equivalent in American politics would be.