Howard Fineman's written a good piece about problems within the Republican ranks of Bush's administration. The various groups are having real problems connecting now that the leadership is falling apart.

Conservative Crackup
How the neocons have developed a political exit strategy.


Oct. 12, 2005 - President George W. Bush may have no military exit strategy for Iraq, but the “neocons” who convinced him to go to war there have developed one of their own—a political one: Blame the Administration.

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The “movement” —that began 50 years ago with the founding of Bill Buckley’s National Review; that had its coming of age in the Reagan Years; that reached its zenith with Bush’s victory in 2000—is falling apart at the seams.

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In 1973, Karl Rove met George W. Bush, and became the R2D2 and Luke Skywalker of Republican politics. At first, neither was plugged into “The Force”—the conservative movement. But over the years they learned how to use its power.

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For Religious Conservatives

The Harriet Miers nomination was the final insult. Religious conservatives have an inferiority complex in the Republican Party. In an interesting way, it’s the same attitude that many African-Americans have had toward the Democratic Party over the years. They think that the Big Boys want their votes but not their presence or their full participation.

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For Corporate CEOS

For them, Bush’s handling of Katrina was, and remains, a mortal embarrassment to their class, which Bush is supposed to have represented—at least to some extent.

These are people who believe in the Faith of Management—in anticipating problems and moving mass organizations. They also like to think of themselves as having a social conscience. And even if they don’t, they are sensitive to world opinion.

The vivid images from the Superdome were just too much for these folks. Recently, a prominent Republican businessman, whom I saw in a typical CEO haunt, astonished me with the severity of his attacks on Bush’s competence. And Bush had appointed this guy to a major position! Amazing.

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Neocons

They think that the Middle East can be remade, and this country made safe, by instilling a semblance of democracy in the Fertile Crescent and beyond. But they seem to have given up on the ability of the Bush Administration to see that vision through.

They want more troops, not fewer; more money, not less; more passion, not the whispered talk of timetables for withdrawal.

Besides championing democracy, we need to show strength and resolve, they believe—and they are no longer convinced that Bush can show much of either.

Response

This goes to show you that many alliances are tedious and fragile at best. Far too many don't hold together very long. It will be interesting to see how our leaders go in the future because Bush tried to be all things to all people in his base and the farther along he goes, it turns out he's none of those things to anyway. He's not terribly adept at anything except maybe mountain biking. In some cases, I don't doubt his conviction. I think when the he walked among the ruins of the world trade towers, he felt genuine emotions. The problem with our president is that he's not the man everything thinks he is. He's the face man and he's lost face. Alas poor Dubyah.

posted by Stithmeister @ 7:44 PM
 
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