Former Obama administration Chief of Staff William M. Daley wrote an opinion piece for The Washington Post on Sunday night and stated what many have known since 2008 – America’s introduction to Sarah Palin was the beginning of the Republican Party’s demise.
Daley, who served as the White House Chief of Staff in 2011, noted that the “carnival-like GOP presidential primary” can find its roots in the lunacy of the Palin primary season alongside GOP candidate Senator John McCain in 2008.
“Once McCain put Palin on the ticket, Republican “grown-ups,” who presumably knew better, had to bite their tongues. But after the election, when they were free to speak their minds, they either remained quiet or abetted the dumbing down of the party. They stood by as Donald Trump and others noisily pushed claims that Obama was born in Kenya. And they gladly rode the tea party tiger to sweeping victories in 2010 and 2014.
Now that tiger is devouring the GOP establishment. Party elders had hoped new presidential debate rules would give them greater control. But they are watching helplessly as Trump leads the pack and House Republicans engage in fratricide.”
Daley went on to say that the 2012 election was also affected by Palin’s influence, pointing to the popularity of candidates like Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann. Daley wrote, “Does anyone now think Bachmann and Cain had the skills, experience and temperament to be president?”
Daley is stating the obvious, but his criticism should serve as a warning to those who can’t be bothered to vote. Stay home on election day again and say buh-bye to your rights, your equality and your healthcare; and say hello to President Trumpenstein or a former brain surgeon (Ben Carson) who compared the Affordable Care Act to slavery and who admitted, “As a teenager, I would go after people with rocks, and bricks, and baseball bats, and hammers. And, of course, many people know the story when I was 14 and I tried to stab someone.”
If voting were meaningless, why are so many (Republicans) creating and passing legislation making it more difficult, or even impossible, for many of us to vote?
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