A pretty well full and complete explanation of the US election results may be found in The Right Republican, published in The Economist at the end of 2011.
I quote:
Nowadays, a candidate must believe not just some but all of the following things: that abortion should be illegal in all cases; that gay marriage must be banned even in states that want it; that the 12m illegal immigrants, even those who have lived in America for decades, must all be sent home; that the 46m people who lack health insurance have only themselves to blame; that global warming is a conspiracy; that any form of gun control is unconstitutional; that any form of tax increase must be vetoed, even if the increase is only the cancelling of an expensive and market-distorting perk; that Israel can do no wrong and the “so-called Palestinians”, to use Mr Gingrich's term, can do no right; that the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Education and others whose names you do not have to remember should be abolished.
Clearly, it is not the case that a majority of Americans (or of sane people anywhere) believe these things. And you can’t (quite) get away with pretending to do so while contesting the primaries, then doing a 180° Etch-a-Sketch for the general election.
Comment feed for ongoing:
From: len (Nov 08 2012, at 10:57)
A fish climbs onto the beach with strong fins and tries to breathe. That was the last election. Now the fish has toes and nostrils. That is this election.
The change it had to come.
The Republicans adapt or cease to process oxygen in the midterms. We're a bit tired of fishheads in the lower 48 soon to be 49 counting Puerto Rico. No one seems to be noticing that vote and that tells you something about how glazed over our eyes and ears are.
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