Two Ring Circus
More than you might think.
The surprisingly inept campaign for Social Security reform should have us scratching our heads.
The policy as originally conceived was a classic wedge. Bush would appeal to the inner cheapskate that lurks beneath the brave exterior of the younger, socialism-averse Republican voter with an intoxicating vision of “mine all mine” private accounts. Dem-leaning oldsters clinging to Social Security in its obsolete New Deal redistributive incarnation would be ostracized as selfish un-American parasites.
In fact, that was the wedge USA Next was pounding with its infamous AARP loves gay marriage and hates soldiers ad.
Then funny things happened.
The purity of the wedge — and its ability to arouse the Democrat-despising demons of the red states — was compromised by a piece of political insurance.
To reduce the political risk, one- foot-in-the-grave seniors were mollified with a promise that their benefits won’t be touched. By this calculation, Democrats looking to rouse the great grey beast in defense of Social Security would instead be trampled by an enthusiastic rush of ownership society dittoheads while the indifferent old stood by.
But the rush didn’t materialize. What started as a wedge campaign promising to put Republican constituencies on the winning side of a remorseless zero-sum equation turned into one of those muddled something-for-everyone group hug 2 trillion dollar handjobs that true Republicans despise as quintessential Democratic flummery.
The error was compounded when Bush took a further step away from wedge politics by trying to manufacture a perceived national consensus in favor of Social Security reform with his inept Bamboozlepalooza tour. In an eerie recapitulation of his equally unfactual and unconvincing “Saddam threatens us with WMDs” campaign of 2002, Bush terminally queered his pitch with a broadly discredited and uninspiring “Social Security is in crisis” - in 2042! - declaration.
Rove and Co. have to come to terms with the fact that Mr. “I’m a uniter not a divider” is not an effective set-up man for the closers in the Republican bullpen. He’s more like the overmatched middle reliever with the 8.40 ERA who walks the bases loaded, gives up a grand slam, and puts the game so far out of reach there’s no point in wasting another pitcher on it.
Bush probably would have achieved greater respect and better results if he played directly to his base and simply said, “Social Security’s time has past. Let’s replace it with something better — now, not later — because only my administration has the balls and brains to do it. Screw the AARP and every other group of selfish Democrats that stands between the American people and a better future.”
And then let his surrogates go pound the wedge until middle-aged people were spitting on seniors in the streets.
Now, instead of quaking under the pulverizing wedge, the Democrats act like they are receiving an invigorating and rejuvenating massage from the blunt, puny mallet that is the intellect, integrity, and charisma of George W. Bush.
How could Rove let that happen?
No doubt future presidential historians will occupy themselves with speculation as to what combination of ego and tactics dictated the decision to let Bush try and sell the Social Security program to the American people instead of simply shoving it down the Democrats’ throat.
Was it a misbegotten quest to impart some stature and respectability to Bush as a statesman and leader?
Or did risk-averse poll-driven calculation put Bush on the road with a muddled and unsellable message?
Did inside the Beltway myopia impel the White House to heed Congressional GOP electoral anxieties about facing freaked-out seniors in the mid-term elections, there by allowing Bush fumble away the crown jewel of the conservative public policy crown?
Maybe there was the lazy assumption that Bush’s post-9/11 political capital was fungible and could not be squandered, no matter how mendacious, misdirected, and empty-headed Bush appeared.
Or was there some weird intersection of belated moral scruple and flustered fiscal irresponsibility as a simple plan to destroy Social Security morphed into some crazy scheme to reward Democrat-voting seniors by shoveling an extra $2 trillion in debt onto unborn Republicans?
Or is the whole thing a piece of Karl Rove misdirection, intentionally filling all the available political and media space with a futile, noisy campaign to please the Goldwater wing of the party while the real business of the Bush administration…
…promoting the systematic looting of America’s wealth and future by favored private companies…
…continues unnoticed, unchallenged, and unabated?
If that’s the case, call Social Security reform the pitifully and irreversibly braindead but extravagantly praised, ostentatiously cherished, belated and unsuccessfully protected, profoundly mourned, and regretfully but determinedly abandoned…
…Terri Schiavo…
…of GOP social policy…
…used to hypocritically yank the chains of Republican free market true believers this time, instead of fanatical fundies…
…with the understanding that, unlike poor Terri, Social Security reform will linger on, available to die another day…
…when the attendant sound and fury, teeth gnashing, and hand wringing can be evoked once again to exalt, inspire, and enrich the Republican Party.
And of course the show is put on for the rest of us, too, who again gape in wonder at Bush’s high profile, bandwidth-hogging incompetence…
…as Rove & Co. chuckle and cynically squeeze the last ounces of political utility from their vainglorious and inept front man…
…before his lame duck status and multiple, manifest failures reduce Bush to a disdained, ignored, and wasted asset…
…the circus leaves town…
…and we realize we’ve gotten our pockets picked.
Copyright 2005 Peter Lee
Peter Lee is the creator of the anti-war satire and commentary website Halcyon Days. He can be reached at peter@halcyondays.info.
