Screw it, let 'em win, and see how badly they screw the pooch

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

After enduring yet another brutal August, with the poll numbers getting gradually more depressing while the economic numbers get worse.  And with each passing primary more and more 'Tea Party' candidates win the Republican Primaries.  So the Republican candidates this fall will either be full on 'Tea Party' members or traditional Republicans who managed to move as far to the right as possible to hold of the threats from that quarter.  This normally would be great news for the Democrats, as this group of candidates is so far right, with policies so far out there that it should be fairly easy to campaign against them.  I mean how hard should it be to defeat a candidate who has publicly stated that the Department of Education should be disbanded, along with Social Security?

Unfortunately, the climate has become so toxic, and the media so cowed, that this isn't the case.  Many of these very extreme candidates are either leading or in very close races at the moment.  Which raises the very real likelihood that not only the House but also Senate could not only go over to Republican control, but the new class of Congressmen would be these extremists.  Which gives me cold shivers. 

But then this morning I had a thought: screw it, let these nutbags win, put them in control.  Have them accomplish exactly nothing for the next 2 years, the Democrats have the veto, and if they get a majority it damn sure wouldn't be veto proof.  Let the Democrats play the minority obstructionist games the Republicans have the last 2 years. 

Then after 2 years of game playing, government shutdowns etc. with the Democrats being able to turn the tables and play the anti-majority, anti-incumbent card we might actually get to really accomplish something.  I know this means 2 more years of stagnation, with the very real possibility of double dip recession.  But after giving the Republicans 2 years maybe the media and more importantly the voters will realize how woefully inadequate and bereft of real ideas the Republicans really are, or at least the far Right 'Tea Party' ones. 

I don't necessarily think this is the best case scenario, in fact not by a long shot. But I think it is the best response to a bad situation.  And maybe the Democrats will relearn what it means to have a spine, and what the people really care about, instead of smoke and mirror wedge issue politics.