I like to think of metaphors. People (FDLers excepted) don't seem to want to think about long, complicated expositions of the flaws in today's Republican Party. But a good metaphor can slip in under the force field of willing bamboozledom.
Metaphor 1: For a long time, I've likened the Republicans to Hans Gruber, the guy who speaks so eloquently about political philosophy -- but really just came for the money.
The Hans Grubers of the world are scary, evil, damaging, all bad things, and we should want to rid ourselves of their influence and divest them of their power. People don't want that, though. People are attracted to power, even when it's malignant, even when it will kill them or theirs.
People don't renounce the powerful. They renounce the ridiculous.
Joe Lieberman was powerful for the last time last night, when he gave his "concession" speech. But even as the little outrageous bubbles of delusion floated out of his mouth, his power floated away, popping on the sharp reality of the people's votes. He will be forever ridiculous not by The Kiss Float, which raised the idea, but by his own folly now in trying to keep hold like Gollum of the precious which the voters have already taken away.
Joe Lieberman is rendering himself ridiculous. What metaphor or association will render the Republican Party ridiculous? I think of Paul Ford in The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming. He plays a silly man convinced of the venality of all things Russian and nearly starts World War III after the entire town has come to a more enlightened place. But that metaphor is too old and too distant, I think, to work today.
What is a good metaphor for the ridiculousness of Today's Republican Party?
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