Democrats on the Green New Deal: we didn’t really mean it…
…and you Republicans are meanies for asking us to actually take a stand on this over-the-top and all-encompassing piece of socialist “aspirational” fantasy that our star ingenue AOC floated, revealing the far-leftist heart of today’s Democratic Party.
McConnell says he will call the Democrats’ bluff by bringing the GND to a vote in the Senate. Somehow, his Democratic counterpart in the House, Nancy Pelosi, doesn’t seem to be following suit on the proposal she referred to as the “Green Dream or whatever they call it.”
And Democratic Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts, AOC’s co-sponsor of the bill, is stunned and angry that McConnell will be forcing the Democrats to actually vote on this monstrosity:
Don’t let Mitch McConnell fool you: this is nothing but an attempt to sabotage the movement we are building. He wants to silence your voice so Republicans don’t have to explain why they are climate change deniers. McConnell wants this to be the end, this is just the beginning. https://t.co/GUxJ5HG2jb
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) February 12, 2019
Before you laugh, or ask WFT?—or both—note that this Orwellian sort of thing—allowing us to vote on something we proposed is akin to silencing our voices—is not unusual on the left. That’s why Orwell became a household word, because he noted and described the phenomenon so well. There’s plenty Republicans do and say for which they can be criticized, but Orwellian speech is far more likely to be the province of the left.
The GND was so over-the-top and so very far left, so sweeping and so impossible, that one wonders why even AOC went so far. I wrote a previous post on the subject, in which I said:
Isn’t [the Green New Deal] very very extreme, so extreme it will alienate people? For the answer, just do what I did: spend a few hours reading MSM sites and seeing reactions from Democrats. It’s an education in how the GND is being responded to, and why the Democratic candidates have all hopped aboard the extremist green social justice jobs for everyone train.
Last night I watched a clip of some liberal spokesperson or other being quizzed by a conservative as to what she agreed with in the details of the GND. “Its spirit” was all she could come up with, but for her it was enough. She seemed embarrassed when asked about particulars and couldn’t endorse any, but she pooh-poohed—almost ridiculed—the need for details.
I doubt there are many Democratic politicians able to defend many (if any) of the GND manifesto’s specific provisions. And yet many have endorsed it…
This GND initiative is a counter to Trump, that troglodyte non-believer in AGW. The GND is not meant to be serious legislation for now, but to burnish the Democrats’ reputation as caring about climate change and the Republicans’ reputation for not caring. And the Democrats are counting on just about no one—except the right, and the far left—to read what’s actually in the GND.
So, the plan was to rally the leftist base, to rely on the MSM to cover for the extreme far leftist details, and to endorse the GND proposal’s spirit and contrast it to the supposedly anti-environmental spirit of the GOP. You can see evidence of that in Senator Markey’s tweet, in which he states this [emphasis mine]:
[McConnell] wants to silence your voice so Republicans don’t have to explain why they are climate change deniers. McConnell wants this to be the end, this is just the beginning.
In other words, we wanted you to notice the Republicans, not the craziness of our plan. And we still think there’s time to switch the emphasis over to that.
At this point, I think Markey has lost that battle. One reason was the extremity of the proposal and the fact that AOC spilled the beans on some of the details (such as getting rid of cow farts), which are risible. The second is that the right actually—bloggers and media and even some politicians like McConnell—have attacked this with ridicule, and the ridicule has stuck. Markey’s tweet—which probably sounded eminently reasonable to him, since he comes from the deep blue bubble of Massachusetts—is also risible, and I don’t think he even knows it.
But note Markey’s reference to the long game. I’ve often said the left takes the long view. And it’s always just the beginning; the fight must be fought anew every day.
[ADDENDUM: Ace points out this AP headline of art: “McConnell wields Green New Deal as bludgeon against Dems.” McConnell, cruel thug beating up innocent Democrats.]
“…the long view. And it’s always just the beginning; the fight must be fought anew every day.”
Absolutely correct.
A war of attrition.
Palestinian rules.
!Viva la Resistencia!
It will hardly be noticed in the context of the GND, but the front page of the local rag this morning informed us that the new Progressive Governor of California is abandoning his predecessor’s “Bullet Train to nowhere”, as unworkable in its present form. Of course, you have to parse his words carefully, because he does speak of the urgent need for commuter rail in the 168 mile corridor between Bakersfield and Merced. That route is in the central valley, which happened to be the planned first segment of the train. Only a California progressive could think that a high speed train that runs at 200 mph for about 20-25 miles, then stops for 5 or 10 minutes, is a viable expenditure of taxpayer money. If it doesn’t stop in every small city, his basic rationale is corrupted. By the way, Amtrak now serves that corridor.
In other news that impacts the GND, it has recently been reported that electric cars lose 41% of their range at temperatures of 20 F–if the heater is operated. (I suppose SJWs don’t need heat at 20F). I doubt that many Tesla owners in the northern states were that familiar with the cold weather characteristics of batteries. Wonder if their friendly Tesla dealer educated them?
SOP (standard operating procedure) for legislators: Some constituents want to declare an “international year of the persian cat”. A bill is introduced and goes directly to the bottom of the pile, never to be seen again. The cat people are happy. The legislator gets a photo op.
McConnel is playing dirty pool. Good for Mitch.
Oldflyer:
At almost exactly the time you posted your comment, I put up this post on the subject.
Note to (my) Senator Markey: so you’re saying the GND is all political posturing and virtue signaling bluster. Got it. Thanks.
And hot off the press from “Variety”:
Hoofers refuse to be cowed. Flip AOC the bird!!
Dems in udder disarray after brilliant cownterattack!!!
Bovines’ Lives Matter!!!!
https://nypost.com/2019/02/13/tudder-is-a-tinder-inspired-app-for-cows/
Green as in renewable money. Green as in scientifically naive. Green as in low-density, massively disruptive or blight. Save the whales! I mean, butterflies!
That said, the “green” solutions have niche value, and should be considered in a basket of energy converters/producers as they are suitable to task.
“…the fight must be fought anew every day…”
Spot on.
While the Left believes it is in a constant war with the Right, the old GOP never got this through their noggins & lost every skirmish since Reagan. Those now riding the Trump Train got the message when Mitt was cut off at the knees & tugged his forelock. The new GOP volunteered to go to war – POTUS Trump is the result.
What p•sses off the Left (Dems & MSM) the most these days is that the Right just won’t roll over anymore (as long as we can keep the RINOs & Never-Trumpers on the sidelines). This Right ain’t ever going to quit…
Lyndon LaRouche has died… he was 96…
I didnt even know he was still alive…so i guess it worked out…
Should have known you would be on top of the latest twist and turn of the Bullet Train fiasco. Glad, I got my comment in before I saw your post, however, as it gave me the opportunity to say something.
With new Governor Newsom, California lurches even further left; but, if he actually terminates Brown’s favorite boondoggle it will be a good thing.
It would be interesting if someone would compute the equivalent pay cut that living with tax burdens like that of California, and comparable states, imposes compared to states like Florida. I know that some would say that pay scales are comparatively higher in the high tax states; but, that is meaningless for many, including fixed income folks. California rates very poorly on poverty scales.
Isn’t this basically the same tactic that Mueller’s ‘”dream team” used when one of the firms indicted, Concord Management and Consulting, actually showed up to demand its day in court?
“Before you laugh, or ask WFT?—or both—note that this Orwellian sort of thing—allowing us to vote on something we proposed is akin to silencing our voices—is not unusual on the left. That’s why Orwell became a household word, because he noted and described the phenomenon so well. There’s plenty Republicans do and say for which they can be criticized, but Orwellian speech is far more likely to be the province of the left.” — Neo
My favorite hat: “Make Orwell Fiction Again” – If I get the blue one, am I safe from Antifa?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DkI4TzuVsAAAMng.jpg
https://dailycaller.com/2019/02/12/ocasio-cortez-new-york-times-green/
If you’ve lost David Brooks….
Steve Walsh. You have to understand that Ed Markey’s major achievement in his decades as a Congress critter and now our junior Senator has been converting oxygen into carbon dioxide by breathing. OMG, until I wrote that, I didn’t realize that he’s contributing to Global Warming. I have to go lie down until the shock goes away.
The Green New Deal is the Green New Quicksand Trap, as dug by Democrats and filled by Democrats. I laugh (HA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH) in their faces.
About that Fake News “canard” — yep, it’s still good.
Bloomingdale’s is really going to miss out on sales of those tee-shirts.
https://libertyunyielding.com/2019/02/13/wapo-writer-says-trump-lied-about-gnd-no-one-proposed-eliminating-air-travel-or-cows/
And what is it that Glenn Reynolds says? (kind of paraphrased)
“I’ll believe there is a crisis when the people saying there is a crisis start acting like there is a crisis.”
https://libertyunyielding.com/2019/02/13/ocasio-cortez-living-in-luxury-apartment-building/
“Her office pushed back against the notion that it was hypocritical for Ocasio-Cortez, who has made housing affordability one of her top policy concerns, to move into a luxury building. A spokesman pointed out that her office also uses a car with an “internal combustion engine that runs on fossil fuels,” even though she thinks their use should be eliminated.”
Darth Mitch — I kinda like it.
http://thefederalist.com/2019/02/13/gop-pounce-democrats-vote/
Media bias? Nah, not here!
http://thefederalist.com/2019/02/12/political-journalists-are-trying-to-gaslight-america/
“Trump says a lot of things, like claiming Mexico will pay for the border wall, and every reporter treats his political statements as if they are chiseled into a stone. They mock those who argue that Trump should be taken seriously, not literally. Yet Ocasio-Cortez can send out a FAQ and alleged journalists will claim that it never existed because it wasn’t part of a congressional bill.
In reality, Ocasio-Cortez never walked the ideas back. There was no “kerfuffle.” There was no “erroneous information.” There was no “flub.” Instead, it seems there was a move from rank bias to amateur gaslighting.”
I would amend that to “professional gaslighting” though.
Neo! WFT? WTF!!!
Ralph:
Neo probably meant Walleyes For Tomorrow.
https://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/WFT
Steve Hayward, not writing at PowerLine
https://thebulwark.com/five-reasons-the-green-new-deal-is-worse-than-you-thought/
Five Reasons the Green New Deal Is Worse Than You Thought
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal isn’t even serious about environmentalism, let alone economics.
by STEVEN F. HAYWARD FEBRUARY 12, 2019 7:03 AM
This is JOHN Hayward (aka Doc Zero)
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/02/11/hayward-ocasio-cortez-disavows-green-new-deals-faq-after-becomes-mockery/
“The Green New Deal (GND) quickly became the subject of such mockery that its godmother, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, attempted to scrub the talking points from her website and pretend they never existed at all. The effort to erase this political disaster is one of the biggest political gaslighting operations in recent memory. It happened so fast that half of the online Left is still touting the GND as the irresistible wave of the future, while the other half thinks it’s a trick concocted by right-wing pranksters.”
AOC is thinking she got slapped with a Walleye.