When this is over I think it’ll be difficult to overstate the extent to which this experience will have radicalized many among Republican grassroots and grasstops as to tactics we use in future.
There’s always been a vanguard of Republicans for whom the political end, no matter how important, can’t justify truly despicable means (political tactics). I think this episode finally convinced such people otherwise.
Democrats haven’t believed this since at least Alinsky and maybe before. Many Republicans have refused to get down into the situational ethics gutter with them. They’ve seen us lose political battles over the years as a result.
This is the coalitional schism Republicans have been negotiating in recent years: Tea Party/MAGA populists using ends-justify-the-means (Alinskyite) arguments vs. more traditional Rs who shy away from such tactics/arguments/practices.
What I believe Ds have finally done in recent days with their tactics is move a sizable portion of Republicans who used to be members of the former “polite” tactical group and move them to the Alinskyite ends-justify-the-means Republican camp.
In sum: if you think American politics as practiced of late has been nasty, just wait. Republicans are about to take the governor off. #ConfirmKavanaugh
