The lawn chairs on the Capitol are barely folded and put away from the inauguration celebration that marked Barack Obama's triumphant return as president and the official start to his second term, and yet the GOP, rife with anxiety, are, in their own words, ready to "take their country back." Instead of perhaps prudently making even the most minor attempt toward reforming the party from its ancient, draconian ways Republicans have decided instead, nah, let's continue acting stupid and simply hijack the system so that we can retake the White House in 2016. Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal communicated his thoughts in plain English insisting they must "stop acting stupid."
We start with the Republican controlled state of Virginia who, according to the Washington Post, are set to cast a vote to change the electoral college rules in their state as early as next week. In essence this action would syphon the vote from highly populated communities, where the vote is increasingly Democrat and give rise to power to the rural, less populated, communities by assigning the Electoral College votes by congressional districts. Imagine, how scary would it be for the United States presidency to be decided and the policy set by those who would have us overturn Roe vs. Wade, return to a segregated education system of "separate but equal" and advocate the NRA and tobacco industry deciding what is best for the over all well-being of our beloved America?
I know, perish the thought, but do not fret, the GOP and their commitment to good 'ole fashion cheatin' ways with Reince Priebus at the helm, are basically providing the bullets for the proverbial gun that will eventually destroy them in their current form. That irony certainly would not be wasted on Al Gore (or Katherine Harris for that matter) who would have handily won the presidency from "Dubya" in 2000 had it not been for that pesky electoral college that the Republicans now want so desperately to change for their benefit.
I have said it many times before, the Republican Party, with the occasional rare exception of a Chris Christie or Jon Huntsman, seem to be completely and utterly tone-deaf to the stark new reality that our country does not look like it did in 1952, nor should it. We are more tolerant of our own reflection, in all of its diversity, and have accepted that we as a people are not all the same and in fact must embrace and capitalize upon those differences to better strengthen our union.
The GOP also suffers a huge deficit in the understanding of technology and the ability of the electorate to communicate in ways only a few years ago would have been unimaginable. The country will not stand for the clandestine, nefarious operation run with such cold efficiency by Dick Cheney, who by the way I am absolutely positive the Death Star soundtrack from Star Wars played every time he entered a room. Now suddenly the country pays very close attention, as a direct result of the advent of digital communication platforms. Yeah, you know the ones Twitter, Facebook and the like. The GOP still thinks they can operate in the shadows like left overs from the KGB and the cold war, and can execute their unsavory and blatantly unfair plans without notice from the greater American public. Wrong! What takes place in the dark will be brought to the light.
The Obama campaign effectively created a vast network built with such artistry and discipline that surely will not be abandoned and left to wither on the vine post-election, but will in all likelihood be redirected to raise the ire of an attack on the democratic system and our most precious right, one person, one vote. The Republicans will once again be left shocked and dismayed that the grass-roots digital movement that elected and then reelected Barrack Obama will once again serve to catalyze action and mobilize the country to preserve what our founding fathers and ancestry fought tooth and nail to both preserve and ensure; the right of every citizen to have their voices heard at the ballot box.
GOP, if you're reading this, might I suggest that you actually listen to the man who defeated you not once but twice in the last election cycles? "Freedom is not reserved for the lucky and happiness for the few." Abandon the cosmetic and commit to the substantive, don't expend energy in futility to steal elections, but rather change your party to more accurately reflect an America that just wants a fair shake and an opportunity to prosper and be happy. Why not exchange the GOP (The Grand "Old" Party) from the 20th century and instead build one for the 21st? That is a question that only the Republican Party can answer: To cheat or not to cheat?