The startling defeat today of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor by Dave Brat, a little-known economics professor, in Virginias Republican primary, is a lesson in just how extreme the GOP base has become. Brat, the tea party favorite, had repeatedly attacked Cantor for supporting “amnesty” for undocumented immigrants. The lesson won’t be lost on congressional Republicans. You can kiss immigration reform goodbye, for one thing. And expect the GOP to move even further rightward. Even if this is good for Democrats in the upcoming midterms and 2016, it’s bad for America. Working-class whites on a downward economic escalator are easy prey for demagogues blaming immigrants, the poor, African-Americans, and the U.S. government. The real fault lies in an economic system thats no longer working for most people. Unless or until prosperity is more widely shared, we can expect more of this.
Posted on: Wed, 11 Jun 2014 01:03:36 +0000
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