The Seven Cons

Ian Welsh provides one of the best quick-reference rundowns of the seven main components of the Right Wing coalition that I have seen. His posting is at The Agonist and can be accessed by clicking here.

I slightly disagree with one element of his assessment. He assigns the lead role in the coalition to the "TheoCons" or the Religious Right. I agree that they are the muscle of the coalition, the foot soldiers, but I remain convinced that the core, the brains, the driving force is what he calls the "CorporateCons." The corporate elites provide the financing for just about everything in the Right Wing coalition, from the think tanks and their prolific publications and talking heads to the Republican National Committee with its ruthless tentacles reaching into every level of American politics.

Looking at the Reagan/Bush I era and then at Bush II, all successful initiatives benefited the Corporate elites (tax breaks, reduced regulation, laissez-faire approach to mergers, marketing tactics, “free trade” and off-shoring, etc) while a lot of noisy lip service was paid to the "TheoCon's," the Religious Right's "social issues" (abortion, gay rights, separation of church and state, school prayer, etc)without any tangible, concrete results.

In fact, my bet is that the movers and shakers among the CorporateCons are terrified that Roe v Wade might be overturned. That would de-energize the TheoCons and throw high octane gasoline on the liberal coalition's agenda and arguably give the whole Right Wing four flat tires.

Actually, none of the Religious Right’s central issues have been effectively promoted, let alone implemented, by any of the Right Wing administrations from Reagan to Bush II. I think that in addition to the above-stated reasons, the Republican Party knows that most of the Religious Right’s agenda is just too scary for mainstream America and they are playing the same slippery and cynical game with the Religious Right that they played with Southern segregationists back during Nixon’s “Southern Strategy.” They use all the code words, they make backroom assurances, but never follow through because they know well that none of it will fly in mainstream America.

I believe most Americans who consider themselves conservatives, spell the word with a lower case "c." I also believe that most are primarily concerned with raising their families and leading a comfortable and fulfilling life. To date, Republicans have succeeded in convincing them that they can best provide the political context in which that can happen. They have done it by controlling the media, playing fast, loose and scornfully with the truth, by pandering shamelessly with wedge issues and by relentlessly pushing hate and fear buttons.

And so far, it has worked. They are very lucky in having the disengaged and self-absorbed population that calls 21st Century America home. They are also fortunate that the preceding generation of Right Wingers effectively castrated the media and forged the entire institution into a willing and compliant tool.

Welsh's piece in The Agonist will give you good clarity on the main players on the Right.