The news that Republican members of the Wyoming Legislature wanted the state to investigate buying an aircraft carrier[1] as insurance against a possible collapse of the US seems as good an occasion as any to signify the final descent of the party into irredeemable loopiness. Add to that the revival of birtherism, the inability to deal with Rush Limbaugh, and the absence of any coherent economic policy except tax cuts for the rich and you have a party that has seriously lost touch with reality.
As I observed a couple of years ago during the epistemic closure memetime, reality-denial mechanisms have some major political benefits, particularly in mobilising resistance against policy innovations, and tribal solidarity against outsiders of all kinds. But it seems clear at this point that the costs I mentioned then are now bigger than the benefits for the Repubs.
On any standard political calculus, they ought to be cruising towards a clean sweep in November – the economy is still in poor shape, and enthusiasm for Obama has declined massively as a result of policies in areas like civil liberties[2]. Instead, Republican pundits are already giving up on the Presidential election, and even on the Senate, and are starting to focus on whether they can even retain control of the House.[3]
Why is reality-denial turning out so badly, after working so well for so long. There are at several related factors at work here.
First, the parallel universe created by Fox News, the rightwing thinktanks and so on has turned out to be unstable and uncontrollable. Once released, viruses like birtherism cannot easily be recalled, and can mutate into new forms.
Second, there’s what might be called “cafeteria craziness”. Although no-one on the Repub side of politics can afford to be openly sane on all issues (even Jon Huntsman vacillated on global warming when he thought he had a chance in NH), only a minority are consistently crazy, and even they don’t all agree. So, it’s easy to get into trouble by saying something crazy that might, in other circumstances get a free pass, or even become a requirement for orthodoxy. This happened to Michelle Bachmann when she pushed the anti-vaccination button, and to Newt Gingrich with his lunar colony.
Third, there’s the requirement for doublethink, most obvious on issues like evolution. Creationists don’t wnat their kids to be told the Bible is wrong, but most are uninterested in changing university-level science courses and would be horrified if Exxon started using flood geology to locate oil. The problem is that there can’t be any honest communication about which parts of the orthodoxy are occasions for doublethink and which are actually supposed to be true. So, when true believers in the base discover that their representatives are merely mouthing shibboleths, there is potential for all kinds of trouble.
fn1. Presumably, this would have provided a basis for demanding a corridor to the Pacific, along with other territorial demands on neighboring states without the foresight to prepare for war. And to forestall killjoy commenters, please don’t bother pointing out that the aircraft carrier was an amendment added as a joke.
fn2. I know that polls show majority support for Obama’s appalling policies, even amomg Dems. But those who are most appalled are precisely those who provided the most enthusiastic support in 2008.
fn3. Of course, anything could happen. But it’s a bad sign when that’s the most promising aspect of the outlook.
John Quiggin 
From listing to republicans 🙂
Obviously the Cheney’s, De Lay’s, Cunningham’s, Ney’s et al of the world are no shrinking violets in such exploits, but it was under the Clinton watch that the Glass-Steagall act was repealed (granted it took both sides of congress to pass). Large pharmaceuticals initiated their serious power drive during the Clinton years.
The amount of campaign donation that Obama is receiving is downright alarming! Why hasn’t the Obama Admin taken bank reform seriously*after* the crisis? Could it be at the risk of upsetting his crony banking mates?
For those who haven’t seen it, I can recommend a Google search of (former White House Press Secretary) “Bill Moyer Crony Capitalism” and watch the show for a glimpse of the cronyism entrenched in Washington today.
@Troy Prideaux
AFAICS arguing about whether the Republicans or Democrats are more corrupt doesn’t have a lot of value; there’s no clear empirical measure so it’s as much a statement of your own personal bias as an out-there truth.
What matters more is is good policy and good governance and I think the Dems – corrupt or not – clearly are the best pick right now. The Republican appear to have well and truly vacated reality.
@Jim Birch
I was just expressing an opinion Jim (all of 2c worth). I agree with you in general and also agree the Dems are probably the best pick right now.
@Troy Prideaux
That might just be a true statement when applied to the Australian scene as well. Corruption is always difficult to judge as the successful ones disguise it so well.
I guess the reason I asked what I did is because, quite apart from suitcases full of cash near the Potomac, there’s a lot of what one might describe as legalised corruption or legalised bribery in, heck, let’s face it, most democracies. I imagine if you’re thinking about campaign finance from big business probably the Repubs get an, erm, ‘better’ deal.
Y’know,on teev tonight, we find they’ve done it again!
This time riot coppers moved in to violently bust up a small demonstration of people, mainly women, protesting Virginia’s curious recent forays into legislative territory they feel is “anti woman”.
Is democracy, truncheon style, still democracy?
On the contrary, I’d have thought their success proves it.
@paul walter
What’s more disturbing is how few people nowadays find this increasingly regular spectacle disturbing!
Do you guys get Bill Maher via HBO in Australia? He’s been so right about the bubble that the Republicans live in.
We get him via YouTube etc.
This is fun:
In Positive Economic Sign, Republicans Starting to Say Obama Wasn’t Born in US Again
Wait… Wyoming’s landlocked right?
Perhaps the sheer batshit craziness of the Republican nominees are actually having effect on the American populace. Gingrich with his much lauded Moonbase, Romney for changing his opinion on a five cent piece and Santorum for advocating a Christian version of Sharia law. (1) And no one really listens to Ron Paul, who is a libertarian… occasionally. The word “moderate” as being used as a slur. I’m sure Eisenhower is facepalming the whole fiasco from beyond the grave.
Also congrats on using the shibboleth. It’s got to be one of my favourite words, and too obscure for my liking.
(2) http://articles.cnn.com/2012-01-05/opinion/opinion_obeidallah-santorum-sharia_1_rick-santorum-santorum-two-santorum-one?_s=PM:OPINION