The irony of the Right's preoccupation with dethroning Bill Clinton is that in the cabal's aftermath - with the public feeling vengeful - most ring leaders in Congress will walk away unscathed, but their reluctant, moderate accomplices will suffer.
The reason, of course, is that most extremist members of the House come from staunchly conservative, and therefore safe, districts. When not unopposed, they run against dreamers and tokens for reelection with the happy knowledge they can't lose. As long as they can draw breath to fume indignantly about "liberals" and "big gov'ment," these inveterate demagogues will forever be with us. Their moderate brethren, however, hatch from swing districts inconveniently infested with thoughtful voters, and each biennial campaign is a struggle on the road for political survival - and the next one is all uphill.
Ignoring this reality, the far-right cavalry headed the charge with pop guns against a popular president, endangering not themselves, to repeat, but their vulnerable colleagues. The hasty assault was the unconsidered behavior of a drunken sailor, more intent on bloodying Clinton than retaining control of majority reins. In short, it was an astonishing display of political irresponsibility. Had a legislative agenda been important, the leadership would have devised one. But at its very core, the Right's singular obsession with whacking an opponent, while neglecting an agenda, is proof of the bankruptcy of its ideological account.
Beyond trite calls for cultural makeovers, smaller government, and less taxes (the first quixotic, the second in progress, and the third presently unpopular), the shallowness of the Right is clear and immediate. What has been little noted is the longer-term consequence of its superficiality, which, without serious intervention by party activists with a futuristic bent, may unfold as follows. With the expulsion and retirement of moderates, not to mention occasional party re-identification, GOPers will become a more tightly knit, and of course smaller band of ideologues safely entrenched as sole spokesmen for neo-conservatism. They will, almost in fact, become the GOP of the Christian Coalition. The upside is that they'll be a harmless minority - at least for a while.
I say only a while, because in time Democrats are apt to become cocky and botch matters. The surest preventative is a sober, serious-minded opposition, but since one won't exist, Democrats eventually will lose their edge. Thereupon the public will again become susceptible to soothing panaceas from the Right, and off we'll go, repeating the familiar Lapse of '94 ... and '52 ... and '20 ... and ....
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