Nothing Like Having Good Enemies

First, you have Steve King (R-Crazytown) saying that he can't understand how you can be a Jew and a Democrat, despite the fact that most Jews in America are Democrats.  In many ways, he's distilling the identity politics of the GOP and applying them to Jews.  In some ways, this reminds me of Dubya's confusion when informed about the Sunni-Shia split in Iraq with the line, "I thought they were Muslims?"

Jews are a remarkably diverse group of people, for being so numerically small.  Most Jews have a strong sense of social justice, which is not exactly priority one in the GOP.  There is also an admonition to make the community you live in more just, rather than always pining for Israel.

Ironically, the Israeli Right has suggested that European Jews should leave Europe because they can't be protected there.  This has been met with outrage from Europeans and Europeans Jews, but it would really have the impact of undermining the Israeli Right, as European and American Jews are much more liberal than Israel as a whole right now.

But in Steve King's addled mind, all Jews are the same and if they don't conform to what he thinks a Jew should be - a militant nationalist - then how can they be Jews.

Statements like that should help insure that American Jews don't bolt the Democrats for the Republicans, even if Obama allows some sanctions to slip past the UN veto.

And now we have the first declared candidate of the 2016 Presidential Clown Car: Ted Cruz.

Cruz is such a flaming dickhole that even the other GOP Senators hate his guts.  His impulses are merely McConnellism taken to the next level but that next level is pretty close to anarchy.  He has spent his few years in the Senate throwing bombs, trying to destroy the credit rating of the US and shutting down the government whenever possible.

Cruz and King are exactly who Democrats would like to be the face of the modern GOP.  As the party veers further and further to the Right, they will try and bury their Todd Akins and put forth sensible seeming candidates - Jeb! - that are really just better at coding the crazy. Think the "Ryan Budget", a massive sack of lies, innumeracy and bullshit that is happily gobbled up by a press corps that desperately needs the GOP to not be crazy.

But as long as Cruz and King are making their brand of reactionary politics the face of the GOP, the Democrats should be just fine.

In fact, I urge all Democrats in states with open primaries to vote for Ted Cruz, especially if Hillary runs mostly unopposed.  If Cruz is the GOP nominee, I would wager Democrats win the House back.