Norman Ornstein in the HuffPuff:
“Americans all have to consider the implications now of a worst case scenario– the problems of scandal and polarization result in a meltdown of the W. Administration and a collapse of governance in Washington.”
Since Ornstein and his crowd are little orbs that move in relation to the glowing sun of Washington, the meltdown of Imperial authority would be — for them — the equivalent of the heat death of the universe. For the rest of us, of course, it would be a liberation — a fact that old Norm recognizes when he follows up his remarks with:
“No doubt some hard core partisans and ideologues would exult. But with the domestic and foreign policy challenges the country faces, it would be a disaster for all of us.”
It would be no such thing. Life would go on. People — real people, ordinary people, the farthest from “partisans” and “ideologues” as it is possible to get — would go about their lives, unencumbered, for once, by the knowledge that the warlords of Washington could start a new war (think Syria, think Iran), or come up with a fresh reason to restrict what is left of our traditional liberties. Naturally, such a state could not be allowed to persist for too long — after all, where there is a chance to seize power, can any politician resist? — but it would be good (good fun, that is) while it lasted.
That aside, however, take a look at Ornstein’s scenario of what happens next:
“1. Vice President Cheney resigns– and President Bush replaces him not with Condoleeza Rice, as the rumors in Washington speculate, but with his father, George H.W. Bush.
“2. President Bush resigns, allowing his father to move up to the presidency.
“3. Bush 41/44 chooses his best buddy and surrogate son Bill Clinton (42, that is) to be Vice President. Talk about a fusion White House. Talk about bringing us together. Talk about compassionate triangulation.
“Keep this roadmap in your back pocket for now. And remember, you heard it here first.”
Earth to Norm, re: 2 – 3: it ain’t gonna happen. Just remember, however, where you heard the “Cheney resigns” prediction first — on Antiwar.com, of course. Waaaay back in October 2003:
“”If Libby is implicated as having anything to do with Plame’s ‘outing,’ then that, in turn, implicates Cheney, who must take responsibility. The vice president’s resignation, under these circumstances, is a distinct possibility.””
UPDATE: Ornstein emailed me shortly after this post went up:
“Earth to Justin: it was a joke, a parody. Like the last one. I guess I have to write PARODY around these posts.”
Who can tell, these days ….?