You're watching...
Author and longtime GOP aide Mike Lofgren tells Alan why he believes that the Republican Party has become a “cult.”
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
So -- I don't let welcome nightclub Graham who has written the party's over how Republicans.
Went crazy Democrats became useless.
In the middle class got shafted us let -- put on the cover book might.
Mike spent many years working in congress the last sixteen is a senior analyst on the house and senate budget committees left government service in 2011 in this book.
Is based on an article.
-- -- had -- -- -- Doug -- goodbye and all that reflections of a GOP operative who left the -- Mike is the GOP occult.
Well first there's going to be here -- back and.
Yeah I kinda think they are you just have to take a look at Karl Rove.
Based on last night you -- it with the triumph of belief over empirical have an amazing moment.
Indeed it Wallace and now he says attributing the law to hurricane -- the vote suppression by the Democrats.
They actually have doing -- voter suppression.
Yes and that the hurricane was of course an act of god.
The way I interpret that is what did god want Romney's to lose.
Yes that's that I I mean if you didn't say I'm surprised Pat Robertson has a commented on this that if you're gonna say that it's.
You know god decides these things in god creates a -- -- against god wonder Obama to -- right.
Well that would seem to be the case and I'm not arguing from the perspective.
Of a Democrat I'm not a Democrat I'm an independent.
I think we need to viable change parties in this country.
And I have left the Republican -- because.
I've seen them particularly since 2008.
Go crazy and then.
They took over the house in 2000 -- And pushed the debt ceiling saying that I'd have -- you cannot screw around.
With the credit rating in the United States and they did they did bring it all.
You weigh in your book go after Newt Gingrich pretty vociferously.
Is he the beginning of the problem.
I'll probably was.
When he became speaker of the house it was a rather chaotic process.
He pretty much destroyed the committee system in in congress.
And bill that were written by committees.
To be sort of bounce done in this sort of thing would disappear into the speaker's office and reappear re written.
It was -- that very poor process it was not collegial and it was chaotic.
Consider that a little further the big issue talk about the mix of politics and religion doesn't that date back.
To the Ronald Reagan era Jerry Falwell the moral majority.
Will certainly in the 1970s.
Even.
There was this kind of marriage of convenience.
I don't know who the board who were there with the political operative.
The Evan -- a cold or vice Versa.
But.
It started -- he did not become.
-- sort of overriding factor.
Until much later.
I think we could -- -- that something was happening.
With Pat Robertson strong showing in the 88 Iowa Caucuses.
But he wasn't it hadn't really broached the water line.
On a national basis.
Not to the extent it has now -- Flipped it what how did they go crazy.
I think it was a combination of factors.
I think after.
The 9/11 attacks.
A lot of people got freaked out in this country.
And you know after three -- so.
Many of them went back to their senses that the world wasn't going to end but others did not.
And so they're running around about Muslim conspiracy.
To take over the government.
And all the other sort of nonsense.
And I think the final nail in the coffin.
What the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008.
It cause people to probably freak out.
And also attribute its claws.
To acorn.
The community reinvestment act of 1977.
But haven't -- Anything under this.
But their own policies that Republicans.
With some democratic help I'd say.
Clinton signed the repeal Glass-Steagall.
But primarily Republican policies.
In the policies of Wall Street which they now want totally deregulated.
You had not been in the Atlantic -- you talk about -- three in particular three reasons.
That people are using to explain what's going on and and one of them which you give some cream -- Obama is an unprincipled Centre right politician.
Is he really Centre right do you think is that we just -- -- -- people really believe.
Well I think a lot of people believe it in there are some aspects of his policy.
They could be seen that way it's.
Not too far from being a third bush term and in terms of his foreign policy that drone policy and you hope for he got out of Afghan out of Iraq sorry Iraq but.
Nevertheless -- and I think November or December of 2008.
Under bush.
They had already -- the status of forces agreement with Iraq so it's not -- huge change.
And he did deck and increase -- -- -- the surge in Afghanistan he assigned the Patriot Act renewal of Patriot Act.
He did the defense authorization bill which declares the entire homeland they battleground I mean that I was amazed to see a so called liberal president do that.
I am through.
You know what I guess.
The -- of two evils argument.
Sound like a very pour -- on that and a lot of people.
Complained.
Unfortunately.
In life.
That's the situation we're in -- Just as it is with many of our personal decisions there's never a really good option.
Now but one thing I think we have done.
If he's sort of slipped out of the -- that Benjamin Netanyahu tried too -- for him and has avoided war with Iran which I think would be an unmitigated.
I among the groups by the way that supported Obama the most -- to be Jews in this -- Well by no means are they completely on board with a look good party.
There are many Jewish Americans who don't hold without.
I'm one.
And one of the Mike -- -- as our guest the party is over.
Is the title of the so -- Republicans went crazy Democrats blame.
Became useless in the middle class got shafted what's the way out of all this.
Well I think that the way out of that first the ball and and foremost if you get the money out of politics.
Now you've seen a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking.
About the election that well they dumped all this money in the campaign.
And the Republicans spent.
Four times as much of the so called dark money from the state of vital and -- fours and super tax.
And it didn't really -- -- that much good.
But the thing is -- it's only been two years after the Citizens United decision.
There is the learning curve.
And they will get.
Fund managers.
For these bonds who can figure out how to -- -- target just as well as.
The -- and and actual.
I mean -- -- be great to have it but elections publicly financed look at all the money and one of the reasons Karl Rove freaked out the other night is because he had.
Hundreds of millions of dollars on the line from his blood billionaire benefactors -- have to account to them why go -- -- that.
Why indeed I think it would be cheaper for the public even out of their pockets -- -- If we just.
Paid a small amount up -- -- to publicly funded elections.
Rather than these huge amounts from billionaires.
That -- -- things like.
So limber up.
Or Halliburton to be completely -- partisan -- Because they're gonna pay on the back end for failed a loan guarantees.
Or huge cost overruns in Iraq.
Final question is a Republican Party gonna get the message of this election that besides all the other things -- mentioned.
Buckman in Minnesota barely won -- lost more not lost Allen west is out.
And they finally getting the message to the wing nuts are knock the weight of the future.
Well I would hope though hope isn't necessarily -- good strategy.
Because.
A lot of people have an infinite capacity.
To rationalize.
Defeat.
-- well Romney wasn't a real conservative we didn't communicate our vision and so forth.
And on and on and all.
Dick -- stated -- Dick Morris didn't realize it was -- panic vote I mean we said to be a landslide.
For -- -- -- you know you got -- you said earlier justifying it by saying.
The vote was suppressed by Obama and that's -- -- it's crazy it's delusional but you know.
I wouldn't be surprised that he made himself -- How can -- be that delusional when you -- George W.
Bush become present United States twice -- many is the architect.
Of the bush campaigns you can't run a presidential campaign and win if you're delusional.
Well.
He didn't win but he.
Well -- bush only bush won twice as President Bush looked.
Well I think he did you become increasingly delusional and he doesn't know quite how to handle.
The Obama ground game which is tremendously.
-- -- -- All right certainly good luck with the book is fascinating night Lofgren the party is over thanks so much for your time tonight might.
