Apparently the Republican plan is to go so deep into exile that they come out on the other side.

Henry Kight, 59, of Austin, Tex., about Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, who has said he may decline the extra money rather than change state policy:

Mr. Kight and other unemployed workers said they were incensed to learn they were living in one of a handful of states — many of them among the poorest in the nation — that might not provide the expanded benefits.

“It just seems unreasonable,” Mr. Kight said, “that when people probably need the help the most, that because of partisan activity, or partisan feelings, against the current new administration, that Perry is willing to sacrifice the lives of so many Texans that have been out of work in the last year.”

Kelley Joyce, 43, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., about indications from Gov. Mark Sanford that he may reject some of the stimulus financing in that state:

“I don’t understand the whole thing…Apparently because he has money and he doesn’t have to worry about everybody else who doesn’t have money.”

Erica Greer, 32, and her mother, Candace Foss, 59, about Gov. Sonny Perdue, who has said he fears the long-term consequences of accepting the money:

“I don’t think he truly understands the plight of his citizens…He’s surrounded by people with good jobs, who make good salaries. He’s not surrounded by people like me.”

No, he’s not surrounded by people like you. The people around him are so big and close, they block his view of you entirely…or would if he hadn’t already turned away from where you stand.

In tough times people fall back to the things they are most sure of, and there is no doubt these are tough times for the Republican Party. Regardless of what their next move is, they are goiing to catch it in the neck because they have been set up by their own cultural requirements.

You see, in general poverty and such is invisible to the citizens and policy makers in the nation’s A.S.S. (American Solid South). There’s a cultural requirement to ignore the poverty of Black folks (because that’s the way it is, and there’s nothing I can do about it) and white folks (because at least they aren’t Black…), and politicians in particular got away with it because poor people don’t vote.

Plus ça change, plus c’est le même chose, right?

Nope. These ain’t your father’s poor people.

All the mortgage rejiggerings in the world won’t do much to help homeowners whose major source of income disappears, and that is a growing threat to the American real estate market as the country’s economy endures a second year of recession.

These are people who are accustomed to their society being respectful of, if not responsive to, their needs. And they vote as a matter of course. You Republicans taught them to.

So listen to Bill Kristol if you want to, because I don’t like you enough to keep you from committing a painful, public seppuku.