As much as we might enjoy thinking of Republican politicians and pundits as stupid, they are not. They are stupid like sharks with blood in the water. They are focused on their goals and pursue them with Machiavellian intensity. The problem is that their goals are directly opposed to the well being of the 99%. Everything Republicans do is intended to further one of two goals. One is the transfer of wealth from the poor and middle classes to the 1%. The other is the establishment of a permanent Republican regime, where one party rules exclusively, and that rule is impervious to elections. Republicans know what the economy needs, and history proves it. But they are preventing it to sabotage the economy.