Monday, September 28, 2015

Salon warns us that the Republican party is now run by extremists. Gee, really?

This is really quite a comprehensive and informative article, but I wanted to draw your attention to this part here: 

By the time of the George W. Bush administration, Movement Conservatives controlled the Republican Party, and they abandoned reality in favor of their simple story line. A member of the Bush administration famously noted to journalist Ron Suskind that “the reality-based” view of the world was obsolete. “That’s not the way the world really works anymore,” this senior adviser to the president told Suskind. “When we act, we create our own reality.” 

That is exactly what today’s Movement Conservatives are doing. After the last Republican debate, astonished observers noted that many of the candidates’ assertions were flat-out lies. The New York Times editorial board mused: “It felt at times as if the speakers were no longer living in a fact-based world.” But the lies are not random. They tell followers that America has fallen apart because enemies— minorities, women and liberals– have poisoned the government. Only a Movement Conservative leader can purge the nation of that poison and return America to its former greatness. Donald Trump, who currently commands a significant lead, is the salesman who puts it most clearly. He tells his followers that “the world is a mess.” He promises to work outside the old order and replace it with something new and wonderful. He tells them a story in which Christianity is under siege, President Obama is a foreigner, and that immigrants—who actually commit crimes at lower rates than native-born Americans– are criminals. He refused to contradict a follower who announced that Muslims are a problem that we must “get rid of.” And he promises to “Make America Great Again.” 

But Trump is not an outlier. Jeb! says that black people vote for Democrats to get “free stuff.” Mike Huckabee insists that the United States is criminalizing Christianity. Bobby Jindal promises to “fire” Congress. Ted Cruz hints that President Obama is a Muslim and warns that no Muslim should be president. All of the candidates demonize undocumented immigrants. 

And Carly Fiorina makes the outrageous claim, on national television, that political opponents murder babies to harvest and sell their brains. Think about that. 

The fantasy world of Movement Conservatives is no longer fringe talk. The leading candidates for the Republican presidential nomination embrace it. They are playing to a chorus of true believers, and they are preaching what that choir wants to hear. They are following the same pattern Eric Hoffer identified as the path to authoritarianism. Last week, 43 percent of Republicans polled said they could imagine a scenario in which they would back a military coup. This week, Movement Conservatives in Congress knocked off a conservative speaker because he refused to sacrifice the American government to their demands.

You know over the years I have often described the Republican party as an asylum overrun by the inmates, and I don't think that has ever been more true than it is today. 

There is NOBODY in the party that has any hope of regaining control over what is now a runaway train filled with Right Wing zealots eagerly awaiting its eventual explosive crash into the mountainside.

These people were elected on the idea that government does not work, and arrived in Washington to prove that point.

Today there is no real bipartisanship, no compromise, and little getting accomplished that the President is not pushing through almost completely on his own.

Truly the only way to move beyond this paralysis is to either replace the saboteurs of the Tea Party with hopeful pro-government Democrats. Or to allow the Republicans to win the White House.

And if that latter choice does not send a cold chill right up your spine, then you my friend have simply not been paying attention.

I think this next election cycle is not only incredibly important for choosing who will lead this country for the next four years, but in setting the tone for politics in the years that follow.

Conventional wisdom dictates that after one party holds the White House for two terms that the other party almost always wins the next election. However for the sake of the country Democrats need to do everything in their power to buck that trend.

And not only that but to prove to the American people that government done right is not something to fear, but rather something that can have a real positive impact on their lives.

Now the only question is among the current Democratic presidential hopefuls, who has the best chance of accomplishing that feat? And why do I keep seeing the face of Elizabeth Warren?

34 comments:

  1. Janice A Soderquist12:07 PM

    OT... where is Bristol, another extremist

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:49 PM

      Bristol is busy this week .. the laid off Shell rig workers are drilling her.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous1:07 PM

      DRILL BABY DRILL.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous2:00 PM

      Ha ha 12:49! That's hilarious!

      Delete
    4. Damn your life must really suck if you read that post and all you can think of a post about Bristol Palin. I going to surmise that you didn't even read the post. The Republicans love people like you that can't stay focused on the true issues.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous12:15 PM

    Well, our president knocked it out of the global park today!

    President Obama laid out his comprehensive foreign policy ideology while hammering a diverse group of critics that ranged from Dick Cheney to Vladimir Putin, to Donald Trump.

    Video:

    Obama used Bush/Cheney’s failed Iraq war to illustrate the old and incorrect way of thinking, “No matter how powerful our military, how strong our economy, we understand the United States cannot solve the world’s problems alone. In Iraq, the United States learned the hard lesson that even hundreds of thousands of brave, effective troops, trillions of dollars from our Treasury, cannot by itself impose stability on a foreign land. Unless we work with other nations under the mantle of international norms and principles and law that offer legitimacy to our efforts, we will not succeed. And unless we work together to defeat the ideas that drive different communities in a country like Iraq into conflict, any order that our militaries can impose will be temporary.”

    The President mocked Putin and the Republicans in this country who cheerlead for him, “Now, within Russia, state-controlled media may describe these events as an example of a resurgent Russia — a view shared, by the way, by a number of U.S. politicians and commentators who have always been deeply skeptical of Russia, and seem to be convinced a new Cold War is, in fact, upon us. And yet, look at the results. The Ukrainian people are more interested than ever in aligning with Europe instead of Russia. Sanctions have led to capital flight, a contracting economy, a fallen ruble, and the emigration of more educated Russians.”

    President Obama accused Donald Trump and the Republican Party of exploiting and manipulating people’s fears, “The increasing skepticism of our international order can also be found in the most advanced democracies. We see greater polarization, more frequent gridlock; movements on the far right, and sometimes the left, that insist on stopping the trade that binds our fates to other nations, calling for the building of walls to keep out immigrants. Most ominously, we see the fears of ordinary people being exploited through appeals to sectarianism, or tribalism, or racism, or anti-Semitism; appeals to a glorious past before the body politic was infected by those who look different or worship God differently; a politics of us versus them.”

    The critics of the President who claim that he does not have a foreign policy vision need to watch this speech. President Obama’s foreign policy places diplomacy and international cooperation first.

    more

    http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09/28/president-obama-obliterates-putin-donald-trump-dick-cheney-address.html

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:43 PM

      No foreign policy vision?!? Seems to me that, once again, he's the smartest guy in the room!

      Delete
  3. Anonymous12:38 PM

    Trump’s Tax Plan Is A Con That Benefits Corporations And The Wealthiest Americans

    http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09/28/media-trumps-tax-plan-con-benefit-rich.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous12:44 PM

    You got my attention. I'm pretty scared now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Then this will finish you off -- do not look at this chart at bedtime. if you live in those states, vote early, vote often... :D

      Gerrymandering.
      Go to link (at bottom of this post) to see chart of how many votes it takes by Democrats (sometimes 3 to 1 Repub) to elect a Democratic congressman.

      When was the last time you saw a front page headline about gerrymandering?

      Before the 2010 election, conservatives launched a plan to win control of state legislatures before the census. The idea was to be in power when national congressional districts were redrawn in order to fix them so Republicans would win a majority of districts.

      The Redistricting Majority Project was hugely successful. In 2012, Barack Obama was elected President by nearly 3.5 million votes. In Congressional races, Democrats drew nearly 1.4 million more votes than Republicans yet Republicans won control of the House 234 seats to 201 seats.

      How is this possible?

      By pumping $30 million into state races to win the legislatures, Republicans redrew state maps in states such as Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Texas, Florida and Ohio to place all of the Democrats into just a few districts.
      In this manner, Democrats win heavily in a couple districts and lose the rest.

      In North Carolina, the statewide vote was 51 percent Democrat and 49 percent Republican yet 9 Republicans won and only 4 Democrats.

      Where is your coverage of this vote stealing, "liberal media"?

      You're willing to cover voter ID laws, why can't you cover real vote stealing?

      https://www.pinterest.com/pin/421297740117909055/


      Whole article:
      https://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/08/07/1229087/-15-things-everyone-would-know-if-there-were-a-liberal-media?detail=emailclassic

      Delete
  5. A. J. Billings1:02 PM

    On top of everything else that will happen under the next President, the choice of at least 2 Supreme Court justices will likely fall in that purview.

    If a Christian Taliban leader like Ted Cruz or John Kasich, or Rick Santorum made it into the Presidency, they would go after Roe V Wade by nominating extreme religious fanatics to the Court.

    Next on the list would be eliminating EVERY safety net for the American people, including Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, and college loan guarantees.

    Other items for a Christian Ayatollah in the Oval Office would be instant elimination of the EPA, Dept of Education, outsourcing the Postal service, and killing or outsourcing the IRS.

    For a cherry on top, a Ted Cruz type would be on a holy Jesus Jihad to cut all business taxes to the bone, and double the Dept of Defense budget to over 1 Trillion.

    We need to get out and vote whomever the Repubs nominate, and I say that as a paleocon conservative in the vein of Eisenhower.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:31 PM

      I firmly believe this, AJ, you are not alone!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous1:54 PM

      Taliban Dan for Speaker of the House. From floriDUH!

      http://www.rawstory.com/2015/09/far-rights-choice-for-house-speaker-is-duggar-allied-religious-fanatic-called-taliban-dan/

      Delete
    3. Anonymous3:18 PM

      My millennial daughter says she's seeing way more political interest on the part of her social media contacts than 4 years ago. BUT it's excitement about Bernie Sanders and she's afraid if he's not the nominee they'll all stay home and not vote at all.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous9:43 AM

      AJ, did u graduate from Highland highschool?

      Delete
  6. Anonymous1:32 PM

    President Obama is the only one holding these twisted assholes at bay:

    GOP To Launch New Assault On Obamacare, Planned Parenthood

    House Republicans have a plan to get their bills past the Senate.

    Planned Parenthood and Obamacare are probably the two things the GOP hates most. House Republicans are targeting both this week with an obscure procedural move that could finally advance opposition bills to President Barack Obama's desk.

    The procedure is called budget reconciliation, and legislation advanced that way cannot be filibustered in the Senate, is subject only to limited amendments and needs only simple majority votes to pass, according to House and Senate rules.

    It would then be up to Obama to veto the measures, which he would be all but certain to do. But the process would move two cherished GOP goals through the Senate, pushing them further than they've ever gotten before.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gop-republicans-obamacare-planned-parenthood_560965d2e4b0768126fe3f35

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous1:43 PM

    Fiorina Endorses Torture, Warrantless Wiretap Programs

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/carly-fiorina-national-security_5609537de4b0768126fe19ca?utm_hp_ref=politics

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous1:47 PM

    Did anyone watch the Donald Trump presentation re: taxes? He was literally hollering into the mike!

    I do like the idea of taxes being made easier to file, with less deductions for the rich and lower taxes for the poor. But, would he really be able to get his plan through Congress if elected? Seriously doubt it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:59 PM

      I cannot stand his voice just as I can't abide Palin's.
      AND I do not trust him as far as I can throw my sofa.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3:42 PM

      @ 1:47 You must have read about a different plan than I did. The Donald's tax scam is a big tax cut for the rich and corporations.

      The poor would get nothing other than being able to send the IRS a letter stating "I win", most of them don't pay taxes already anyway.

      Read up on his "plan":

      http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09/28/media-trumps-tax-plan-con-benefit-rich.html

      Delete
    3. Anonymous9:40 AM

      No,he would never get his plan passed. He's nothing but a slick suit. A carnival barker.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous1:56 PM

    👉 Bernie Sanders 2016 👈

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous2:19 PM

    Bernie. He'll be awesome.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The problem, Anon@2.19p, is that even if Bernie Sanders was elected, he would inevitably disappoint his "true believers", who think his election would change the country. That's what happened with Obama - he couldn't do "Hope and Change" fast enough for his rabid supporters, so he disappointed them. The same thing will happen with Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. Sometimes the Far Left is as stupid as the Far Right when looking at how policy gets done and how campaign policies are not able to be translated into action.

      I think Obama has been - for the most part - an excellent president, but I know way too many Dems who were "disappointed" in him. "He didn't close Gitmo" and other things he couldn't do caused him to lose some of his die-hard supporters. It's a damn shame for us to expect miracles from our leaders who stir up the passion in us.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous5:12 PM

      Agree with you, phoebes.

      Delete
    3. Phoebes - please - do not conflate those on the far left with those on the far right. While we are disappointed with Obama on a few things, we do realize he's been hamstrung by McConnell and Boehner.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous2:36 PM

    What I find interesting is that Boehner is willing to do on the way out what he was unwilling to do while in the office: tell the truth about what the extremists have done and are doing.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous2:39 PM

    Far-right’s choice for House Speaker is Duggar-allied religious fanatic called ‘Taliban Dan’

    http://www.rawstory.com/2015/09/far-rights-choice-for-house-speaker-is-duggar-allied-religious-fanatic-called-taliban-dan/

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous2:43 PM

    Alaska court erupts in laughter as right-wing extremist asks to be deported to heaven

    http://www.rawstory.com/2015/09/alaska-court-erupts-in-laughter-as-right-wing-extremist-asks-to-be-deported-to-heaven/

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous2:51 PM


    GOP insiders: Jindal and Pataki quit next

    Rand Paul’s on the departure list too, insiders predict.

    Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/gop-insiders-jindal-and-pataki-quit-next-214047#ixzz3n4o4ClyW

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous3:15 PM


    Alabama KKK Rolls Include Politicians, Teachers, Medical Professionals, Military (VIDEO)

    http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/28/alabama-kkk-rolls-include-politicians-teachers-medical-professionals-military-video/

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous3:53 PM

    Rand Paul Unveils Harebrained Scheme To Blame Democrats For Government Shutdown

    http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09/28/rand-paul-plan-blame-democrats-shutting-govt-planned-parenthood.html

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous5:27 PM

    Jeb Bush is as nasty as they come.
    Blacks are not the only ones who mostly vote Democratic.
    The majority of Hispanics/Latinos, the majority of Asians, the majority of Jews, the majority of women, vote Democratic.

    ReplyDelete
  18. There are two republican parties. One that protects the rich and powerful with policies designed to make those folks richer, and the other that panders to those who aren't rich and powerful with social, not economic, issues. The worker classes are continually misled into believing they and the rich are birds of feather because they speak the same social issue language. Yet republican policy is to strip away every safety net, worker voice, and economic benefit that help average citizens. Never, ever do you hear how much doing away with safety nets will increase your bottom line, and how you will benefit.

    Scott Walker's solution to economic disparity is to do away with the minimum wage and replace it with hope. Same for Bush. Let's replace welfare with aspiration. "Hey, don't worry if you can't feed the kids and pay the rent, just live on hope, aspiration, and get a great education."

    Keep the masses poor and stupid and they can be controlled. People who are worried about just trying to survive don't have time to worry about the rich. Through anything at them to keep them stirred up so they won't focus on the disparity between their lives and the super-wealthy. Why does Rush Limbaugh care about water on Mars? He doesn't. He couldn't give a damn one way or another. It's just another talking point to keep his followers focused on something other than how pornographic wealth has become in this nation.

    I am not so naive as to believe liberals don't have their own agendas and also protect the rich. But republicans have nothing but utter contempt for average Americans.





    ReplyDelete

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