Yet Another Political Rambling
This whole "Tea Party" thing is so threadbare - so threadbare.
Here's the thing. Fifty or sixty years ago, it wasn't considered political suicide to be openly racist. And it certainly didn't make one a social pariah in their community to hate people who weren't lilly white. Things have changed. And today, thankfully, one cannot express their racist thoughts without being a pariah in the eyes of their community (assuming they don't live on a white-power compound or something), and it's political suicide for someone to say such things.1
People are still racist, though. That will not change in my lifetime, if it will ever change. But what can they do with their repressed rage at having a black man being elected to the highest office in our land? We saw it in the blatantly racist (and English language crippling) "Birthers movement," which succeeded only in becoming a LOL-cow. That having failed, Obama was simultaneously labeled a "socialist" and a "fascist" by people who had never cracked open a book in their lifetimes. And who would fail an IQ test.
The republicans in Congress, some of whom are certainly racist themselves, rather than destroy their careers by outright racism, took this opportunity to fan the flames of Obama-hate: blockading and delaying every single piece of legislation coming from the democrats; placing the blame for this on the democrats without offering a sensible resolution of their own; labeling Obama as a "socialist", knowing that he's not, but also knowing that the people this characterization is targeted to are ignorant and have only a knee-jerk reaction (thanks to 65 years of propaganda) that "socialism is bad"; also in the same breath labeling Obama a "fascist," again relying upon the ignorance of their target audience; and finally calling him a muslim and hinting very heavily that he somehow hates this country.
It is so effective that people were foaming at the mouth because Obama wanted to set up an insurance system to give people who are desperate for medical care, but cannot afford the insurance let alone the doctors' bills, a modicum2 of help getting an affordable insurance plan. Something which exists today. It's called Medicare. It also exists for veterans.
And yet Obama is black! And he's scary! And he's trying to make us a socialist country!! And he's a muslim!!! OMG!!! WE HAVE TO TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK FROM THE SCARY BLACK MAN WHO WILL SODOMIZE IT WITH HIS HUGE PENIS BEFORE INVITING HIS MUSLIM FRIENDS TO COME AND RAPE HER!!!!!!!!!
They have focused rage, but have no way to express these sentiments without being a pariah.
Enter Palin and Beck - two consummate opportunists and massive whores. Neither of them are particularly bright. I think Palin may not even be in the top half of the bell curve. But they excel in confirming the Tea Baggers' paranoia through cunningly crafted phrases. And what seems like a logical argument, until you actually hear what they're saying. They mix lies with half-truths and stoke paranoia. (So much so that one man was arrested here in California because he was going to go kill a group in Berkeley, because Beck said that they were liberals bent on destroying America. He was stopped for speeding. And yet Beck can still sleep at night.)
And because of their grandstanding and lies and patronization of the Tea Baggers, the republican party now has some real loons up for election this November. I cannot imagine that all of the republicans are excited about this. These people, to the person, have rather extreme views on pretty much everything.
Independent voters (really the only people campaigns are run for) are independent because they have moderate views. The republicans now have a Herculean task ahead of them. They need to shine these turds and tone down their lunacy to try to get them elected. Much like giving a prisoner a haircut and a suit to make him look good in front of the jury.
If they do well this November (I disagree with Nate Silverman on this), we will have the next two years of a Palin campaign on our hands. On the one hand, it would be a slow train wreck to see her crumble under the scrutiny of a presidential run (a vice-presidential run is cake by comparison). But I'm rather hoping for the later, that they don't do well and Palin's influence will have been lessened because of it.
TL;DR version:
The Tea Party are racists and extremists. They hide the racist part so that they can get elected. Palin and Beck should release the sex tape all ready.
1Interestingly, one can say some of the most vile, untrue things about homosexuals, and they will be paraded on national television instantly giving their opinion "merit" and/or elected for office.
2A "modicum" is a very small amount.
Here's the thing. Fifty or sixty years ago, it wasn't considered political suicide to be openly racist. And it certainly didn't make one a social pariah in their community to hate people who weren't lilly white. Things have changed. And today, thankfully, one cannot express their racist thoughts without being a pariah in the eyes of their community (assuming they don't live on a white-power compound or something), and it's political suicide for someone to say such things.1
People are still racist, though. That will not change in my lifetime, if it will ever change. But what can they do with their repressed rage at having a black man being elected to the highest office in our land? We saw it in the blatantly racist (and English language crippling) "Birthers movement," which succeeded only in becoming a LOL-cow. That having failed, Obama was simultaneously labeled a "socialist" and a "fascist" by people who had never cracked open a book in their lifetimes. And who would fail an IQ test.
The republicans in Congress, some of whom are certainly racist themselves, rather than destroy their careers by outright racism, took this opportunity to fan the flames of Obama-hate: blockading and delaying every single piece of legislation coming from the democrats; placing the blame for this on the democrats without offering a sensible resolution of their own; labeling Obama as a "socialist", knowing that he's not, but also knowing that the people this characterization is targeted to are ignorant and have only a knee-jerk reaction (thanks to 65 years of propaganda) that "socialism is bad"; also in the same breath labeling Obama a "fascist," again relying upon the ignorance of their target audience; and finally calling him a muslim and hinting very heavily that he somehow hates this country.
It is so effective that people were foaming at the mouth because Obama wanted to set up an insurance system to give people who are desperate for medical care, but cannot afford the insurance let alone the doctors' bills, a modicum2 of help getting an affordable insurance plan. Something which exists today. It's called Medicare. It also exists for veterans.
And yet Obama is black! And he's scary! And he's trying to make us a socialist country!! And he's a muslim!!! OMG!!! WE HAVE TO TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK FROM THE SCARY BLACK MAN WHO WILL SODOMIZE IT WITH HIS HUGE PENIS BEFORE INVITING HIS MUSLIM FRIENDS TO COME AND RAPE HER!!!!!!!!!
They have focused rage, but have no way to express these sentiments without being a pariah.
Enter Palin and Beck - two consummate opportunists and massive whores. Neither of them are particularly bright. I think Palin may not even be in the top half of the bell curve. But they excel in confirming the Tea Baggers' paranoia through cunningly crafted phrases. And what seems like a logical argument, until you actually hear what they're saying. They mix lies with half-truths and stoke paranoia. (So much so that one man was arrested here in California because he was going to go kill a group in Berkeley, because Beck said that they were liberals bent on destroying America. He was stopped for speeding. And yet Beck can still sleep at night.)
And because of their grandstanding and lies and patronization of the Tea Baggers, the republican party now has some real loons up for election this November. I cannot imagine that all of the republicans are excited about this. These people, to the person, have rather extreme views on pretty much everything.
Independent voters (really the only people campaigns are run for) are independent because they have moderate views. The republicans now have a Herculean task ahead of them. They need to shine these turds and tone down their lunacy to try to get them elected. Much like giving a prisoner a haircut and a suit to make him look good in front of the jury.
If they do well this November (I disagree with Nate Silverman on this), we will have the next two years of a Palin campaign on our hands. On the one hand, it would be a slow train wreck to see her crumble under the scrutiny of a presidential run (a vice-presidential run is cake by comparison). But I'm rather hoping for the later, that they don't do well and Palin's influence will have been lessened because of it.
TL;DR version:
The Tea Party are racists and extremists. They hide the racist part so that they can get elected. Palin and Beck should release the sex tape all ready.
1Interestingly, one can say some of the most vile, untrue things about homosexuals, and they will be paraded on national television instantly giving their opinion "merit" and/or elected for office.
2A "modicum" is a very small amount.