Lindsey Graham got into office by feeding wingnut paranoia, and now the paranoia has turned on him. Fascinating.
12 thoughts on “May the Circle Be Unbroken”
There’s a certain element that never think the candidates they support are going in the wrong direction. The problem as they see it is that they have not gone far enough. After all, retracting and going in a different direction is like saying you were wrong so the most advisable course is more hair of the dog. No doubt the Republican part has been aware of this sentiment and has been riding the crest of this little wave but they are starting to have reservations.
That might sometimes work except for when you were really going in the wrong direction in the first place. Then a purer distillation of what got us into the current mess in the first place really does make it worse.
It appears that South Carolina will never be represented better than they were by Lindsay Graham nor will their constituents ever be better educated. Is that what one might call a vicious circle?
They are self destructing right in front of us! If these people go with a Ron Paul no gubvernment nihilist they will lose like no ones business. I bet its 10 percent of the votes, tops.
Back in the 1970s the Republicans decided to hook up with the religious evangelical right. (And let’s be clear: there are evangelical groups that aren’t rightwing. This isn’t about them.) It was cleverly done, and became more so after the leaders of the hosannah types went wild buying radio and tv stations–all that 501(c)3 non-profit status when you’re really raking in the big bucks, you know. Of course, that also gradually helped change the goals of the GOP over time, but politics is all about trading off longterm benefits for shorterm gains in power. Nothing new, there.
Come we to present times, and the latest crop of aging Republican leaders, out of power, ideologically bankrupt, sees a mass of angry, confused people who have only vague emotions to fuel themselves, no concept of what went wrong, and no idea where to go with it. The GOP senses this is another religious right moment. They throw much money into the mix organizing and drawing together these folks, as well as seeding in their own Republican operatives among them to help provide the proper direction and momentum. Unfortunately, the GOP doesn’t seem to have realized that these folks don’t form a perfect match to GOP behavior, and that they aren’t going to become a coherent voting bloc. Hell, they aren’t going to even become coherent, because they aren’t a grassroots organization with a set of clearly established goals. They’re being held together from above, by the money that ferries them around and brings in the media who obediently cover their hissy fits–unlike, say, the religious evangelical right of the 70’s and the social safety netters of the 60’s, both of which were formed out of shared, deep-seated ethical commitment.
I can only wish the GOP happiness with the teabaggers they’ve purchased. I’m sure they’re worth every dollar you’ve spent attempting to control them, and to make them appear in the mainstream idiot press (or the wingnut 24/7 commentary station, Fox News) like Middle Amerika. Please, do continue to draw them to your bosom. Toss more money their way. Play to their worst impulses, just as you have been doing. And when they bite your hands, ignore it. After all, you have unlimited resources, and demonstrate to the rest of the nation what a class act you’ve got every time you associate with these people. Go, you!
It’s a little hard to understand, but the vitriol seems a little weak, 4-5 people at most certainly not the organized “anger” we saw at the town halls this summer (I doubt Dick Army was behind this one). It seems like a bit of a leap to report this as the crowd turning on Graham, though I’m sure his vote for Sotomayor will hurt him in the next election. They don’t take to kindly to them Hispanics down there in S.C. (unless of course they are cutting the grass, trimming hedges, cleaning motel rooms etc.) I thought the sound bite was how Graham towards the end of the clip was basically advocating a hard political turn to the right in this country and if “you-all don’t like it leave it”! That’ll grow the party hell yeah!
It seems like a bit of a leap to report this as the crowd turning on Graham…
But that’s the irony of it, Uncledad. There are many townhall meetings that occurred this summer which the mainstream media refused to cover, because nothing exciting was supposed to happen. The media aren’t interested in townhall meetings per se, even if very good points are raised and answered. They want cheap quickie soundbytes and thrills. Context means nothing to them, so if those meetings might be misconstrued as an upsurge of anger among an intelligent constituency against elected officials who support improved health care, so much the better from the GOP’s viewpoint.
So it’s pretty damn funny when the media mindlessly applies its search for excitement to this attack on Graham by the same teabaggers the GOP’s been trying to control. Did they leave out the context you mention? You bet! Does it bother me? Um, why should it?
“Does it bother me? Um, why should it?”
It doesn’t bother me either, but exaggerated reporting is misleading whoever it benefits. But your right why would the cables report on a boring old town hall where relevant questions affecting the nation are asked and answered, what blue chip conglomerate is going to buy ad time for that?
I am personally in favor of Ron Paul taking over the Republican party, or destroying what is left of it. 🙂
Wait til they figure out he’s gay.
Slightly OT, but how many of you predicted a split between selfish libertarian and fundie authoritarian, without foreseeing that wingnuts would actually try to merge the two into a “Only True American Faith� Shame on you for projecting rationality onto these people.
The most dangerous element is one that McCain noticed with the Palin draw. The money was great the enthusiasm just what the ol’ guy needed. But the pre-teabaggers were ugly, mean and took over the meetings wherever they were. Moderates who might have been interested in Palin stayed away because of the nasty people there. She never saw it and probably still doesn’t. Voters are repulsed because the GOP doesn’t stand FOR anything – they only stand AGAINST. The party has passed the tipping point. Graham has his rational moments as do McCain and Hatch – to name only 3. They will be driven out of the party and the GOP by % of voters will fall LOWER than the general popularity of Congress.
The defectors have not joined the Democrats. They are Independents. They have no convention, no candidates, no platform. Politically, they are all parked in the handicapped spots. They can swing any close election, but they can’t put up a candidate. Somebody is going to realize this, and we are going to see a 3rd party movement – and the complete marginalization of the GOP.
The question is how ‘we’ will react. You can count on the GOP being mean and nasty, and if we are, too then we have set the tone. They are going to bfeel attaced from all sides. On the other hand, there is going to evolve a 2-party system, and we have the chance to be good sports and establish the kind of cooperative tone that’s totaly absent. I’m not suggesting I will agreew with them mucho of the time – I won’t. But I will be willing to work with them to get stuff done. There’s a lot of stuff that has to get done – if we are going to survive.
My wife…yes, my dog…maybe, my guns…never!
Doug Hughes writes:
On the other hand, there is going to evolve a 2-party system…
Why two parties? Why oh why can’t we have the European multi-party model, that may not work any better, but at least prevents stasis, pac domination, and encourages accurate representation?
We really need to reconsider a nation ruled eternally by either the Republicans or the Democrats. Nearly all the former are on the take, and most of the latter. Few care about the electorate, except as mobs to be cynically manipulated; and these days we’re hearing from some congresspeople whose level of mentation and discourse doesn’t deserve a job as dogcatcher, much less federally elected official.
There’s a certain element that never think the candidates they support are going in the wrong direction. The problem as they see it is that they have not gone far enough. After all, retracting and going in a different direction is like saying you were wrong so the most advisable course is more hair of the dog. No doubt the Republican part has been aware of this sentiment and has been riding the crest of this little wave but they are starting to have reservations.
That might sometimes work except for when you were really going in the wrong direction in the first place. Then a purer distillation of what got us into the current mess in the first place really does make it worse.
It appears that South Carolina will never be represented better than they were by Lindsay Graham nor will their constituents ever be better educated. Is that what one might call a vicious circle?
They are self destructing right in front of us! If these people go with a Ron Paul no gubvernment nihilist they will lose like no ones business. I bet its 10 percent of the votes, tops.
Back in the 1970s the Republicans decided to hook up with the religious evangelical right. (And let’s be clear: there are evangelical groups that aren’t rightwing. This isn’t about them.) It was cleverly done, and became more so after the leaders of the hosannah types went wild buying radio and tv stations–all that 501(c)3 non-profit status when you’re really raking in the big bucks, you know. Of course, that also gradually helped change the goals of the GOP over time, but politics is all about trading off longterm benefits for shorterm gains in power. Nothing new, there.
Come we to present times, and the latest crop of aging Republican leaders, out of power, ideologically bankrupt, sees a mass of angry, confused people who have only vague emotions to fuel themselves, no concept of what went wrong, and no idea where to go with it. The GOP senses this is another religious right moment. They throw much money into the mix organizing and drawing together these folks, as well as seeding in their own Republican operatives among them to help provide the proper direction and momentum. Unfortunately, the GOP doesn’t seem to have realized that these folks don’t form a perfect match to GOP behavior, and that they aren’t going to become a coherent voting bloc. Hell, they aren’t going to even become coherent, because they aren’t a grassroots organization with a set of clearly established goals. They’re being held together from above, by the money that ferries them around and brings in the media who obediently cover their hissy fits–unlike, say, the religious evangelical right of the 70’s and the social safety netters of the 60’s, both of which were formed out of shared, deep-seated ethical commitment.
I can only wish the GOP happiness with the teabaggers they’ve purchased. I’m sure they’re worth every dollar you’ve spent attempting to control them, and to make them appear in the mainstream idiot press (or the wingnut 24/7 commentary station, Fox News) like Middle Amerika. Please, do continue to draw them to your bosom. Toss more money their way. Play to their worst impulses, just as you have been doing. And when they bite your hands, ignore it. After all, you have unlimited resources, and demonstrate to the rest of the nation what a class act you’ve got every time you associate with these people. Go, you!
It’s a little hard to understand, but the vitriol seems a little weak, 4-5 people at most certainly not the organized “anger” we saw at the town halls this summer (I doubt Dick Army was behind this one). It seems like a bit of a leap to report this as the crowd turning on Graham, though I’m sure his vote for Sotomayor will hurt him in the next election. They don’t take to kindly to them Hispanics down there in S.C. (unless of course they are cutting the grass, trimming hedges, cleaning motel rooms etc.) I thought the sound bite was how Graham towards the end of the clip was basically advocating a hard political turn to the right in this country and if “you-all don’t like it leave it”! That’ll grow the party hell yeah!
It seems like a bit of a leap to report this as the crowd turning on Graham…
But that’s the irony of it, Uncledad. There are many townhall meetings that occurred this summer which the mainstream media refused to cover, because nothing exciting was supposed to happen. The media aren’t interested in townhall meetings per se, even if very good points are raised and answered. They want cheap quickie soundbytes and thrills. Context means nothing to them, so if those meetings might be misconstrued as an upsurge of anger among an intelligent constituency against elected officials who support improved health care, so much the better from the GOP’s viewpoint.
So it’s pretty damn funny when the media mindlessly applies its search for excitement to this attack on Graham by the same teabaggers the GOP’s been trying to control. Did they leave out the context you mention? You bet! Does it bother me? Um, why should it?
“Does it bother me? Um, why should it?”
It doesn’t bother me either, but exaggerated reporting is misleading whoever it benefits. But your right why would the cables report on a boring old town hall where relevant questions affecting the nation are asked and answered, what blue chip conglomerate is going to buy ad time for that?
I am personally in favor of Ron Paul taking over the Republican party, or destroying what is left of it. 🙂
Wait til they figure out he’s gay.
Slightly OT, but how many of you predicted a split between selfish libertarian and fundie authoritarian, without foreseeing that wingnuts would actually try to merge the two into a “Only True American Faith� Shame on you for projecting rationality onto these people.
The most dangerous element is one that McCain noticed with the Palin draw. The money was great the enthusiasm just what the ol’ guy needed. But the pre-teabaggers were ugly, mean and took over the meetings wherever they were. Moderates who might have been interested in Palin stayed away because of the nasty people there. She never saw it and probably still doesn’t. Voters are repulsed because the GOP doesn’t stand FOR anything – they only stand AGAINST. The party has passed the tipping point. Graham has his rational moments as do McCain and Hatch – to name only 3. They will be driven out of the party and the GOP by % of voters will fall LOWER than the general popularity of Congress.
The defectors have not joined the Democrats. They are Independents. They have no convention, no candidates, no platform. Politically, they are all parked in the handicapped spots. They can swing any close election, but they can’t put up a candidate. Somebody is going to realize this, and we are going to see a 3rd party movement – and the complete marginalization of the GOP.
The question is how ‘we’ will react. You can count on the GOP being mean and nasty, and if we are, too then we have set the tone. They are going to bfeel attaced from all sides. On the other hand, there is going to evolve a 2-party system, and we have the chance to be good sports and establish the kind of cooperative tone that’s totaly absent. I’m not suggesting I will agreew with them mucho of the time – I won’t. But I will be willing to work with them to get stuff done. There’s a lot of stuff that has to get done – if we are going to survive.
My wife…yes, my dog…maybe, my guns…never!
Doug Hughes writes:
On the other hand, there is going to evolve a 2-party system…
Why two parties? Why oh why can’t we have the European multi-party model, that may not work any better, but at least prevents stasis, pac domination, and encourages accurate representation?
We really need to reconsider a nation ruled eternally by either the Republicans or the Democrats. Nearly all the former are on the take, and most of the latter. Few care about the electorate, except as mobs to be cynically manipulated; and these days we’re hearing from some congresspeople whose level of mentation and discourse doesn’t deserve a job as dogcatcher, much less federally elected official.
Anyway, on to more serious stuff:
My wife…yes, my dog…maybe, my guns…never!
Swami, as usual, has the right idea.