Noam Chomsky Sums Up The Republican Party

Noam Chomsky describes the Republicans quite well.

Noam Chomsky: Why the Republican 'Radical Insurgency' Is So Panicked About the Iran Nuclear Deal:

It is important to bear in mind that the Republicans have long abandoned the pretence of functioning as a normal parliamentary party. Rather, they have become a “radical insurgency” that scarcely seeks to participate in normal parliamentary politics, as observed by the respected conservative political commentator Norman Ornstein of the right-wing American Enterprise Institute. Since Ronald Reagan, the leadership has plunged so far into the pockets of the very rich and the corporate sector that they can attract votes only by mobilising sectors of the population that have not previously been an organised political force, among them extremist evangelical Christians, now probably the majority of Republican voters; remnants of the former slave-holding States; nativists who are terrified that “they” are taking our white Christian Anglo-Saxon country away from us; and others who turn the Republican primaries into spectacles remote from the mainstream of modern society—though not the mainstream of the most powerful country in world history.

Differential Gullibility

How the Stupid Party Was Made:

It’s easy to get inured to polling results that demonstrate that a significant part of the American population barely has enough brain capacity to operate their lungs. It’s hard to imagine how a brain that can simultaneously hold that the president is a Muslim and that he is at fault for being a member of Reverend Jeremiah Wright’s congregation can figure out how to simultaneously pump the heart and regulate body temperature. 

...the conservative movement has determined that they can hold onto power a little longer despite demographic changes and the browning of America if they can sharply increase their share of the white vote. And the way to do that is not to figure out what these people need and offer ways to give it to them, but to get them to think more in terms of their whiteness. Whites go over here in the right column and everyone else goes over there in the left column.

Very often it is Christian whites who "go over here in the right column and everyone else goes over there in the left column". This is why the "Obama is a Muslim" meme works so well for the Republican Party. Also, in their minds they are always right, because God is on their side, and everyone else is wrong:

1. A Nationwide Campaign Of Terror (Abortion and birth control)
2. Not An Onion Headline (Big Mountain Jesus)
3. Unfair Unbalanced Bill O'Reilly (Only Christians are moral)
4. Quote Of Note - Sarah Palin (Only Christians are moral)
5. Thems Fightin Words (Separation of Church and State)
6. God Authorizes Government Shutdown (God's authority supercedes the law)

The list goes on and on: Hobby Lobby, prayers opening meetings in the Town of Greece, NY, not baking cakes for gay weddings,etc. Christian whites think that they are always right and that the Freedom From Religion Foundation is always wrong.

Let's not forget the Republican Party's Southern Strategy:

With the ascendancy of Reagan, the Southern Strategy became a national strategy that melded race, taxes, anticommunism, and religion."^[59]

The Republican Party panders to whites and Christians.

Christopher Hitchens was on to this stupid thing some time ago:

We keep on being told that religion, whatever its imperfections, at least instills morality. On every side, there is conclusive evidence that the contrary is the case and that faith causes people to be more mean, more selfish, and perhaps above all, more stupid.

It could be the motto of the Republican Party: "More mean, more selfish, more stupid".

My Vision Of A Trump Presidency

If Donald Trump becomes president I imagine he would do what he has done in the past. In that case he will leave the White House personally richer in monetary terms while leaving the United States bankrupt and broke.

From Trumping One Too Many Bankruptcies

He was asked to explain how he could responsibly steward the finances of the nation when four Trump corporations have previously declared bankruptcy. He responded, as before, that he’s never declared personal bankruptcy–that “I have used the laws of this country just like the greatest people that you read about every day in business have used the laws of this country, the chapter laws, to do a great job for my company, for myself, for my employees, my family, et cetera.”

Sliding Down The Pole

“I learned that it pays to hang around with people better than you are, because you will float upward a little bit. And if you hang around with people that behave worse than you, pretty soon you’ll start sliding down the pole. It just works that way.” Warren Buffett

I think that the Republican Party thinks that plenty of voters are stupid, crazy, and angry white men. There is some overlap of course, but here’s how I see it:

• Sarah Palin stumps for the stupid vote.
• Glenn Beck stumps for the crazy vote.
• Rush Limbaugh stumps for the angry white male vote.

Why does the Republican Party have such a low opinion of so many American citizens? The answer is votes. And the dumber, crazier, and angrier The Republican machine can make the average American citizen become, the more votes they can get. Cutting funding for worthwhile government programs, especially education, helps to increase the Republican voter pool. It has become a cycle of more stupid, more crazy, and more angry. And the country slides even further down the pole.

Gotcha Antics

From The Stimulus and Jobs: Can the GOP Read? by David Corn:

Can we be adults here? There are no programs -- in or out of government -- that don't include some waste. In fact, all human endeavors contain inefficiencies and errors. If the stimulus package were 99 percent cost-effective, that would still leave nearly $8 billion in waste. Picking out a couple of questionable projects is gotcha antics, not serious political debate.

At this point, Republicans have nothing to fear but Republicans themselves. If unemployment stays at or near 10 percent for the coming year, the GOP might well be able to ride the ensuing anti-incumbent anger to victory in the 2010 congressional elections, perhaps even draw close to retaking the House. But the more they act like, well, jerks, the more they will undercut their own chances.

There is a system that is supposed to help the unemployed in times of need. It is a dirty word in the United States. The Republicans hate it, and a Democratic president helped destroy it. And of course it is supposed to be the most wasteful of all government programs. And on that basis alone it must be evil and destroyed according to the Republicans. Never mind that it could be helping some American citizens today. Both Democrats and Republicans.

From Welfare:

Welfare systems differ from country to country, but welfare is commonly provided to those who are unemployed, those with illness or disability, those of old age, those with dependent children and to veterans.

I don’t think that the welfare system that was in existence before Bill Clinton would have given very many benefits to Wall Street. I do think it would be providing some assistance to all the Main Streeters of America who could use a little help right now. Too bad it is no longer around when it is needed the most.

If you are thinking of voting Republican in the near future because of the unemployment situation, try to remember that they are the ones who pushed the hardest to take away your safety net.

Sometimes I think we are a nation of idiots, and that we deserve exactly what we get. Ironically, that sentence sounds like it could come from a Republican.

A Perfect Summation Of The Republican Party

"They're very confused. In fact the only thing they are clear about is that they are very angry and unhappy with everything."

Monster Raving Loonies

From Not So Funny After All by William Rivers Pitt:

The problem, however, is that people like Palin stopped being funny a while ago. The prominence they enjoy in our political discourse is so far out of whack with their abilities and intentions that it vastly exaggerates their influence over a variety of very serious matters that affect each and every one of us. The British have the Monster Raving Loony Party, who are a joke and exert no real influence, and we have the Republican Party, filled with monster raving loonies who exert a tremendous amount of influence because the news media thinks we are a nation of people who like to look at car accidents on the highway, which, by and large, we are. We've been well-trained by 20 years of shock television to mistake clowns and jesters for serious people, and because of that mistake, these people's deranged opinions and deformed ideas get taken seriously.

Actually, the biggest wreck on the highway is the news media, and not all of us want to look at it. Some of us are sick and tired of it, fed up, bored too, and mostly just plain pissed off. Something is very wrong when someone like Sarah Palin is given such a large stage to be an idiot, and then is taken seriously by so many.

Keep Up The Good Work, Rush!

With Rush and Sarah in charge of the Republican Party the Democrats will probably retain power for quite some time. Is this the best the Republicans can do?

Seriously, I would welcome a rational and civil challenge to the Democratic Party. They aren’t perfect, you know.

From Limbaugh: Palin most “prominent and articulate voice” for conservatism by Jack Cafferty:

As the Republican Party continues to struggle, some of them are starting to sound silly. Rush Limbaugh is now suggesting that Sarah Palin is the most prominent and articulate voice for good old-fashioned American conservatism. Recalling the disastrous interviews Ms. Palin did with Katie Couric on the CBS Evening News during the campaign, ‘prominent’ and ‘articulate’ are not the words that immediately pop into my mind.

But the leader of the Republican Party, Rush Limbaugh, thinks differently…

Why Does God Hate Republicans?

Why would an all powerful God allow the Republican Party to be such losers? After all, isn’t God a Republican?

From Pizza Party by Christopher Beam:

The question hovering over the proceedings—as over the party in general—was, should Republicans compromise or stand strong? Moderate their views or embrace conservatism? The answer coming out of this group seemed to be, Yes. On the one hand, said Cantor, "We should be an inclusive party." On the other, "the essence of being a Republican is a belief in free markets, a belief in individual responsibility, faith in the individual, faith in God."

The Axis Of Drivel

From Three Blind Mice by Charles M. Blow:

The Republicans have reached a new low, literally.

According to the most recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, the percentage of Americans who view the Republican Party positively is at an all-time low. Meanwhile, President Obama’s positive rating is at an all-time high, and the Democratic Party’s positive rating is near its high.

Why? Because the Republicans have dissolved into a querulous lot of nags and naysayers without a voice, a direction or a clue, and we are not amused.

And who has surfaced as their saviors? Bobby Jindal, Michael Steele and Rush Limbaugh — the axis of drivel.

Read the rest here.

“The axis of drivel” is a great phrase. I wish that I had thought of it.

Failure?

What would Rush do? Unfortunately he won’t shut up, so we all know what he does. Nothing but talk. And all of it is destructive, none of it is constructive.

Rush wants Obama to fail. He now has clarified his statements to include the word policies. He wants Obama’s policies to fail.

What would Rush say to someone who said that they wanted George W. Bush to fail and that they wanted his policies in Iraq to fail? Unpatriotic and treasonous come to mind.

Is Rush Limbaugh unpatriotic and treasonous?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

“That’s the nature of this job, baby” cracks me up.

Why does Matt Lauer not question Michael Steele when Steele says: “I don’t think that Republicans, Democrats, or Independents, or anyone wants policies that redistributes the wealth of this country, wants policies that nationalizes our health care…” Steele is basically lying here, and Lauer is complicit in the lie. Many people do want a progressive tax (something we have had for a very long time, even Bush didn’t completely get rid of it; yes, Bush redistributed wealth!) and many people support universal health care.

Once again Steele perpetuates the lie that Republicans think of the small business owner as the saviour of the country. Once again I will ask the question: if the small business owner means so much to the economy, why do the Republicans only offer tax cuts to the wealthy as a solution? Small business owners are not wealthy, big business owners are.

“One of the challenges that is presented to the minority party is to get heard.” Really? Rush Limbaugh is on the radio every day, Republican Congress members are on television whining all the time, and Michael Steele is on the Today Show. I’m listening. The rest of America is listening. You are heard. We just don’t like what you have to say. We don’t want America to fail. Why does Mr. Limbaugh?

The polices of George W. Bush have failed us. The policies of the Republican Party have failed us. The policies of Rush Limbaugh have failed us. At least give Obama a chance.

Perhaps Rush Limbaugh is part of the problem. I really don’t see him as the solution.

Ugly

Does Rush Limbaugh actually have the power to make Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele “bend over” (one of Mr. Limbaugh’s favorite phrases) and apologize?

From Angry Rush Limbaugh Strikes Back at RNC’s Steele:

Limbaugh also accused the RNC chair of disloyalty, since he'd appeared as a guest on Limbaugh's show during his failed 2006 Senate run in Maryland.

"My parents taught me when I was growing up that you always stood behind people who defended you, that you never abandon people who stood up for you and defended you against assault," Limbaugh said.

Steele, for his part, is backing down on his comments.

"My intent was not to go after Rush – I have enormous respect for Rush Limbaugh. I was maybe a little bit inarticulate . . . There was no attempt on my part to diminish his voice or his leadership….," Steele told Politico Monday

He added: "I went back at that tape and I realized words that I said weren't what I was thinking. It was one of those things where I thinking [sic] I was saying one thing, and it came out differently. What I was trying to say was a lot of people … want to make Rush the scapegoat, the bogeyman, and he's not."

Asked by Politico if he was apologizing to Limbaugh, "I wasn't trying to offend anybody. So, yeah, if he's offended, I'd say: Look, I'm not in the business of hurting people's feelings here . . . My job is to try to bring us all together."

Much of the dust-up between Rush and some Republicans came after his rousing CPAC speech in which he railed against the Obama administration for spreading fear in order to promote a liberal, big-government agenda. In the speech he repeated his controversial remarks from January that he hoped Obama failed.

"What is so strange about being honest and saying I want Barack Obama to fail if his mission is to restructure and re-form this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundation?" he asked an enthusiastic crowd at CPAC.

Does the Constitution mention capitalism? Did the founders debate the merits of capitalism? When has Barack Obama ever said that he wants to destroy capitalism and individual liberty? Why does Rush Limbaugh have so much power and why is Michael Steele such a wimp? We got rid of George W. Bush. Why can’t we get rid of Rush Limbaugh? Wouldn’t the Republican Party be better off without him? Wouldn’t the country be better off without him?

Memories

The way we were.

From From One-Party Rule to Cry-Baby Caucus by Greg Saunders:

To sum up the last eight years, we’ve had one-party rule in Washington D.C. which had “fiscal conservatives” feeling entitled to spend taxpayer money like drunken sailors (which exacerbated the very fiscal crisis that the current Congress is trying to address). When the minority party tried to insert themselves in the legislative process, they were not only shunned completely, but the GOP leadership would shut down meetings until they left, hold open votes for hours until they got the results they wanted, and would actually call the police to have Democrats removed from meetings. Where the HELL do these guys get off complaining about partisanship?

The Other Party

From Just Give It Up by Josh Marshall:

I think what most people see here is one side of (the) equation trying to put together a bill with big majorities, which means necessarily ones that wouldn't be his own parties wish list. The other party has used the overture exclusively as a vehicle for scoring political points and, more poetically put, being dicks.

A Fool And His Money

Republicans were stupid enough to nominate and elect George W. Bush. Twice. I wonder how many are stupid enough to throw their money at what is basically a non-existent presidential campaign?

From Huckabee tells Republicans how to recover by Kristi Keck:

Huckabee abandoned his 2008 presidential campaign in March, but he's shied away from saying if he has put all of his presidential aspirations to rest.

"I'm quite a few months and many prayers away from making some decision like that," he said.

His supporters, however, already are preparing for 2012. Huckabee said that people showing up for his book signings -- often hours before the events are scheduled to begin -- are telling him that he has their vote in the next presidential election.

Supporters behind SaveforMike.com have even committed to setting aside $2.85 a day so that if Huckabee decides to run, they'll have saved up enough by the time of his announcement to contribute the maximum $2,300 to his campaign. And if not, they'll "just use the savings to splurge on something nice to lessen our disappointment," according to the group's Web site.

While he's amazed by the energy among his supporters, Huckabee said when it comes to a future presidential run, "we'll just have to wait and see."

Aren’t there laws against this kind of thing?

Why Sarah Palin And Not Meg Whitman?

I suppose the obvious answer is the lack of political experience. In all other ways doesn’t Meg Whitman seem like a more logical choice? Doesn’t she seem to be more intelligent and competent than Sarah Palin? (Don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t mean I like her political views.)

From Can Meg Whitman turn around California? by Therese Poletti:

Having been passed over as the running mate on the Republican presidential ticket, former eBay Inc. chief executive Meg Whitman seems to have now set her sights on the California state capitol.

Call it Meg 2.0.

Whitman has been increasingly active in the Republican party since retiring from eBay in January. She initially spent her time helping raise money for Mitt Romney, her former boss at Bain & Co., in his failed presidential campaign. More recently, she has been helping run Sen. John McCain's presidential bid. She was a contender for the VP slot before McCain selected Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

A Pit Bull Perhaps?

From Would You Believe ...? by Josh Marshall:

One of the advantages of running a presidential campaign is that roughly half the country is deeply committed to believing or at least saying that virtually anything you do or say makes sense. And so it is here. But, look, if you were living in the real world, if you were some hotshot young executive at a Fortune 500 company trying to rise in the ranks, and you pulled some whacked crap like this, it would probably get you blackballed permanently. People would think you were either deeply unreliable or maybe just had a screw loose. And yet here he is -- is he kidding? He can't debate Barack Obama because he's got to go to Washington and save the economy? It's like the biggest 'dog at my homework' in history.

2008 Republican Platform On The Economy

An excerpt:

We support energetic federal investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution of criminal wrongdoing in the mortgage industry and investment sector. We do not support government bailouts of private institutions. Government interference in the markets exacerbates problems in the marketplace and causes the free market to take longer to correct itself. We believe in the free market as the best tool to sustained prosperity and opportunity for all.

They say one thing and do the exact opposite. They are not prosecuting the wrongdoers, they are bailing them out.

Republican Oversight?

Republican oversight is an oxymoron.

Should we trust the Republican party when they talk of change?

In Charlie Gibson's War, Todd Gitlin gives us his impression of the Charlie Gibson interview of Sarah Palin:

Gibson: "You've advertised yourselves as the party of change. What would you change in the Bush economic plan?" As she rolled into her preprogrammed cant, drifting away from his question, he had to keep pressing her. Here's what she came up with at last: 1. Reduce taxes. 2. Control spending. 3. Oversight. Now, oversight is only partly an executive prerogative, though it's awfully important. The question she skirted (but so did Gibson) was, why have eight years of Republican rule seen such an abdication of oversight? Where does she intend to find honest regulators when her party--the traditional font of executive appointments--specializes in cronies and other interested parties who buy their way into the ostensible headquarters of regulation? Where was her party when it elevated the likes of Brownie--remember him, the horse association leader who ran FEMA into the ground? Did she call for oversight when she was a mayor or governor?

Elephant, Pit Bull, Or Pig?

GOP pig