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babylonsister

(170,964 posts)
Sat May 1, 2021, 12:05 PM May 2021

Right-wing pundits are convulsing over one line in Biden's speech

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/5/1/2028492/-Right-wing-pundits-are-convulsing-over-one-line-in-Biden-s-speech-that-defines-their-priorities

Right-wing pundits are convulsing over one line in Biden's speech
Mark Sumner
Daily Kos Staff
Saturday May 01, 2021 · 10:48 AM EDT


In his speech to a joint session of Congress earlier this week, President Joe Biden called for a series of programs to rescue the economy, rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, and help workers and families reach new levels of success. But a large number of pundits apparently heard none of that, because they were so enraged by one of Biden’s opening lines, they could make it no further.

As I stand here tonight—just one day shy of the 100th day of my administration, 100 days since I took the oath of office, lifted my hand off our family Bible, and inherited a nation in crisis.

The worst pandemic in a century.

The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

The worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.


Some Republicans have determinedly nitpicked the seriousness of the pandemic’s threat to the economy, but it’s really that last line that popped a lot of pressure valves. Because accepting the idea that we’ve just been through the “worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War” means accepting that the assault on the Capitol was not a “peaceful protest,” that it was not “patriots knocking on the Capitol,” and not just a visit from people who “cared more” about the election. It was an attempted coup—an effort to overthrow a democratic election that featured would-be-assassins out to capture and kill high officials, including Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi.

The insurgency was an insurgency. But Republicans can’t accept that, because to do so would mean admitting they’re on the wrong side of democracy, justice, and history.

snip//

Accepting the real impact of Jan. 6 would mean acknowledging the singular nature of the event. This wasn’t an assault by an outside power, off-keel gunman, or even a collection of underground extremists. This was an assault on democracy that was nourished and fed, right out in the open, by the highest levels of the Republican Party. It was the biggest threat to our democracy because, unlike any other moment, it very well could have succeeded. Forgetting for a moment how incomparable the events actually are, neither 9/11 or Pearl Harbor was an essential threat to American democracy. The Jan. 6 insurrection was.

The second reason that the right (and pseudo-left Greenwald) are so focused on this line is that they hope to prevent people from looking too much at the rest of Biden’s speech. And it was a helluva speech. It’s filled with not just promises, but promise. It defines a decade’s worth of projects that could undo four decades of sloth. It’s ambitious. It’s progressive. It’s good. Go read it again.

That leads directly to the final reason that the right keeps pointing at this line: They have no plan. That’s not quite true, of course. They do have a plan to limit the ability of Americans to cast votes. They do have a plan to keep up the attacks on trans youth. They do have a plan to vote against everything Biden proposes, while complaining that makes him “not bipartisan.” They do have a plan to keep using the word “socialism” as if it’s a magical charm.

They just don’t have any plan to do a single thing positive for the American people. The party of outrage has nothing but outrage left. And even that is looking very small.
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Right-wing pundits are convulsing over one line in Biden's speech (Original Post) babylonsister May 2021 OP
Right wing pundits are an infinite number of monkeys pounding on an infinite number of typewriters. Scrivener7 May 2021 #1
Good on Joe for saying that. Cartoonist May 2021 #2
Yes, I wanted to stand up and cheer when he said it. ShazzieB May 2021 #22
republicons are constantly at odds with the truth spanone May 2021 #3
And, just think of the irony of the fact that DENVERPOPS May 2021 #29
Dear Mr. Carville: See? gratuitous May 2021 #4
+1000 AZProgressive May 2021 #5
+1, Democrats can say "love the police" and republicans will think we're trying to pimp them uponit7771 May 2021 #10
I like the word 'whackaloons!' What a great description of these PatrickforB May 2021 #42
F**k reich wing pundits. CaptainTruth May 2021 #6
As They Would Say, COL Mustard May 2021 #14
Well, GOP, when was the last time insurrectionists attacked our Capitol to overturn an election? SunSeeker May 2021 #7
saved only by their lack of leadership and planning kiri May 2021 #25
Yep, just like Dubya, no exit strategy. nt SunSeeker May 2021 #28
Those pea-brainiacs truly did, unfortunately, represent about 30-40% of the electorate. jaxexpat May 2021 #35
Look at the patterns of behaviour of these I_UndergroundPanther May 2021 #39
Then how about yard signs that say... multigraincracker May 2021 #8
"And even that is looking very small." It is, indeed...not to mention small-minded, as well. BobTheSubgenius May 2021 #9
F-UM the truth hurts. usaf-vet May 2021 #11
Cry me a river iluvtennis May 2021 #12
They are trying to minimize the magnitude of course n/t hibbing May 2021 #13
Insurrection is the millstone that the GOP placed on its Politicub May 2021 #15
"I don't give them hell. I just tell the truth about them and they THINK it's hell." roamer65 May 2021 #16
It's not just the insurgency, it's also the big lie about the election being stolen Redleg May 2021 #17
They can't accept responsibility for anything Warpy May 2021 #18
That's the biggest irony of all moose65 May 2021 #24
Well, those fucks did bring a Confederate flag into the building. . . DinahMoeHum May 2021 #19
though for some reason we have a statue of Jefferson Davis in the Capitol LymphocyteLover May 2021 #36
I would say the attack on our democracy is still going on Poiuyt May 2021 #20
I believe that people living in countries that are allies are really worried about marie999 May 2021 #21
Right-wingers can convulse away. What President Biden said is true. Brother Mythos May 2021 #23
I don't imagine they were real happy with this line either: dflprincess May 2021 #26
How long can their minions entertain outrage? FlyingPiggy May 2021 #27
Say it LOUD, Say it PROUD: "Republicans DON'T want to help you!" calimary May 2021 #30
And yet, no one is claiming that the fact that the right wing is twisting his words StarfishSaver May 2021 #31
And "pseudo-left Greenwald." I'm always happy when someone recognizes pnwmom May 2021 #32
Please colsohlibgal May 2021 #33
We need to cut off the Republican party at the knees and that means we need to focus far more cstanleytech May 2021 #34
Yes! I'm really hoping we've energized the grassroots and state parties more since the LymphocyteLover May 2021 #38
Refucklicans are upset? LymphocyteLover May 2021 #37
Exposed the traitors for what they are. Kid Berwyn May 2021 #40
Fuck those delusional, lying assholes! MoonRiver May 2021 #41
Is it bad karma Retired Engineer Bob May 2021 #43

Scrivener7

(50,774 posts)
1. Right wing pundits are an infinite number of monkeys pounding on an infinite number of typewriters.
Sat May 1, 2021, 12:21 PM
May 2021

Occasionally a real word forms. And yet we persist in thinking their random strings of words mean anything.

Cartoonist

(7,298 posts)
2. Good on Joe for saying that.
Sat May 1, 2021, 01:02 PM
May 2021

The Democrats need to keep hammering on that. Every election from now on, we need to frame the GOP as the enemy of democracy.

ShazzieB

(15,958 posts)
22. Yes, I wanted to stand up and cheer when he said it.
Sat May 1, 2021, 06:37 PM
May 2021

It needed to be said. The Repugs needed to hear it. Watching them squirm is a nice bonus.

DENVERPOPS

(8,679 posts)
29. And, just think of the irony of the fact that
Sat May 1, 2021, 10:08 PM
May 2021

they are all gladly collecting their checks from the very Government they tried to overthrow......all 5000? of them.......

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)
4. Dear Mr. Carville: See?
Sat May 1, 2021, 01:13 PM
May 2021

Framing doesn't matter. These whackaloons will grasp at anything and twist it into an attack on Democrats. President Biden made a simple, declarative (and 100% true) statement about the unsuccessful attack on the Capitol on January 6, and Republicans have come unglued. They never batted an eye when the former guy had a go at individual citizens like Khizr Khan, but their little fee-fees are damaged beyond repair when their traitors are called traitors.

PatrickforB

(14,516 posts)
42. I like the word 'whackaloons!' What a great description of these
Sun May 2, 2021, 11:25 AM
May 2021

imbeciles.

Problem is, they are well-paid imbeciles. But, yeah, I remember both me and my wife weeping when we watched these horrible traitors desecrate the Capitol. Thank God the coup failed. And I mean that seriously. Because it could have succeeded if the insurrectionists had done just a couple things differently.

SunSeeker

(51,378 posts)
7. Well, GOP, when was the last time insurrectionists attacked our Capitol to overturn an election?
Sat May 1, 2021, 01:25 PM
May 2021

And almost did, were it not for the late-arriving National Guard.


kiri

(786 posts)
25. saved only by their lack of leadership and planning
Sat May 1, 2021, 09:18 PM
May 2021

The rioters/insurrectionists would have won, except for making a serious strategic mistake. (I have not published this analysis for fear that the jerks might make use of it 'next time'.)

Once they had breached the House and Senate chambers, all they had to do was to occupy them. Easy: open the doors and invite the whole mob in, sit in every chair. About 500 in the House; maybe 150 in the Senate. Had they done this, with a rotating reserve to bring in pizza and fill in for toilet breaks, they would have been nigh impossible to dislodge. They could have occupied Congress for at least a day, probably for several days, and wholly stopped Pence's certification process. Governing would have ended--Trump was prez.

Tear gas would not have worked very effectively since there were still many rioters outside fighting the police. Also it would have soaked into everything, making the chambers unusable for days or weeks. Use the ventilation system? It would take building engineers many, many hours to figure out if or how to use it. National Guard storming through doors controlled by those inside? No sane commander would ever order his men to attempt this.

A negotiated withdrawal? Some leaders might have emerged to speak for the mob, but this is speculative. If half the mob refused to follow, nothing would have been won.

What saved the nation was that they did not have coherent leadership, and they had no plans on what to do after they broke in.


jaxexpat

(6,703 posts)
35. Those pea-brainiacs truly did, unfortunately, represent about 30-40% of the electorate.
Sun May 2, 2021, 07:53 AM
May 2021

That deranged sector couldn't coordinate themselves out of a paper bag. All were simply on a lark, with no expectation of result or retribution. The reasons they articulated sounded like children arguing in a playground. as they pointlessly meandered from one irreplaceable art and symbol to another, none of which they could understand. Then, on the other hand, it could have been a good thing to gut the building. An opportunity to eliminate some of the Byzantine aspects of what should be a straightforward democracy.

The scheme you narrate would likely have gone much as you say except perhaps the question of forcing them out by storming the doors. That could have been a bloody exercise for the occupants were the Army to deploy it's remote controlled offensive weapons to clear a path. So many martyrs. One shudders at the implications, much as the echo of those shudders many experienced in November 2016.

I_UndergroundPanther

(12,452 posts)
39. Look at the patterns of behaviour of these
Sun May 2, 2021, 10:21 AM
May 2021

Republicans..

They are psychopaths narcissists.
Never figured out oppositional defiance will fail.

BobTheSubgenius

(11,535 posts)
9. "And even that is looking very small." It is, indeed...not to mention small-minded, as well.
Sat May 1, 2021, 01:38 PM
May 2021

Even Cornyn, in his idiotic, dunderheaded way has acknowledged the FDR that's wrapped up in this mega-plan.

Politicub

(12,163 posts)
15. Insurrection is the millstone that the GOP placed on its
Sat May 1, 2021, 03:05 PM
May 2021

own neck.

They planned an insurrection to stop certification of the vote. The Republicans own that now and for the rest of American history.

Redleg

(5,728 posts)
17. It's not just the insurgency, it's also the big lie about the election being stolen
Sat May 1, 2021, 03:13 PM
May 2021

and the many other lies and conspiracies spread by the former occupant of the White House. When taken together with the clear intent of GOP to throw out some of the votes (mostly from majority African American precincts) and to make voting more difficult for certain people, there is clear attack on democracy and on Democrats.

Warpy

(110,913 posts)
18. They can't accept responsibility for anything
Sat May 1, 2021, 05:55 PM
May 2021

So much for the party of personal responsibility.

I hope we can continue working to make them a much smaller party, sputtering along in a few regions of the country, still snarling at the unfairness of life but out of power for a long time.

moose65

(3,164 posts)
24. That's the biggest irony of all
Sat May 1, 2021, 08:01 PM
May 2021

Republicans never take responsibility for ANYTHING. All they do is whine and blame whoever they can think of - libtards, Antifa, socialists. They are the biggest bunch of hypocrites ever.

DinahMoeHum

(21,737 posts)
19. Well, those fucks did bring a Confederate flag into the building. . .
Sat May 1, 2021, 06:04 PM
May 2021

. . .something the real troops back then couldn't do.

 

marie999

(3,334 posts)
21. I believe that people living in countries that are allies are really worried about
Sat May 1, 2021, 06:19 PM
May 2021

what is happening in this country.

dflprincess

(28,057 posts)
26. I don't imagine they were real happy with this line either:
Sat May 1, 2021, 09:42 PM
May 2021

"The most lethal threat to the homeland today is white supremacy."

FlyingPiggy

(3,373 posts)
27. How long can their minions entertain outrage?
Sat May 1, 2021, 09:47 PM
May 2021

I was hanging by a thread on Jan 20. And so SO thankful to have a reprieve from the onslaught of daily frenetic 3am tweets/gaslighting. I can’t imagine continuing to feed my mind with nonstop outrage at this point. It is just not sustainable.

calimary

(80,700 posts)
30. Say it LOUD, Say it PROUD: "Republicans DON'T want to help you!"
Sat May 1, 2021, 10:54 PM
May 2021

And repeat! Because it's necessary.

They simply DON'T want to help you. Why they want to run for office when they don't want to do anything that helps people is beyond me - except when I realize they just want to amass as much power as possible. Domination is what they're in it for. That's ALL they're in it for. Power and domination.

 

StarfishSaver

(18,486 posts)
31. And yet, no one is claiming that the fact that the right wing is twisting his words
Sat May 1, 2021, 11:23 PM
May 2021

and will no doubt continue to do so and try to turn them into a major negative in the mid-terms means that he shouldn't say it or that he should stop being aware of the problem of which he speaks.

colsohlibgal

(5,275 posts)
33. Please
Sun May 2, 2021, 12:15 AM
May 2021

It was what it looked like, a Trump inspired mob marauding through the Capital trying to overthrow the Biden win and kill Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi.

cstanleytech

(26,087 posts)
34. We need to cut off the Republican party at the knees and that means we need to focus far more
Sun May 2, 2021, 01:08 AM
May 2021

at the local state and county level elections as they are the backbone of the Republican parties power.
Without them the Republican party will lose steam and lose more federal elections.

LymphocyteLover

(5,601 posts)
38. Yes! I'm really hoping we've energized the grassroots and state parties more since the
Sun May 2, 2021, 08:13 AM
May 2021

Trump debacle. We HAVE to get more states back in our column.

Kid Berwyn

(14,652 posts)
40. Exposed the traitors for what they are.
Sun May 2, 2021, 10:24 AM
May 2021

Every man and woman there — and the ones not there, who aided and directed.

43. Is it bad karma
Sun May 2, 2021, 11:46 AM
May 2021

To read the first few words of your title “Right-wing pundits are convulsing” and have evil thoughts along the line of “I wonder if Putin served them tea?”

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