Is it me or has the GOP gone insane?

[dtotire]

Is it me or has the GOP gone insane?
April 3, 2009 - 3:38pm.
by Robert A. Kezelis

What a week. Our president wows and woos Europe to everyone's relief, and even gets brittle relationships with China and Russia on track and far more manageable and workable. In response, Rush Limbaugh claims that Obama's absence is the reason for any rise in the stock market. Oh, and Barack is busy infecting Gordon Brown's asshole, in case you missed the latest Rushism.

Eric Cantor claims that the economy is just fine, thank you very much, despite unemployment approaching 9%, and Rush Limbaugh has great ideas for the GOP and the country. He also thinks that the GOP will have a majority in the House in 2010. If whatever Eric is smoking also helps with chronic back pain, pass it down here, dude.

A greedy, conniving criminal, Ted Stevens, is released by a DEMOCRATIC DOJ, because the GOP prosecutors who put him rightly in jail were so unethical, that the conviction simply could not stand. His release does not change the fact that the man's a serious crook. It does confirm that many of the GOPers in DOJ are incompetent boobs who should lose their licenses. Hiding exculpatory evidence and witnesses from the defense? It almost seemed as though the GOP prosecutors tried to louse up this case on purpose.

The Alaskan GOP response? They want a mulligan for last year's election. Excuse me, but can you say "Don Siegelman?" A new election simply because a crook was convicted by truly pathetic Republican prosecutors?
Mike Steele proves that insanity is contagious. The more he says, the less sense he makes. If nothing else, he truly is the face of the new, regional GOP. He claimed that they would win NY-20 hands down. Now that it appears that a Democrat will score an upset, obviously, fraud has to be involved. Mike promises to keep us guessing in the future. Be still my heart.

And then, we have Sarah Palin. Enough said about her. Even the GOP disinvited this maroon from an upcoming conference.
What is stranger than the GOP acting like a bunch of rabid, mentally challenged reprobates is how the media is reacting to this incredible display of non-stop idiocy. The MSM takes the current GOP madness and nonsense seriously, without comment, or even a smirk. The geriatric, regional party known as the GOP does provide one thing - grand entertainment for those not afflicted with neoconmanism or other serious mental illnesses.

Imagine, though, how our corporate media would react if any democratic leader acted like these buffoons. We'd never hear the end of it.


http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/16892

[ixion]

1. Uh, were they ever sane?

I don't recall a period in my lifetime where I felt the GOP'ers were sane folk.

[Warpy]

4. I was a little kid during the Eisenhower years

but I remember them as drab, boring, and wrong--but decent.

Well, with the exception of McCarthy, they were decent. My folks had the first TV on the block so my mother could watch that worm on the Dumont Network. I remember the fear and to this day, I have a tough time putting my name on anything political.

Decency went out when anger came in and that happened over the sweeping Civil Rights legislation pushed by Lyndon Johnson. They became drab, boring and utterly ruthless.

They've just gotten worse since then. Now they're so crazy they're marginalizing themselves completely. All they have left is a frothing at the mouth collection of racists and religious zealots who are united only because they have legitimized hatred.

It's just astonishing to me that the dull, decent people of the 1950s could have morphed into Joe the Bummer and Sarah Palin, led by televangelists and radio pitchmen selling hate.

[abq e streeter]

14. I agree--many decent repubs once upon a time

not even all drab or completely wrong either. We're about the same age, and old enough to remember (believe it or not, kids) there was something called a liberal republican that existed, and more that were genuinely moderate. And even the majority of repubs, of whom your description of drab , boring and wrong, IS accurate, were not hate-mongering lunatics; far from it. And again, you're right that the "southern strategery" in the wake of the Democratic support of civil rights ushered in the era of the republican party as we unfortunately know it today. Many, many republicans voted FOR the 60's civil rights legislation, hard to comprehend that now... and of course the racist southern Dems found a new home, being welcomed (along with their hate, fear and bigotry) with open arms into the new "frothing at the mouth" GOP .............( P.S. ---hello Warpy, fellow New Mexican here...)

[classysassy]

35. Put the blame

on Nixon,we made concessions to the southern dems(DIMWITS),so they would cross over in mass and turn the reps into the racist mob they are today.

[ixion]

37. McCarthy... and of course the BFEE

which was in power back in those days and mad as hell about being caught helping to launder money for the Nazis.

I know those republicans of which you speak. I'm a bit younger than you, but remember the type from the sixties, albeit they were morphing into modern Nixonesque rethugs.

I'm not sure I'm willing to believe there were not more agendas swirling around. Granted, though, I didn't live through those times.

There's always a dark underbelly, though. The fifties is often remembered in the context of the 'happy days' lore, but there was a dark underbelly then, too. Henry Miller wrote about it in many of his books. I was amazed to learn that a sub-culture as decadent as any modern one existed right here in the US. You don't hear much about it, but it was there.

I guess my point there is that life as we know it has always been essentially the same. Politicians -- government leaders -- have been generally corrupt. This is the rule, rather than the exception.

[Enthusiast]

36. It started with Nixon.

He wanted to be elected so bad. Eventually he would do anything to get elected. Finally by 2,000 and 2,004 they did far worse than Nixon and his dirty trick squad, they pulled every dirty trick and vote manipulation necessary.

[pleah]

2. Gone insane?

Were they ever sane?

[unblock]

19. not since lincoln....

[ladjf]

3. Republicanism is supposed to be a political philosophy. But, it

has only two main objectives, (1) give masses of money to the rich and (2) do everything possible to allow them to keep it. All other aspects of Republicanism are insignificant.

[geiger]

5. Put your own sanity first, and you will be okay.

They may believe in what they are saying partly because they are desparate thieves and liars, but they are not to be pitied or spared your genuine revulsion.

You are right. They are wrong.

[CrispyQ]

6. The media response is revolting.

:grr:

I hardly ever watch TV/cable 'news' since Obama's inauguration.

[Fearless]

7. It's you... They've always been insane.

[geiger]

10. please don't post like this is a game. it's a matter of survival, and there is nothing funny about

the issue at hand. The so-called "conservatives" are out to bring down any notion of democracy entirely.

[Juche]

17. You respond to him politely, but call me a moron

Is there a particular reason for that?

[geiger]

21. sorry about that. i thought you were being unnecessarity mean.

[Fearless]

18. Oh I am not being facetious.

They've always been insane. When we don't think they are then we've fallen for them. If you didn't think that they were then you were tricked. They haven't changed, their stupidity and criminality has been brought to light for the first time in a while. That's all.

[geiger]

20. they are not insane; they are very clever and think they are on the side of good, fighting evil.

[Fearless]

26. Ted Kaczynski was brilliant but nonetheless insane.

They are not mutually exclusive.

[geiger]

28. I guess I think that the term "insane" lets people off the hook too easily.

[Juche]

8. Its just you

VOTE PALIN/JOE THE PLUMBER, NOT HUSAIN!!!

[geiger]

9. take a hike, you unfunny moron.

[Juche]

15. Come with me

We can go on a hike together. Just you, me and miles of forest. There are some good trails out there.

[geiger]

23. now that's downright creepy talk; what's wrong with you today because now you're beginning to sound

a bit insane.

I didn't mean to upset you; just tell you to cut it out and have some respect.

I guess that didn't work....

The important thing is to realize this is no laughing matter.

[Juche]

25. Alright

I realize it is no laughing matter, and I agree with thinkers like Altemeyer, Hedges and Dean that authoritarian christianity is one of the biggest threats to our democracy or its institutions. Studies show RWA personalities think the bill of rights needs to be overturned, that we should purge people from society for being different, that they should be allowed to force others to live by their rules, etc. and look at how quick they call for violence now that they've lost the house, senate and presidency.

But I don't see why I shouldn't be allowed to post satire w/o being told to shut up and called a moron. This is like the 10th time in 2 weeks I have been insulted on this site for expressing an opinion. I don't know if it is just me or the board or what.

On another note I like being creepy. That awkward, confused silence that follows a creepy statement? I live for that.

[geiger]

27. Okay.... You are obviously not a moron. I apologize.

Perhaps we misinterpret because we don't read every Du'er everyday. I am disappointed that I am the meanie this time. I hate that on DU!

Have some good silent moments, if that's what gets you off.

[Harry Monroe]

29. Try the sarcasm tag for those dense enough to not get your sarcasm.

You'll avoid a lot of grief around here that way. Some people here are very sensitive souls and need a little help now and then.

[formercia]

11. Anyone who isn't a multimillionaire and consistently votes Republican

has some serious mental health issues. The GOP has become the party of wealthy corporate interests.

The Democratic Party isn't perfect either, but what choice do we have?

Something to think about.

[Juche]

16. I've read from a psych standpoint, conservative populism is more appealing than liberal

The scientific paper 'political conservatism as motivated social cognition' and the book 'the authoritarians' (both are free online) talk about how authoritarian conservatives (aka about 70% of republicans) tend to live in a state of chronic fear and insecurity, and need the certainty, aggression, intolerance of novelty and black/white thinking that the GOP offers to feel safe, comfortable and protected.

Of course to the rest of us the black/white thinking and overcertainty comes across as mindless stupidity and a lack of introspection. But others seem to like it.

[Alcibiades]

32. Have they also been subjected to a lot of corporal punishment

as kids? That's my own pet theory: folks who are politically authoritarian come from homes that are authoritarian.

[Juche]

34. I don't know for sure

I have heard that children who grew up in the great depression are more authoritarian because the experiences in that period caused their parents to become harsher with them. I think (not sure) that it was Altemeyer who wrote about that.

[Puzzler]

12. Obama's absence?

... is responsible for the rise in the stock market? Er... I thought that much of the market rise over the last while happened when Obama was in the US.

[felinetta]

13. They are all clinically insane!

You got phony Beck and Boener crying, Michele Bachman thinking
she is a foreign correspondent behind enemy lines, Fox going
ballistic over teleprompters, O'Reilly stalking anyone he
doesn't like, Andy Card saying Obama is too casually dressed
because he can't even think to check on what Bush wore on
"the google." How about Cornyn saying there will be
WWIII if they seat Franken before Coleman does absoltuely
everything.  Then there Joe the Plumber, need I say more, and
Rush wanting Obama to fail and Jindal doing an exorcism and
Palin having the devil removed from her by some nut religious
case.  Of course these examples, only scratch the surface of
these children! This is the repub party? No, I say this is
more in line with a Monty Python party!

[jmondine]

30. That's insulting

to Monty Python

[Downtown Hound]

22. They passed the insane mark bak in 1996

Today they live in a surreal world of darkness and decay.

[The Traveler]

24. Republicans are losing it

This is becoming a problem for me at work, where there are many republicans running around in a state of hysterical frenzy.

These are good people, whose views I do not agree with. But over the years I have enjoyed polite debate and discourse with these folk. Now, it has reached a level of intensity and incoherence that precludes reasoned dialog.

It ain't pretty, and I genuinely feel sorry for them, and concerned for their well being.

Trav

[jmondine]

31. I share your sympathy for those everyday folk who have drank the Koolade...

but the last thing I wish is for the greedy, arrogant, cowardly con-men they believe in to get back in to power. The cost to the country and world just isn't worth it.
What I hope for them is clarity, to wake up to the truth. Hopefully, this will happen as more and more of the "left-wing doomsday" scenarios the right is currently spinning fizzle out like the paranoid fantasies that they are.

Hey, if it can happen to John Dean, it can happen to anybody.

[Alcibiades]

33. in re the Bush DoJ

it has been SOP to violate the law. Prosecutorial misconduct has not been uncommon, nor misconduct. As we learned from the Goodling affair, they hired ideologues over competent folks, and even fired the competent folks.

We will learn more about this, assuming it's not all water under the bridge and they take time to investigate.