Why do Republican's always look for someone to blame???

[JanMichael]

I swear to God, this email sounds like it was written by a 14 year old-

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who often travels to blighted areas, said Thursday he plans to visit India to try to help victims of tsunamis that have left millions of people at risk of disease.

"I feel like I've been hit in the stomach," Frist, R-Tenn., said in an e-mail to friends and supporters. "It is like 9/11 but so different. There is no one to blame."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20041231/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/tsunami_us


Can we not get a fucking grown up in Washington???

[ROC]

1. Just curious...

Who is to blame?

[JanMichael]

3. OK, I don't get your post

maybe I need some more coffee?

[AllegroRondo]

4. I think his point is that Reps always look to place blame first

and when something like a natural disaster comes along, they get confused because they can't blame it on anyone.

Maybe thats why * didnt speak about it for so long?

[Sporadicus]

7. First Thing: Stop Thinking Like Frist

Next thing: recognize that the appropriate response to a natural disaster is NOT fixing blame; it's formulating a plan of action. Denied a target, the 'pugs are lost. It took two days for *'s handlers to allow him in front of cameras - and he STILL couldn't resist smirking and simpering. He simply can't contain his glee when he's got death & destruction on his mind.

[0007]

12. What in the world are you trying to say?

Sue Nomi the new female terrorist?

[JanMichael]

23. Is she a Trial Lawyer? If so then they've got an enemy!

Whoo!!!

[Taxloss]

30. Me. I'm to blame.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

(happy now?)

[mattclearing]

2. Where did he get his MD, Romper Room?

Unbelievable.

[Burma Jones]

5. It's because Conservatives lack a compassionate brain response

UC at Santa Cruz did a study where they measured responses to different stimuli. In a nutshell, Republicans get all woozy when shown pictures of "Great Leaders" and Dems respond with brain activity when shown pictures of disasters etc. So, 'Pukes look coldly at things that should elicit a compassionate response but respond well to threats and dedication to a leader. Thus, they see disasters and require someone to hate in order to respond like a human being.

[G_j]

6. if anything

this disaster of "biblical proportions" (as many are calling it) should demonstrate that natural disasters do not happen to "punish" particular groups of people. Unless it is a sin to be poor.. :-(

But of course Republican loonies will try to find someone to blame.
It is the fault of the liberals no doubt, or maybe the French.

[JanMichael]

15. Those French!!

I forgot about them; clearly this is their doing!!!

Thanks for a rare smile in a week of bad news for so many people!

Stephanie and Michael

[FellowAmerican]

8. I read it as

with the tragic loss of life with 9/11 we had someone to blame - the terrorist. With this tragedy, there is no one to blame. No one to direct your saddness and anger at in such a loss. I didn't get the impression that he was looking to blame anyone. IMO, of course.

[FlaGranny]

10. I read it that way too, but

my take is a little different. It's a very weird thing to say. It's like having someone to blame would have made it easier. Like it's good to have someone to hate when things go wrong. It seems a lot of people have that kind of mindset and it is a bit scary.

If a loved one is murdered does that make it easier (because you have someone to blame) than if the loved one slipped on some ice and was killed? Believe me, I know from experience, it is NOT.

[Megawatt]

17. I think we look to place blame as a defense mechanism

It helps insulate us from fear of random death from forces beyond our control. If we can blame the disaster on lack of a warning system, on global warming, on exploring for oil - we now have a circumstance that we can do something about, which gives us the psychological salve that we are safe again if only we do something about what caused whatever disaster - tsunami, shooting at Columbine, earthquakes etc.

[annabanana]

21. I think you're right Megawatt..

When confronted with the absolute randomness of life, most of us construct scenarios where we have some control, whether horoscopes or belief systems.

It reminds me of an old Psych text book, "Anxiety and Magic Thinking".. The more nervous we are, the more fantastical and all encompassing is our suspention of disbelief.

Oh, and welcome to DU, and Happy New Year!
:toast:

[FlaGranny]

26. I understand what you are saying .

When I was young, I did a lot of "magical" thinking. I grew out of it and now accept the randomness of life. It doesn't frighten me like it used to. I am only an insignificant organism, on an insignificant planet, in an insignificant solar system, etc., etc.

[FlaGranny]

25. Welcome, Megawatt,

Of course, you are right - it is a defense mechanism, but quite counterproductive.

[newyawker99]

27. Hi Megawatt!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[izzie]

9. They have been writing books about Am. doing this for years.

We all are sick so can not be blamed for anything. If I kill my husband in a fit of rage it is because I have some type of sickness or because I grew up in a home with a working mother. You name it, no one wants to be the blame for anything unless it is good. I love the Christian right as they have it down to Oscar performance.

[RafterMan]

11. Maybe they see the DU posts about nuclear tests and oil companies

causing the earthquake and feel blame envy?

Just a guess.

[rock]

13. Because it's never their fault

Duh!

[burn the bush]

14. yep, this is the correct answer. Someone else must be to blame when

you cannot be wrong.

[calimary]

18. And there's no way he can blame Clinton for this.

No wonder frist sounds so bewildered. They can't figure out how to hang this on Clinton. Other than to try to hit him for speaking out before their precious "leader" finally got off his lazy worthless ass and said anything. He's upset because there's no easy way to blame Clinton for this.

By now it's a knee-jerk reaction, among these reactionaries, to just hustle straight over to the "blame Clinton" button and punch it about a thousand times. It's a finely honed and well-rehearsed formula at this point. It's instinctive and has been built into their bone marrow. That's what they've learned to do, over a span of MANY years (remember, the experts say it takes about 6 - 10 WEEKS to develop a habit - they've been in the "blame Clinton" business for YEARS), and they've had plenty of positive reinforcement for it. Over and over and over and over and over and over it's been "blame Clinton, blame Clinton, blame Clinton." They're one-trick ponies. When all else fails "blame Clinton." It's second nature. And when you can't get a clear shot at him, blame Hillary. Hell, one paragon of "virtue" at the national review online even went so far as to target Chelsea. That's how hard-up they are, and how much of a hard-on they have.

But this has violated their "blame Clinton" laws of nature. This is just beyond all of it. There is NO WAY. They are adrift. At a loss. This just doesn't fit the template. It doesn't work so glaringly obviously that even they realize it. And because this is the bedrock of what they've done for years, it's all they have. Doing a once-removed and trying to blame liberals for this doesn't work either, and they realize that, also. They're up a creek on this. That's what the shock and bewilderment and dismay is really all about, deep down. They can't get their blame muscles around this one. It simply won't fit. It's such a ridiculously bad fit that they know they dare not even try selling it. They know no one will buy it. That, too, is supremely troublesome to them.

Besides, they're also EXTREMELY well-practiced (and well-rewarded) for scapegoating, PERIOD. These are, mind you, the same folks who gloated that "the adults were back in charge" when bush stole his way in the first time. Adults? Where?

Oh yes, and did I mention - it's because they're basically nothing more than a bunch of blowhard COWARDS. A REAL adult can stand up and face the music, and take responsibility for stuff. And admit making mistakes and errors in judgment. And stop making excuses and looking for scapegoats. A real adult realizes and welcomes the fact that teh buck stops HERE, not somewhere way off over there. A spoiled brat-child is unable to do that. You need look no further than the brad-child at the top of their pyramid to see why. That's what leads them and what they look up to. Birds of a feather.

[mediaman007]

16. Its how they hold their base...

do you think the Christian right would follow if they didn't play on gay marriage and abortion? The red staters wouldn't be supporting them without the evils of unions and the ACLU!

These thugs just trade on fear.

[JanMichael]

22. Yep. Fear. And if you can label the fear then it's useful politically.

All Frist could do here is blame "God" or "Intelligent Design" which is of course unthinkable for a cat killing loon like him.

[jdj]

19. he means "I'm pretty sure this isn't our fault".

there is no one to blame for 9/11 except Condi and the rest of the Bush incompetents.

[Cha]

20. To deflect where the blames Does lie...

squarely on their puny shoulders!

[Paula Sims]

24. Because Republicans NEED to hate!

The 'Pubs (and most totalitarian regimes) have known for a long time that hate and fear unite people against an external source rather than forcing them to look inward. Without an enemy, they have nothing and they begin to eat their own. Look at what Frist tried to do Specter. It's hatred that fuels them -- they do not love, just hate less.

[USA_1]

28. Why? It's easy ...

The problem isn't so much that the Republicans blame Democrats for every problem under the sun (even though the problems are actually caused by Republicans). The REAL problem is the failure of Democrats to swing back at the reich wing liars. Examples follow:

*Who was the bigger flip-flop?

The Pukes said it was Kerry. The record shows it was Bush.

*Who gave nuclear tech to China?

The Pukes say it was Clinton. The record shows it was the Pukes under Reagan and Bush, Sr.

*Who screwed the economy?

The Pukes blame Clinton. Throughout the election, the Democrats refused to point out how Clinton created 23 million jobs and that it was the Republicans who screwed the economy.

I could show dozens more examples. Yes, it is true that the Republicans always blame the Democrats for every problem imaginable. But since the Democrats stupidly refuse to swing back and to make charges of their own, this pattern wil continue until they chose to change their tactics. In the dog-eat-dog world of politics, passivity simply does not work.

Bottom line is that the answer to this topic's question isn't so much the tactics of the Republicans. The real problem is Democratic party passivity.

[xchrom]

29. republicans portray themselves as victims looking to kick ass.

that's all they are -- brainless idiots.
and thanks to their incompetence in running anything -- that's all they'll ever be.