Seeing that it’s only two days into the new political reality, maybe it’s too soon to make this comparison. But…
While looking at some of the silly press and pundit reactions to the Democrats shellacking on Tuesday, it occurred to me how much different the reaction was among most Conservative writers and bloggers in 2006 and 2008, when their supposed endless grip on power faded into the bleak inglorious sunset that was the closing years of the Bush administration:
You know, we didn’t deserve to win. We didn’t do what the voters of this country put us here to do, expected us to do. We lost touch with our core philosophies. We didn’t behave like Conservatives…
In other words, they recognized it was their own damned fault that they lost. They acknowledged they had become arrogant and drunk on power. They weren’t doing the peoples business. It’s called introspection. Now, you may not like the purging of the moderates from the party, and / or you may not believe that they’ve really changed from what they were four years ago, but at least they acknowledge they were the root cause of their own defeat.
Fast forward four years. Democrats find themselves facing the same power-sapping sunset. What is their response?
Stupid Racist american Idiots! They’re simply too dumb and uneducated to understand just how good we are for them!!!!!!!!
Dems, it could just be me, but I’m thinking that’s not a great way to start to win back the hearts and sympathies of the American voter. But hey, what do I know.
From Graaaaaydon Caaaaarter, the uber-sophisticate editor of…. Vaaaaaanity Fair:
Well, anger certainly continues to be all the rage in the corridors of American politics. Not to mention American corridors in general. Polls taken prior to the November midterm election indicated that a surprising number of Obama voters said they were going to vote Republican this time and an equally surprising number of McCain supporters said they would be backing Democratic candidates. What that is about, God knows. The general anti-Obama rage out there is palpable. But it’s no more virulent than the anti-Bush sentiment that has pervaded the country for much of the past decade—although this being America, there’s an attendant hatred for Obama that has more to do with race than anything else.
Uhm… Dude. Did the voters who vote for Obama but switched to Republicans this time, including half of the 31% of gays who voted Republican this time around, suddenly become racist????? The esteemed Graaaaaydon Caaaaarter continues:
What makes today’s fury more worrying is the fact [?] that angry right-wing extremists tend to carry guns in disproportionate numbers to their liberal counterparts.
Can someone from NPR please explain to this erudite fellow that you can’t make these type of sweeping generalizations based on irrational… Oh. You can?… If it concerns angry white gun-totting bible-thumping male conservatives????
UPDATED: Via Glenn Reynolds, a link to Reason Hit and Run, documenting more stupid and inane post election coverage.
Good Lord!!!! When you read this piece, it’s clear that the headline should be something like “Obama’s failed housing policies helped ensure GOP victory”. The writer spends most of the time being critical of Obama and the Democrats lame efforts to “keep people in their homes”. They failed miserably. Yet, it’s only two days after the elections, the Republicans aren’t even in control of the house for two whole months, and you already get this accusatory tone? Obama’s had two years to implement policies that fell short of expectations. Lets at least give the Republicans a few months in office before you start bashing them on the head, can we?
Note to everyone – Those houses DO NOT belong to the people! They are still essentially the banks, until they are paid off. This is the problem with American thinking concerning finance. It isn’t really yours until you’ve paid off the loan. That is the lesson many, it seems, still need to learn.
And one more thing. Maybe, if the Obama and the Democrats had better solutions to improve the economy rather than the stimulus driven state of limbo that were in, maybe the foreclosure rates wouldn’t be as bad now as they are.
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PS. Just to be clear, I will repeat for those of you who have stunningly poor reading comprehension skills (and you know who you are), I am not opposed to stimulus per se. Many of the infrastructure projects were long over due, and it did employ some people, providing a buffer against worsening economic conditions. What I have a problem with is the way much of the money was spent (which apparently didn’t go to actual infrastructure projects at all), and most importantly, government “stimulus” spending does not spur economic growth. Again, it only acts as a buffer.
I’ll write more on this later. Must go work now.
OK, on the bright side, I’m very happy to see the hyper-arrogant Nancy Pelosi lose her job as Speaker of the House….. That’s about it.
Not only do we still have the smug Barbara Boxer as Senator, not only do we still have AB 32, the climate emissions bill that mimics the failed Kyoto treaty and will do nothing but drive more business away than it attracts, not only did J Brown win, but it looks like prop 25, which will allow the Kali govt to pass taxes with only a bare majority of the legislative vote instead of a 2/3rd majority, has also passed….. Welcome To Taxiformia!
Assuming that “ponderance” is not actually a word, and assuming things are going to end up the way many expect, with this election being a bloodbath for Democrats, I’ve been pondering the probability of a real tea party type movement occurring on the liberal side of the fence. Not one of these pho-tea party things like the Coffee Party, or whatever, that was cynically created to try and compete with the tea party, but a real uprising within progressive circles. I know it’s going to happen, as there are an awful lot of progressives who have been dissatisfied with the Obama administration and the Pelosi / Reid congress, and, in politics… especially in politics, nothing breeds imitation like success.
I wonder, what will this progressive splinter movement look like? What will be the glue that binds it?
Will this be the reemergence of Ralph Nader as a political figure and leader of a new progressive movement?
Some will scoff at that, but, if Ron Paul is the spiritual father of the tea party movement, then why can’t Nader be the same for a progressive grass roots movement? Ignoring their political differences, both guys are quite similar. Their ideas are not mainstream to their respective parties, both both are seem as men of their word and committed to their beliefs. I get a chance to listen to Nader every once in a while when I listen to Pacifica radio. I may disagree with much of his political POV’s, but he does put up a persuasive argument for the reasoning behind his positions.
Anyway, like the tea party, it probably won’t evolve into an actual party, that would siphon votes away from the main organism. It will be an avenue for disgruntled Democrats to move the party to a direction more to their liking. One consequence could be the diminished influence of the moderate Clinton wing of the Democratic party.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. As of this moment, the east coast polls are hours from closing, and nothing is set in stone for this election day. So, let’s kick back, and see what happens.
[ RESOLVED. He doesn’t read my blog. Promises to don more of that in the future ]
This post is for a certain relative, who doesn’t seem to understand the definition of the term.
Here is a common definition:
1. a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess.
2. a pretense of having some desirable or publicly approved attitude.
3. an act or instance of hypocrisy.
Here are a few examples of hypocrites:
Democrats blast GOP ‘front groups,’ but use them too
Al Gore ‘left car engine running during hour-long environment lecture
Here’s an example I posted concerning Rush Limbaugh from a year ago.
And speaking of Rush, there are an awful lot of people who derided him for calling Obama a jackass, but are cheering Joy Behar for calling Sharon Angle a bitch.
These are prime examples of hypocrisy.
This last week-end, you decreed that I’m a hypocrite because of what I have written written on my blog concerning the stimulus – that I am against the stimulus packages that the Democrats have passed – yet I’m hopeful that I can get a teaching job as a result of those same stimulus packages. Only one problem with your uninformed protestations…. I have never expresses the views you claim to have read on this blog.
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Politics / Law Stuff | Sonicfrog November 5, 2010 | 
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