Mar 02 2009
Far Right Makes Obama Look Sane
I am glad I did not waste my time at CPAC. Last thing I needed was to watch a lot of people in denial make the same mistake that put them in the minority in the first place. While conservatism has a solid core of family values, responsibility, peace through strength, and limited (but efficient) government, the movement has too many loose cannons which spoil Reagan’s view of America with their own fanatical poison.
Those who ranted about the impure conservatives (RINOS, Traitors, Quislings, etc) helped shrink the movement down to its repulstive components, while ringing in the age of out of control socialism. Quite a feat. So last week there was much patting on backs in admiration of the carnage they left the party and country in.
One example of how the conservative movement has jumped the shark are the ‘birthers’ – the right wing equivalent of those who think George Bush and Dick Cheney planned 9-11.Â
Bill Clinton had the Vince Foster “murder.” George W. Bush had 9/11 Truth. And the new administration has brought with it a new culture of conspiracy: The Birthers.Â
Out of the gaze of the mainstream and even the conservative media is a flourishing culture of advocates, theorists and lawyers, all devoted to proving that Barack Obama isn’t eligible to be president of the United States. Viewed as irrelevant by the White House, and as embarrassing by much of the Republican Party, the subculture still thrives from the conservative website WorldNetDaily, which claims that some 300,000 people have signed a petition demanding more information on Obama’s birth, to Cullman, Alabama, where Sen. Richard Shelby took a question on the subject at a town hall meeting last week.Â
Their confinement to the fringe hasn’t cooled the passion of believers; the obscure New York preacher James Manning turned up at a National Press Club session in December to declare the president “the most notorious criminal in the history not just of America, but of this entire planet.”Â
No, what they have done is relegate conservatism to the fringe – which is why CPAC is a waste of time for normal conservative Americans. The fact the ‘birther’ crap was even mentioned at CPAC illustrates how conservatism is now a pathetic carny side show. We have Anne Coulter doing her annual foot-in-mouth act (I never did see Muslim American booths at CPAC after her ‘towel-head’ tirade). Newt was probably there, admiring his laurels again. And Malkin was probably blasting immigrants again, as seems to be her lot in life.
1941 Side Show Poster
So boring, so predictable. Even down to the straw poll, which Romney won and Palin came in 3rd. Which is completely OPPOSITE of what the conservatives in the nation say (Palin came in on top in a CNN poll recently). The leadership is out of sync – again. What a surprise.
So the Dems have their Global Warming fanatics, the Conservatives their Creationists movement (of various names and flavors) – both of which are deniers of established science and followers of cult like fiction. The Dems have their 9-11 truthers, the GOP their Obama Birthers – two mobs full of clowns. Scary if not comical.
I and others ‘on the sane right not in exile’ have been debunking these cults of cluelessness (see here for my posts on the ‘birthers’ silliness), but the lemmings keep jumping the cliff. I can’t tell people what to think, but I can do my part in Darwin’s grand plans for losers.
I am fed up with political nonsense from both sides. We need serious adult action on the issues this country faces and these people run around with a 3rd grade level of comprehension of how things work. Money is magically manufactured out of thin air, astronomical debt will bring economic nirvana (isn’t this the same BS the left sold us on mortgages???). Â Global Warming is coming – after a decade of cooling. And President Obama’s American mother means nothing to his nationality claim? Oh pulleeaaze!
When will all the madness end? One thing better not happen to the Tea Party movement if it is to succeed. If the ‘birthers’ become and element of it the movement will die. If the nativists who jump at every Arab or Muslim become a part of it it will not succeed. If it gets tainted with calls to deport immigrants, it is over.
The far right needs to pick one or two good fights to pull this nation to their side. The ones I just listed are definitely not them and should not be anywhere near the good fight, if you want the good people of this nation on your side.
Addendum: And as a reminder that acting like idiot left wingers doesn’t make conservatism better or stronger we have the Rush Limbaugh problem of hoping America suffers so he can be proved right. Here we have the perfect ‘pot’ calling ‘the kettle’ black syndrome:
I’m not stunned that conservatives oppose President Obama’s economic policies. Actually, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
El Rushbo didn’t stop there, of course. Limbaugh went on at CPAC to suggest that liberals opposed to the war in Iraq wanted the war to fail. Oh, shock and outrage!!!
Well, guess what? You’re damn right I wanted the Iraq war to fail.
Yeah, I said it.
…
The problem is – I’m not Bobby Jindal so I don’t believe in magic.
So I repeat – damn right I wanted the Iraq war to fail.
Not because I hate our country or hate the troops but for the exact opposite reason – because I love my country and I value the lives of the people sworn to protect it. If you opposed the war, I bet you feel the same way. Now, fasten your seatbelt while I go a step further.
I believe that Limbaugh wants the President to fail because he loves the country, too.
OK, time out with the brinkmanship. If this fool can hope for bloody failure on the battle field with al Qaeda and Rush Limbaugh can hope for millions of Americans to suffer form monhts due to economic devestation, WHAT IN THE HELL IS STOPPING THEM FROM ACTUALLY WORKING TOGETHER WITHOUT THE MELODRAMATIC SUFFERING!
Geez, when can we find people who can love America without requiring it to suffer under their love????
Update: John Hawkins notes how Rush can describe the positives of conservatism and the negatives of liberalism better than anyone (which is his gift), before Hawkins jumps the purity shark and goes off the permanent minority cliff. Until this self destructive stuff ends the conservative movement won’t be able to beat even a super failed Obama.
Oh please. Using a post from the left wing Politico to make your point? People are asking Hussein to present proof that he is Constitutionally qualified to be president of the US. Doesn’t seem all that out of line to me. And as he continues to refuse to make his birth records public…well, it just doesn’t look so hot, now does it! Comparing these folks with the “Bush knew about or caused 9/11” crowd is ludicrous. Stop bending over backward to please the “moderate, we don’t know what to think or believe” simpletons.
Jeffgus,
Let’s just agree Rush retooled and re-toned his initially comments. I was listening live when he said them and the intent was obvious and clear.
He does know how to communicate.
Old Puppy,
The far right are wasting time and looking like nutters on this issue.
And that is why Obama never lifts a finger to meet their demands. Why should he stop them digging their own graves?
Darwin was right.
“Let’s just agree Rush retooled and re-toned his initially comments. I was listening live when he said them and the intent was obvious and clear.”
I will re-listen to the speech. I know Rush on his radio show has been very consistent with his message about not wanting to harm America to prove a point. His message that lots of people wanted Bush to fail and that he wants Obama to fail if his policies hurt America. I don’t recall him deviating from that point in the speech, but I might have been listening to it in the context of his show.
Jeffgus,
I was referring to his radio show, when he first made the comments. As John Hawkins notes today, no one is better at defining the positives of conservatism and the negatives of liberalism – none.
But we need to be willing to sacrifice some for America. We need to be able to stop taking this country to the brink of disaster and just allow some bipartisanship to happen.
We can live with small steps forward, we don’t need to tank the country with huge liberal leaps backwards just because the forward steps are not as large as some wish.
THAT is the point of my post. If we can tolerate suffering and death to be right, we can stop well short of that and simply tolerate some compromise.
“We can live with small steps forward, we don’t need to tank the country with huge liberal leaps backwards just because the forward steps are not as large as some wish.”
I know that is a pretty consistent theme on your blog. I do think that compromise can be made in some cases. At the same time, some things cannot be compromised because they are core ideas. If you compromise on a core idea, then people loose respect for you. I don’t see how wishing Obama’s ideas to fail is a bad thing. History shows us over and over idea where Obama’s policies will take us. I don’t think we should compromise on that. Now if Obama starts pulling back on those ideas, then we should support him in adopting new ideas that adopt, in sometimes small ways, our ideas. I highly doubt that will happen since Obama is pretty set in his ways.
If we compromise, then both sides should have to give a little. Say, Obama giving up on tax increases or socialized medicine or some other core idea.
Let us all know when compromise breaks out in Washington this way I can get my gun loaded to shoot flying pigs. This entire Congress needs to be dismissed and replaced—they should be held to standards of failure that they would hold business leaders. They have failed the country miserably and only divided Americans and as such should go the way of all parasites. And their hero is Obama, whom I do hope fails miserably—I don’t worry about the strength of my country as it has proven itself to be bigger and better than the worst miscreants it creates. We shall overcome!!!!!
“Let’s just agree Rush retooled and re-toned his initially comments. I was listening live when he said them and the intent was obvious and clear.”
What comments did he “retool” and “re-tone”?
The comments where he said he wanted Obama to fail?
Rush has never, not once, stated that he wanted America to suffer.
Not once.
Everything he does each and every day is done from the position of helping America, and her people, be the best that they can be.
This whole kerfuffle will work to the benefit of the conservative movement.
Right now, we have to Democrat parties.
Yuck.
Hi AJ!
I have to say that I agree with Rush that having obama succeed will mean that my America, that I have known my whole 50+ years will have ceased to exist. I know you agree with that, too. Have you ever in your life seen a president do what this one is doing? I am BEYOND outraged.
And I was very interested in what Mark Levin had to say tonight about what type of Marxist is in the White House now…He was VERY specific about it. Did anyone,by chance, hear this?
Alas, the dumbed down public will only hear that Rush is a nasty person…