Jun 15 2009
Neanderthals On The “True Right” Killing Conservative Movement
Some people are having trouble resolving two bits of polling data that have come out in the last  couple of weeks. The first is a Gallup poll showing ‘conservative’ is the largest self identified political view:
The second is a Pew poll showing the GOP as the smallest political party, dwarfed by a growing independent movement:
Some folks can’t understand where the difference is coming from. These same people don’t understand the difference between mainstream ‘conservative’ principles and the far right ‘true conservatives’ who have been attempting to purify the GOP of any pesky moderate or centrist conservatives. These folks like the phrase “RINO” (Republican In Name Only) – gives them a feeling of superiority over lesser American conservatives.
What it also has meant is a migration of the centrists away from the GOP – which explains the Pew poll numbers. Most people are conservative, half of those are distancing themselves from the ‘true conservatives’ – and have been for years.
And it is not hard to find examples of why this is happening. When ‘true conservatives’ are outside the limelight and off the record, they can display a very crude and negative side. Occasionally it peaks out, as it did here:
A prominent South Carolina Republican killed his Facebook page Sunday after being caught likening the First Lady to an escaped gorilla.
Commenting on a report posted to Facebook about a gorilla escape at a zoo in Columbia, S.C., Friday, longtime GOP activist Rusty DePass wrote, “I’m sure it’s just one of Michelle’s ancestors – probably harmless.”
All I can say is ‘ef you man! This is the First Lady of the United States of America you are talking about. You, sir, are the scum that lives on the side of sewers sucking crap to exist.Â
Sadly, that was not the only KKK class humor we have to deal with today from the ‘true right’:
The staffer, Sherri Goforth, e-mailed this composite picture of the country’s 44 presidents, which represents President Obama with only a set of eyes:
The only apology given for this racist crap was it was not meant to go public. It went to the ‘wrong people’. Â Like I said, scum that lives on the walls of dark sewers, hidden under ground, swimming in and consuming crap to exist.Â
This is why I am no longer a conservative, nor will I ever will I be a Republican, as long as these kinds of people are not thrown out of political organization associated with the GOP or ‘true conservatives’. Tolerate these bottom feeders and your political movement will be radioactive and shunned for perpetuity.
I don’t know of any conservatives who support those stupid acts. But, it isn’t a reason people leave the party. Otherwise, there would be no democrats because they do this kind of thing 100 times more than Republicans (with other democrats making excuses, laughing along, or pretending it meant nothing).
But, I do agree with AJ that “tone” matters. And, politicians or people realted to the parties should avoid this kind of humor while representing an official party or acting on that party’s behalf.
None of us like this kind of stuff. It also doesn’t have anything to do with “true conservatism”. It is an act of stupidy by two individuals and they should be reprimanded and held accountable for it.
JDavis,
Conservatives have an ugly problem and denying it will not fix it. Look at that Pew chart again and do some math: the GOP is outnumbered 72 to 22.
There is a reason a majority of this nation has rejected the GOP and the ‘true conservatives’ how are its voice and face.
That is a broad brush I did not paint – it is a fact of life.
Or, it could have a little something to do with actual *GOP lawmakers themselves, and I believe that the Bush brand was about as popular as mud there for the last year or two.
Conservatives of all shades for the most part defended the GOP and Bush as best they could against a constant barrage of acidic hateful attacks from the far left, (the media) left and center. Yes, there was criticism by conservatives on a few issues, but it was for the most part respectful, measured and constructive. I think that if not for the few loud voices of true conservatives during the trying times of the Bush years, the GOP’s numbers would be far worse, because it would have gone completely undefended.
Gary,
you are delusional. Bush and McCain were raked over on comprehensive immigration reform. Stop acting like an Obamabot trying to change history.
The only support for Bush at the end was from the center.
That statement sure doesn’t fit with this poll, nor does it with the tone and tenor of conservatives’ disagreement with Bush on immigration and whatever else. Not that a few on the fringes didn’t yell and scream at Bush for things, but the vast majority of the conservative block opposed immigration in such a way that was apparently not very damaging to Bush’s poll numbers from the very conservatives that supposedly “raked” him.
The center, and of course the left, is where Bush’s lack of support came from, not the right.
Hence my theory …… if not for that 72% approval and support from the far right, the “ditto-heads” to a man most likely, Bush’s disapproval numbers may have been close to single digit territory.