May 19, 2010

Tea Party Idiot wins in Kentucky

Yeah, Rand Paul won his primary last night against the GOP chosen candidate. From what I read, he spoke of "true conservatism" and "taking our country back." Implied, but less clear, of course, is the "who" they are taking the party back from. I am guessing the non-whites or liberal whites who staged the Miss USA contest.

And I am almost not kidding there. I hate to say this, because I am sure I know Tea Party people and believe that some are at least in the in-laws side of the family, but their knowledge of policy and governance is abysmal. As Josh Green notes, many of the Rand Paul supporters clearly have not been paying attention.
In my talks with voters on the campaign trail today and yesterday, the idea that the Republican Party is as complicit as the Democratic Party in what ails the country is something I heard again and again. I made a point of seeking out registered Republican voters, and the frustration with Mitch McConnell, Kentucky's senior senator and the Senate Minority Leader, seemed indistinguishable from--or perhaps better to say, "was a large part of"--the general frustration with Washington. "Republicans in Washington, D.C. are just playing 'follow the leader,' Janice Cox told me at a rally in Paducah earlier today, to which she'd brought her daughter, grandchildren, and a jumbo-sized American flag. "We need a true constitutional conservative."
As many bloggers have noted, McConnell has to be pulling out what is left of his graying hair. If anyone has worked to obstruct and obfuscate and deny and disparage and dissemble about the Democrats, it is McConnell. Imagine his frustration. He spends all this time as an obstructionist asshole and the Tea Party people think he is just a "follow the leader" Republican.

And what exactly do these Tea Partiers want from policy? According to this, Rand Paul, following in the wingnut tradition of his crazy father, wants to balance the budget in one year. One year. Paul is deeply afraid of inflation and promises to his wingnut base that he will fight what he calls the "sneakiest tax of all." Of course, our inflation is not even noticeable right now, and some have worried more about deflation, but why bother with facts?

One of my Texas friends has framed most of this in response to Obama, as if the Tea Party is really Obama's fault. It dawned on me yesterday that this is really a Republican problem, and one that the Republicans created and encouraged. And now, it is coming back to bite them on the ass.

Mitch McConnell and the rest of the GOP had a chance to stand up to Rush and the Tea Party and the idiots and say, "hey, disagree with the Democrats, but let's not make shit up. There are no death panels and Obama doesn't want to send soldiers to arrest you for not buying health insurance. Oh, and he isn't Muslim, or Hitler, and he IS an American citizen."

Not saying that would have banished the Tea Party, but it would have gone a ways to marginalize them. Those same Republicans should have also called their buddies at Fox and said, hey, don't promote the wingnuts.

But they didn't. And you know why? Because they looked at them as benefitting them in the short run. They thought that the Tea Party idiots shouting at people in Town Halls would allow them to kill healthcare. They thought that the mobs of people brandishing guns and talking about hitler would allow them to gain seats in November.

And now, they are here, and the GOP is the one with the problem. I don't really think the Tea Party is going to do much but push the GOP toward the absolutely idiotic and ridiculous. They are doing more to push the Republicans out of sanity's range than anything. And Fox and talk radio are urging them on. Why would they not? It sells ad space and tin foil and MREs.

No, this is the GOP's fault. You thought you could play with the tiger and it would just be nice and help you defame the evil liberals. But the tiger is not very smart, and really can't tell the difference between that rag doll of Obama and your face.

Good job, GOP. Good job.

16 comments:

6000 said...

I expect much turnoil in the coming years. Bad times. Economic decline. Maybe even a collapse of the economy. Civil unrest. Maybe even a civil war. That hussein obama is a socialist is very evident from his past statements. Only those, like Streak, who have their head up obama's ass cannot see what is happening.

Streak said...

This your idea of civility?

Your next comment gets deleted. You want to talk, we have demonstrated a willingness to dialogue. You have given us nothing.

Noah said...

That hussein obama is a socialist is very evident from his past statements.

You have no idea at all what that means. Talking point regurgitation.

Yawn.

6000 said...

Smitty,

Sure I do; unlike you, I am very smart.

Streak said...

Actually, Smitty, we can stop with the "hussein" part and assume that 6000 is a racist asshole.

leighton said...

It's been a really rough week at work, but 6000 claiming to have more than a room temperature IQ is the funniest thing I've read all month. Really needed that belly laugh. Thanks, dude.

Bob said...

“…as if the Tea Party is really Obama's fault.”

It is Obama’s “fault” that he did not accept the positions of the lunatic fringe and therefore, the crazies are angry. Sorry, he is governing much in the way he campaigned and a majority voted for that platform. Get over it, it’s called democracy.

Will the Tea Party people help the GOP? I am not sure. The question is this:

Did the Tea Party folks vote in 2008? If the answer is yes, did they vote for McCain? If they regularly vote and usually vote for the Republican, I see no advantage for the Republicans in upcoming general elections. It won’t be a movement, it will just be what the Republican will have to accept as their base.

If they are a group who normally don't vote (which I doubt) or previously voted for Democrats (which I really doubt) then it would be a plus for the Republicans.

Noah said...

unlike you, I am very smart

Sweet. 3rd-grader insults.

Zzzzz. Someone wake me when 6000 has a point.

6000 said...

If the economy is worse in 2012 than it is now, and it almost certainly will be, the only way obama can avoid being a one term president is if there is no election. What will he do to make that happen?

Streak said...

No need to wake up, Smitty. Nothing terribly insightful yet from 6000. I notice that maybe he realizes that the "hussein obama" is the common choice for bigots and idiots, so he has gone back to a more reasoned way to discuss the President. No real insight into our economic or political system. Well, he did accuse Obama of being willing to declare martial law to avoid an election.

Moron.

steves said...

I say an interview with Rand Paul a few months ago and he seemed like an ok guy. I honestly don't know if it is fair that he is getting lumped in with the tea party folks as I haven't heard much about him since that interview. I never got the impression that he was a racist, so I am curious if he has actually taken some racist positions.

It is clear that incumbents took a beating. Most of the candidates from both sides were playing the "outsider" card. Rand is a far cry from his father and has taken many contrary positions, especially in the area of foreign policy and drug policy.

Streak said...

Yeah, I saw that, Steve. I think he might be a general libertarian on most positions. He is anti-gay marriage and anti-abortion. I think some of the fiscal issues are where the libs leave me behind. Cutting taxes (which Paul calls for) at this point is just ridiculous. And the idea that our economy needs less regulation or that our healthcare could be fixed with less regulation--well, that just strikes me as ridiculous. You can make that argument, but I don't find it very convincing.

I got the idea that Paul certainly wanted that Tea Party vote. I am not sure he is as reasonable as some suggest, let me just say that. He may not be a racist (though many in the TP clearly are), but I don't trust this whole "take our country back" nonsense.

Monk-in-Training said...

Interestingly enough Rand Paul would like to eliminate portions of the Civil Rights Act and Americans with Disablilites Act.

his NPR interview was chilling. He uplifts private property over human rights. I worked with a disabled man for many years, without the ADA, he would have had a far harder time being part of our engineering group.

His 'local' option is (and I have lived through this) a proscription for repression.

Streak said...

Just watching some clips this morning that Rand Paul starts his announcement with "I bring a message from the Tea Party." Oh, and he isn't necessarily a fan of the Civil Rights act.

Streak said...

Just saw Monk's comment. Sorry. Yeah, I think Paul's vision of small government is simply indefensible.

scripto said...

"I never got the impression that he was a racist, so I am curious if he has actually taken some racist positions."

Maybe he's just playing one on tv. Check out his interview with Rachel Maddow last night. If you can figure out what he's trying to say - let us know. Something about private citizens and private enterprises have a right to be exclusionary.