Michele Bachmann made me think [Mostly in rage]

[Typhoid]

Keep in mind that "Mostly in rage" part.

I was watching the BBC early this morning, and they showed a clip of her saying something to the effect of "We need to do what's right for our people, and our voters".

That right there made me think about the difference between the two groups, Republicans and Democrats. Democrats view the US as a divided country, where everyone is an American. Republicans view the US as a shrinking corporation where half the people aren't Republicans.

It was the "OUR" people/voters part that got to me (and clearly what I focused on). It's sort of like she's getting away on semantics with openly saying "Fuck everyone who doesn't agree with us, we're going to do what's right for the people who voted for us, rather than everyone in the country. Fuck those guys."

I think that is the major problem in your country right now. As bad as Republicans are in this sense [Republicans first rather than Everyone at the same time], I'm pretty sure that in the past they at least gave a little squirt of a shit about the rest of the country (The democratic part).

But now; now all they care about is beating the black guy who has control of their country. It's as if now they view the Democratic voters as ________-loving God-haters. They had clips from regular Republicans; an old man saying "we need to elect the person who can beat Barrack Obama", and a young girl (maybe woman, but she looked 17ish) "I really agree with his [Rick Santorum] views against gay marriage. I agree with that."

That is the Republican voter? People who want to elect someone who won't better a country, but will rather beat the other guy? Or someone who will remove the last 5 years of social progression in your country? It's not a fucking game. It's like the dumb people (I'm not removing Democrats from this) do just view it as a "This guy vs that guy" game, and don't even give a shit about what the effect that person will have on your country as a whole will actually be.

Yes, I'm aware not all Republicans are like that, and there are more moderate ones. Just as not all democrats are pot-smoking hippies who took liberal arts and dropped out of college before starting their own organic fruit juice company.

[Professor S]

Why do I get the feeling that you had these thoughts long before you ever heard of Michele Bachman? I mean, making blanket statements about Republicans being racist bigots who only care about evil rich people is nothing new... Just do a forum search in the politics section.

Keep in mind, Michele Bachman lost horribly and dropped out while a moderate pragmatist is in the lead in national polls, and a former front runner is "blacker" than our current president, to use you terminology. Santorum is next to fall, because he only seems to do well when people can't hear him speak.

[Typhoid]

Why do I get the feeling that you had these thoughts long before you ever heard of Michele Bachman?

I really didn't. Not to this degree. I have family in the US. Republican family. We get along great!

But.

Keep in mind, Michele Bachman lost horribly and dropped out while a moderate pragmatist is in the lead in national polls, and a former front runner is "blacker" than our current president, to use you terminology. Santorum is next to fall, because he only seems to do well when people can't hear him speak.

I wasn't really alluding to Republicans as a whole, or all Republican Politicians, just the ones that are up today (Because all them honestly seem to be caricatures of jokes [Seemingly Unfaithful Black Guy, Flip-Flopping Mormon, Palin v2.0, Rick Santorum]). I was basically just raging about the extreme Republicans, the people who actually vote for those Grade-A Jive Turkeys [And those Turkeys themselves]. I don't like extremism on either side. I hate hippies, too. I totally hate hippies. Creep me out. Get a job. Help the economy.

I mean, making blanket statements about Republicans being racist bigots who only care about evil rich people is nothing new... Just do a forum search in the politics section.

Despite the fact that you're Republican, can you honestly say that the Republicans [The main few, not all of them, I'm sure some of the failing ones have some good ideas; they just don't love God or hate non-whites enough <--This is joke, comrade] that are up for Possible-Presidency today care about anything other than simply getting in charge for the sake of getting in charge, or gain for Republicans alone?

I'm not ignorant to the fact it happens in other countries and other parties. It's not like I think Political Asshole-ishness is compartmentalized to the extreme American Republicans alone. But can you honestly say that there is one Republican up there that cares about, and will try improving your country for 100% of it's population? I haven't seen one Republican speech from one of those four horseman where they wanted to lower taxes for the poor, spread education, make healthcare affordable for even the people who can't afford it. I'm not saying they haven't said that, or they don't think it - just that's not what anyone is focusing on. It's all "I love God more than my republican friend here, who isn't very Republican by the way. I also think we should get Obama out of the White House. We need good Republican values back in charge."

But really, I was just raging on the people who back those clowns. Because I know those politicians might be more moderate than they make themselves seem, but they have to concentrate their Republican-ness for campaigning - what bugs me is that it works, and that there are full-grown adults who share such bigoted views on the world, as if it should be run exactly how it was in the goold 'ol days when they grew up, the 40's/50's. And I'm aware old-bigots are old-bigots because they grew up in bigoted time where it was all the rage. But it's the 90's. Some people need to get with the times. Everyone is equal; black, white, jew, mormon, child, adult, sick, healthy, educated, uneducated. We're a'll people. Billions of us, all the same.

Politics as a whole these days disgusts me. And while there no doubt are many shady Democrats who own shady corporations who launder money and break the law for self-financial gain- but you seriously can't disagree that there are more Republican candidates over the years who happen to own corporations, or have CEO positions in for-profit organizations - unless you're going to make the argument that Democrats are just better at hiding the paperwork.


But to be clear, Michele Bachmann and Rick Scrotorum just irked me this morning. Set me over the edge. I've had my tea and smoked my joint. My rage has subsided.

[Bond]

Typhoid, it sounds like you don't like the evangelical part of the Republican party -- don't worry, no one like that part of the party except for evangelical Republicans.

[Professor S]

Do we really want to have this conversation again? It's been a DECADE of the same "good vs. evil" nonsense. I believe my political ideology helps society, and you believe yours helps society. Let's just agree to disagree on generalities. If you want to discuss specific policy, then I'm all for it, but these broad statements are just tired.

I do think your comments about not hearing Republican ideas about education, taxes, healthcare expose two challenges of most legitimate republican ideas: They don't fit in soundbites, and the media is biased toward simple soundbites and sensationalism, and no longer wishes to engage in complex ideas. Explaining the Republican ideology in regard to eduction is a long conversation, an doesn't fit well in today's short attention span society. I could literally write paragraphs (and I think I have), but if the media only produces headlines like "Republicans want to eliminate the department of education!" it's difficult to get the message out. The same goes for healthcare.

I will say that I am a Republican that is not a supporter of Bachman or Santorum, for many of the reasons you mention, and I am obviously not alone. Hell, I've basically called Santorum a scumbag because I've listened closely to him for a long time. He, and perhaps Bachman, are theocrats who want to tell people how they have to live their lives because people are too stupid to do it themselves. Conversely, I think those to the far left want to do the same thing but in a different way.

Typhoid, it sounds like you don't like the evangelical part of the Republican party -- don't worry, no one like that part of the party except for evangelical Republicans.

This

[Typhoid]

Typhoid, it sounds like you don't like the evangelical part of the Republican party -- don't worry, no one like that part of the party except for evangelical Republicans.

I agree.

Like I said, i was just raging over those few individuals, not the whole.

If you want to discuss specific policy, then I'm all for it, but these broad statements are just tired.

I'd love if more Politicians in general started talking more about specific policy, and less about who they are, how their campaign is doing, what they did, what religion they are, and who they're going to bash this week. I'd especially love if the media - in general, and on a broader scale - actually gave a shit about policy, rather than their own ratings. That means they'll always focus more on someone who is controversial, over than someone who has a good idea to better the country - Those speeches are usually boring, and they don't sell papers or airtime. But Herman Cain having __ chicks coming out saying he sexually harassed them or whatever? You better believe that got him coverage. I'm starting to think the best way to get the popular vote is to do a bunch of fucked up shit before you run for President, then the media will have constant coverage of all the fucked up shit you did, and never give airtime to your opponents, thusly always putting your name on the tip of America's tongue. Brilliant.

I do think your comments about not hearing Republican ideas about education, taxes, healthcare expose two challenges of most legitimate republican ideas: They don't fit in soundbites, and the media is biased toward simple soundbites and sensationalism, and no longer wishes to engage in complex ideas. Explaining the Republican ideology in regard to eduction is a long conversation, an doesn't fit well in today's short attention span society. I could literally write paragraphs (and I think I have), but if the media only produces headlines like "Republicans want to eliminate the department of education!" it's difficult to get the message out. The same goes for healthcare.

Tangent warning: I agree that the attention span of Joe Q Ipad is one of the worst tragedies of the 21st century. Nobody knows the meaning of "hold on", or "One moment please". People get so incredulously mad when they get put on hold, or get stopped at a red light. People hate waiting through commercials so much they invented a device to ultimately make them obsolete, or maybe we just wanted to watch our 55 minute show in 42 minutes. Those 13 minutes add up! Who has time to relax, so many shows to watch! We hate how long it takes to cook food, so we invented the microwave. We've spent 40 years improving technology - making everything more convenient to get to the glorious point we're at today - and all we've done is create generations of people who don't have the proper attention span to properly pick a leader for their own country. This paragraph is all legitimate, and not some type of tongue in cheek joke. I think it's a tragedy how impatient people are these days, and how negatively it affects all politics because of it. (I mean fuck, I cringe at the thought of how many people are only going [or would, if it was a site with a bunch of teenagers] to scan this paragraph because it would "take too much time to read".) Give me a news channel that focuses on a positive 2-day story. I don't want a 35 second clip about an Earthquake that decimated an orphanage, how the fuck will that knowledge improve my life, or help the people around me.

I will say that I am a Republican that is not a supporter of Bachman or Santorum, for many of the reasons you mention, and I am obviously not alone. Hell, I've basically called Santorum a scumbag because I've listened closely to him for a long time. He, and perhaps Bachman, are theocrats who want to tell people how they have to live their lives because people are too stupid to do it themselves. Conversely, I think those to the far left want to do the same thing but in a different way.

That is why I wasn't directing anything at you. I know you're not an extreme Republican to the degree they are. Like I said, I vastly dislike extremism. Maybe that's a little ironic, but whatever. Extremism typically comes with extremely closed minds, and that never helps anyone.

I just hate those fucking scrotebags, and hate the fact they A) Get attention and B) Get such seemingly odd numbers of support for the fucked up shit they say.

[Jason1]

Originally Posted by Professor S

Republicans being racist bigots who only care about evil rich people is nothing new... Just do a forum search in the politics section.

Uh, you forgot god loving, Nascar watching, and gun carrying.

Oh, and global warming denying!

[Professor S]

Originally Posted by Jason1

Uh, you forgot god loving, Nascar watching, and gun carrying.

Oh, and global warming denying!

Well yeah, but none of those are bad things...

[Bond]

I sympathize with almost everything you said Typh, although I would also add there are just as many crazy Democrats as crazy Republicans.

To play devil's advocate (pardon the pun), there are a lot of evangelicals in America and they do make up a sizable contingency in both political sway and fundraising dollars. I suppose they wouldn't be quite so irritating if they didn't want to impose their social views on everyone (what I would call "conditional conservatism") ... the Democrats try to do this as well though, just from the other side.

[TheSlyMoogle]

Originally Posted by Professor S

Well yeah, but none of those are bad things...

Nascar watching is always a bad thing.

[Vampyr]

Originally Posted by Bond

I sympathize with almost everything you said Typh, although I would also add there are just as many crazy Democrats as crazy Republicans.

Even if there are (which I'm not sure of), there isn't a group so large, organized, and well funded as the evangelical Christian sect of republicans.

I don't know what it is about the Republican party that attracts the crazies, but I think it does so more than the Democrat party. I think it has to do with their prerogative to harbor and encourage intolerance. Just about any Republican congressman you ask will say they don't support gay marriage, at least not openly.

There's something fundamentally flawed with that. You can say the entire Republican party isn't composed of evangelical Christians, but they have their claws in deep enough that it's still a valid criticism to say that the party is representative of them.

[Typhoid]

Typh, although I would also add there are just as many crazy Democrats as crazy Republicans.

I acknowledged that in my second post, although less on the 'crazy' and more of the extreme.

I don't like extremism on either side. I hate hippies, too. I totally hate hippies. Creep me out. Get a job. Help the economy.

the Democrats try to do this as well though, just from the other side.

oh, oh - I'm aware. That's just politics. I get both parties just want control and their own views to come to light, I mean that's really what it's all about. The problem I have, is that [what should be] typical freedoms for everyone, are being guarded because of uneducated hate [By some] under the guise of "God". Freedom of religion? Unless you're Muslim, then get your mosque the fuck out of my town, terrorist. Freedom of speech? Unless you're disagreeing with me, then get the fuck out of my town, hippy. Free Love? Unless you're gay. Then get the fuck out of my town, faggot. Free Choices? Unless you're planning to abort your baby, then get the fuck out of my town, whore.

This is a tangent- again - but I saw an old American citizen on the news and he said "We can't let those Middle East nations get too powerful, they're nations and people ruled by religion." - A relatively fine point for the 21st century. Religion ruling a country is antiquated. If I changed the channel there, that would have been great. But then he had to end it with the gem "God Bless America." For fucks' sake, do you even realize what you're saying. I found that to be one of the most laugh-worthy news moments I've seen recently. It made me blow ash all over my table. Yeah, I watch the news and smoke. Getting two birds stoned at once.

Just about any Republican congressman you ask will say they don't support gay marriage, at least not openly.

Yes. In fact many Republicans who were openly vocal against gay marriage were gay themselves. That right there should sort of show how much 'secret power' the Republican party has. If a gay man is willing to think "I'm going to act as if I hate myself, in order for ________ (Positive Personal Gain)", there has to be a pretty massive personal gain. Unless someone is going to make the argument that there are no gay Republicans, just Gay Democrats who haven't found out they're Democrats yet. Unless Gay Republicans are against gay marriage because they like the idea of traditional marriage, yet disagree with the ratio of penises involved with it. And being that they are Republicans, it's usually a pretty safe assumption (I don't mean that as a knock, but realistically) that the person is somewhat Christian, meaning that they also believe homosexuality to not only be a sin, but to be a choice. So think about the turmoil involved in a gay republican opposing gay marriage. He woke up that morning and said "I think today I'll be sexually attracted to some men...again, despite knowing full-well that Lord Almighty, whom I pray to every night - will send me to hell simply for this act alone." I think if homosexuality is a choice, that's a lot scarier than if it's not. That means at any moment any card-carrying Republican male can just suddenly decide he wants to suck a cock. I'm glad Democrat gays are born gay. I figure, as long as you're a straight democrat you'll never have a slight chance of even being gay in the first place, unless you were born that way. Since what each party says is relayed as fact, and ultimately what you say, is what is real to your voters (IE Republican candidates saying homosexuality is a choice, and thusly their voters believing that as fact, despite the fact it's really because of religious beliefs) means that on the other side you have an (nearly) entire group of people who have no fear of ever turning gay. Imagine all the fear in the Republican party. Each time they see another Republican male, they have to think "Hey, maybe this guy will try to jerk me off." Each day they wake up they have to worry "I really hope I don't see a man soooo attractive that I suddenly decide to turn gay. I hope it's not Larry. He just got a new tie."



That entire paragraph is not serious, just a tongue-in-cheek joke - for the love of science.

[Bond]

I think you'd like this country song Typhoid:

[Seth]

I can't believe that music video exists.

I appreciate this thread for the feeling that created it. However, why are we even allotting emotional response to the likes of Bachmann? Isn't the entire political arena (the one present through media focus) simply partisan semantic confusory?
The fact is Obama had the highest corporate funded campaign in history. He was the candidate of choice for the special interests that weave Republican nostalgia as fabric for a certain political tent, and democrats likewise.
For fucks sake Obama just signed the most evil bill(NDAA), citing defense budget precedents. This type of reversal from his campaign promises reaches further than republican interference. He had two years to introduce new legislation. The best he could do was sign a corporately securing healthcare bill. and btw, Obama didn't withdraw from Iraq. That was already signed in place by Bush.

America needs to elect an independent candidate. What other boycott options are there?

[Bond]

That music video is really bad. I have to admit I enjoy the occasional country song, heard that one on the radio, and had the bad idea to look up the band. Needless to say, I won't be listening to them again.