Support NeoGAF

[zyxwvu4321]

His name sounds suspiciously like Osama. Definitely impeachable.

"Barry O'Brien" would definitely not be receiving even 1% of the hate and vitriol.

 

[Stinkles]

Are the Democrats racists when some of them called Condie Rice a nigger? Or when prominent liberal columnists called Colin Powell a nigger? No. They disliked them because they are Republicans. The Tea Party LOVES Dr. Ben Carson and last time I checked....he's black.

There is a political component. The parties hate the other side and use whatever they can in that hate. If President Obama were a Republican they wouldn't be hating him because he's black but we'd hear from Democrats that he's a nigger because Democrats have done it in the past. JC Watts was called a nigger, too.

if you call someone a nigger, you're racist. Party affiliation doesn't supply a pass. Are you trolling?

the tea party fucking loves black Republicans because they can pretend they aren't racist. Which is why they support nutjobs like Herman Cain and Clarence Thomas.

 

[pigeon]

The Republicans don't dislike Obama because he's black. Can we kill that meme? They dislike him because he's a Democrat.

On Sunday, a group of conservative radicals held a protest in Washington. Eventually they walked to the White House. One of these radicals felt it was a good idea to wave the flag of slavery, treason, and terrorism in front of the home of America's first black president. Lone idiots are often drawn to protest action. The behavior of such idiots, while alarming, should not necessarily be taken as an indicator of the aims and thrust of the protest. On the contrary, it is not so much the behavior of the lone idiot that matters—but the tenor of the crowd around him.

If, for instance, you witness a march against military action in Syria and see a Nazi flag among the protestors this should disturb you. But you would be heartened to see the protesters snatch the lone idiot in their midst, eject him from their party with great vigor, and give him some blows for good measure. The flag would still disturb you, but perhaps you might be able to see it as a fringe action, and not the heart of the protest itself.

It is the wisdom of the crowd that matters. The wisdom that marked Sunday's crowd was the idea that the president "bows down to Allah" and needs to "put the Qu'ran down." The wisdom that marked Sunday's crowd was the notion that Obama was not the president of "the people" but the president of "his people." The wisdom of Sunday's crowd held that the police, doing their job, looked "like something out of Kenya." It's not so much that a man would fly a Confederate flag, as Jeff Goldberg notes, in front of the home of a black family. It's that a crowd would allow him the comfort of doing it.

I was in a crowd once. It's been almost 20 years. But I remember most is how emphatically we were drilled, that day, on the politics of respectability. Our wisdom was conservative—too conservative for my tastes, frankly. But I obeyed the edict of the day which held that had any black man who came to the Million Man March and so much as stole candy bar would doom us all. That was our wisdom. It's a good memory. But I fear that it is no match for the wisdom of Sunday's crowd. The blue period is upon us.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/10/what-this-cruel-war-was-over/280559/

Sorry, pilgrim. You've got to take responsibility for lying down with dogs someday. If you hate the President not because he's black but because he's a Democrat, I recommend becoming a Democrat.

 

[Protein]

Yeah I see the tea party at this point as being largely manufactured thanks to one of the most successful astroturfing campaigns in history that managed to collect most of the far right conservative and social conservative gorups together to use as a battering ram against Democrats/obama/taxes/regulations/social safety net programs/unions and various interests that certain businesses had.

The tracks were laid but it eventually grew into its own force that isnt as tightly controlled like it once was. Frankenstein's monster seems like an apt metaphor.

A lot of big business interests piled money into this movement to achieve their corporate and personal ends and now that monster they helped build threatens to destroy them if the country defaults.

It should be a hell of a documentary in ten years and lead to a lot of interesting case studies in american history and political science.

Just want to highlight a good post from this thread regarding the Tea Party.

 

[FlyinJ]

Can someone explain to me in simple terms why the GOP don't just kick out the Tea Party from their ranks and tell them to fuck off. Short term damage for long term prosperity as the public realise what a bunch of crazies the TP really are without the slightly more palatable GOP veneer.

They desperately need to shift to the centre to compete with the Dems but with the TP in their ranks it won't happen.

Billions of dollars that corporations dump into transparency-free SuperPACs that fund the Tea Party. You turn against them, the corporations put a Tea Party candidate in your district to run against you with a million dollar campaign, and you lose the election.

 

[MetatronM]

Can someone explain to me in simple terms why the GOP don't just kick out the Tea Party from their ranks and tell them to fuck off. Short term damage for long term prosperity as the public realise what a bunch of crazies the TP really are without the slightly more palatable GOP veneer.

They desperately need to shift to the centre to compete with the Dems but with the TP in their ranks it won't happen.

This would effectively gives the Democrats a perpetual plurality in the House and a perpetual majority in the Senate, as well as solid control of the White House. The Republican base would be far too splintered if they booted the Tea Party. The Tea Party is far too virulent to gain mass appeal much beyond the places where they're already entrenched, and the remaining Republican Party would be too small to be able to compete against a united Democratic party. Their only option is to pay enough lip service to the Tea Party to keep them in line and voting Republican while simultaneously trying to keep them in check and not give them too much control over the actions of the party as a whole. It's a difficult balancing act.

Obviously with this fiasco they utterly failed to maintain that balance.

 

[VariantX]

Can someone explain to me in simple terms why the GOP don't just kick out the Tea Party from their ranks and tell them to fuck off. Short term damage for long term prosperity as the public realise what a bunch of crazies the TP really are without the slightly more palatable GOP veneer.

They desperately need to shift to the centre to compete with the Dems but with the TP in their ranks it won't happen.

I'm pretty sure its because the base keeps voting these guys in over moderate republicans, who can actually win elections. Seems like they're just voted in to purify the party of moderates rather than picking the best person for the job. The monster got out of control, and now the party's at their mercy.

 

[CrazyDude]

The Republican party freaked out last night. He's not going to be speaker after 2014 anyway (even if the Republicans keep the house). I think we'll see a real third party candidate that represents the tea party in 2016. I hope there is a Tea Party political party that happens. Get those nuts out there and let the Republican party go after the majority of the country which is center-right.

If the tea party becomes splits it will only serve to give victory to the democrats once again. Also, either the tea party member would go back to being republican or republicans become tea party. The way are government is set up, there is not enough room for a third party.

 

[Arde5643]

Can someone explain to me in simple terms why the GOP don't just kick out the Tea Party from their ranks and tell them to fuck off. Short term damage for long term prosperity as the public realise what a bunch of crazies the TP really are without the slightly more palatable GOP veneer.

They desperately need to shift to the centre to compete with the Dems but with the TP in their ranks it won't happen.

Oh man, I'm gonna have to keep trotting this out, huh?

Short answer: they can't.

Long answer: removing tea partiers basically hastened their party's status to Whig status since

According to a July Pew Research survey, Tea Party Republicans make up nearly half (49 percent) of the Republican primary electorate and fully 37 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaners.

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/115189/gop-cant-survive-without-tea-party

Poison pill A or B: They'll be dead thanks to Tea Partiers in a decade or so, or dead now if they get rid almost half of their electorates.

 

[InsaneZero]

Those are the people the GOP need to kick out tbh. They need yo start getting in new money and new backers from moderate backgrounds.

Unfortunately, the people that reside in the House of Representatives represent gerrymandered districts that are populated with these kinds of loons. They have no drive to advance the party nationally when all its going to do for them is threaten their standing regionally.

The Senate Republicans are naturally more concerned about this, which is why you have McConnell working with Reid.

 

[commedieu]

The Republicans don't dislike Obama because he's black. Can we kill that meme? They dislike him because he's a Democrat.

not really. the meme exists due to lack of legitimate criticism, which ultimately boils down to general racism. its not all, but a alarming number of republicans are racist/bigots/not comfortable with change.

these people have no arguments to even discuss, as they are saying things like dont re-nig this election. or throwing peanuts at blacks calling them animals, or supporting laws to teach religion in school, just not islam, etc.

you cant just post that it isnt real. non whites of america experience this, its all too familiar, and it resonates with republicans.

a significant portion of republicans have problems with obamas ethnicity, so much so that there is a quote at a recent palin rally talking about our muslim in chief.

it will remain a meme as long as frustrated bigots seek shelter inside the republican party. by announcing to the world their ignorance any time a mic is set to record.

 

[Gannd]

Because the Tea Party has the money and power to destroy Republicans and replace them in their districts.
And they've been doing just that.

The tea party only has the ability to win on the local/district level. They cannot win a national election. The Republicans can. Bush got 40+/- % of the hispanic vote in 2004. It wasn't until the Republicans went nuts after 2008.

 

[FyreWulff]

Also fucking hardliner Republicans are obsessed with hero worship.

Look at the GOPers that call themselves Reagan Republicans. Reagan was a fucking actor. He was literally paid to pretend to be charismatic before he became president. I don't know why a Republican would ever worship Reagan if they're actually smart. The dude pushed for and got the most fiscal spending of any president in history! Spent 3 times what every president did before him. Combined. From Washington onwards. This includes every war since the United States was formed.

I don't know if the "I could have a beer with him" era started with Reagan, but it sure as shit feels like it. The conservative media, lifestyle and communities have all been led to believe they had achieved paradise and they've just been kept from it by outside forces. It's a whole different reality and ruleset.

 

[slit]

Are the Democrats racists when some of them called Condie Rice a nigger? Or when prominent liberal columnists called Colin Powell a nigger? No. They disliked them because they are Republicans. The Tea Party LOVES Dr. Ben Carson and last time I checked....he's black.

There is a political component. The parties hate the other side and use whatever they can in that hate. If President Obama were a Republican they wouldn't be hating him because he's black but we'd hear from Democrats that he's a nigger because Democrats have done it in the past. JC Watts was called a nigger, too.

Of course some are. What does deflecting change about the situation. If you think a good chunk of the Tea Party doesn't see race, well continue to live in your little coccon but just becasue SOME embraced Ben Carson does not mean there is no racial issues at play. Clinton was disliked but I don't recall a lot of people questioning his citizenship.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Billions of dollars that corporations dump into transparency-free SuperPACs that fund the Tea Party. You turn against them, the corporations put a Tea Party candidate in your district to run against you with a million dollar campaign, and you lose the election.

If that's the case then I dont think we will see another Republican POTUS for a very long time. With those TP idiots around the GOP are competely unelectable among independents. I'm to the right of the political spectrum but would not vote for a Republican candidate in any election if I were a US citizen. Believe me, losing people like me is not good for the GOP. They desperately need to press the reset button.

 

[Gannd]

if you call someone a nigger, you're racist. Party affiliation doesn't supply a pass. Are you trolling?

the tea party fucking loves black Republicans because they can pretend they aren't racist. Which is why they support nutjobs like Herman Cain and Clarence Thomas.

Oh ok. So the Democratic party fringe is racist. I'm glad we agree.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Get the fuck out of here with that horseshit. You're essentially saying "It's okay that you hate the leader of the free world because of his skin color, but I don't like to think of it that way so let's not talk about it"

It's been obvious for five+ years now, that the vast majority of Obama's hate comes from racism and inner prejudice, subconscious or not, whether they are even realize it.

Don't believe me? Tell me exactly why just about EVERY single one of the right's critique of him is basically just a ficticous version of Obama that doesn't exist AT FUCKING ALL in reality? Not criticizing him on drone strikes, caving at certain times, NSA, etc. It's always propagated dog whistling (He's a socialist! He's a Muslim!! DICTATER!")

This isn't "race baiting". It's telling it how it fucking it is, no matter how uncomfortable certain folks don't want to admit. Get back at me when the Right as a whole criticizes 'Bams for something GENUINELY legitimate. Until then, they're just racist assholes who are still salty as fuck over a dark skinned man being the most powerful person in the world.

Yeah, it's obvious to a lot of people that race plays a big factor in the right's dislike of Obama. I acknowledge that completely. I just say that, in the Grand American Dialog, bringing it up serves only to offend sensible people on the right and alienate the center. As a result, it's better to drop it as a talking point and focus on just how dumb the extreme right's positions are until sensible people look at the situation and go "Well damn, it's gotta be because he's black that those people are mad, nothing else makes sense!."

Seriously, look at what you posted from the perspective of someone on the right or in the center. You immediately force the reaction of "Hey wait a minute, I'm just not convinced that the ACA is a good plan for America, I'm not a fucking racist! Fuck you, buddy!" and that's not a great way to have a conversation.

PS - I've seen a lot of commentators move in this direction; calling out arguments and complaints as specious and asking the question "I wonder why they're really upset. Hmmmm.

 

[teruterubozu]

Most Republicans agree with the Tea Party, whether they admit it or not. Fox/Rush/Beck give them props all day long. They're not as "fringe" within the GOP as liberals like to think.

 

[Mighty Chin]

Are the Democrats racists when some of them called Condie Rice a nigger? Or when prominent liberal columnists called Colin Powell a nigger? No. They disliked them because they are Republicans. The Tea Party LOVES Dr. Ben Carson and last time I checked....he's black.

There is a political component. The parties hate the other side and use whatever they can in that hate. If President Obama were a Republican they wouldn't be hating him because he's black but we'd hear from Democrats that he's a nigger because Democrats have done it in the past. JC Watts was called a nigger, too.

Please point us to the video/article of the Dems calling Condeleza and Colin niggers!

 

[Patryn]

Can someone explain to me in simple terms why the GOP don't just kick out the Tea Party from their ranks and tell them to fuck off. Short term damage for long term prosperity as the public realise what a bunch of crazies the TP really are without the slightly more palatable GOP veneer.

They desperately need to shift to the centre to compete with the Dems but with the TP in their ranks it won't happen.

Because a recent study showed that 49 percent of Republican primary voters and 37 percent of all Republicans are Tea Party people. Given that already you have more people who self-identify as Democraft, losing that many people would almost be a killing blow.

Basically, if they did kick them out it would kill the Republicans on a national stage. The Democrats would easily take control of Congress while you had two warring minor parties hurting each other.

 

[Arde5643]

Oh ok. So the Democratic party fringe is racist. I'm glad we agree.

There will always be racists and prejudicists(? is that even a word?), difference is Dems don't try to put a major racist nutbag into power unlike GOP.

 

[Gannd]

Of course some are. What does deflecting change about the situation. If you don't think a good chunk of the Tea Party doesn't see race, well continue to live in your little coccon but just becasue SOME embraced Ben Carson does not mean there is no racial issues at play. Clinton was disliked but I don't recall a lot of people questioning his citizenship.

I'm not deflecting. When you deflect the tea party as "they hate President Obama because he's racists" you're deflecting them. That's not why the majortiy hate him. They hate him because he's a Democrat. In their hate and spite they'll go along with, use, whatever they can to attack him. It's stupid and wrong. But, you guys often try to make it very easy to box them and that hurts your side.

I don't think "someh" have embraced Ben Carson when he's extremely popular within the movement and even wins some straw polls for President. I think that there is a cross section of the tea party that is very racists. It's why a lot of them gave money to Ron Paul and why the Paul family has been so friendly with racists.

 

[Blader]

I agree that's it reductive to label all Republicans/conservatives/Obama critics as strictly racist, and that racism is the root of all critique here. At the same time, the racial component at play here is fucking blinding. Between Tea Party supporters waving Confederate flags and conservatives demanding to see Obama's birth certificate because he may not be from this country as you can tell from his black skin are clearly the actions of racists.

I mean, the whole accusation of Obama being a Muslim is in of itself racist. A Muslim president isn't a bad thing unless you hate an automatically set hatred for all Muslims.

Then the GOP need to test that theory to destruction because right now they are unelectable among key demographics, such as single women, migrants, minorities, blue collar families and college graduates. Better to press the reset button and become electable over a 10 year period than basically give up the WH for a generation or longer.

Many of these politicians don't care about their party or their country, just their own jobs. A number of Tea Party Republicans said repeatedly throughout this shitstorm that they're only representing the interests of their districts - and that's true. Tea Party districts don't know or care about anyone outside of their communities, so why would their reps do the same? As long as they tow on their own line, they've got nothing to fear.

 

[Gannd]

Please point us to the video/article of the Dems calling Condeleza and Colin niggers!

Google it. I'm at work so I'm not going to google "Condi Rice is a nigger" but it's there. If you like, when I'm home tonight I can post some links.

 

[IAmRandom31]

if you call someone a nigger, you're racist. Party affiliation doesn't supply a pass. Are you trolling?

the tea party fucking loves black Republicans because they can pretend they aren't racist. Which is why they support nutjobs like Herman Cain and Clarence Thomas.

As a Republican you can take this kind of bullshit and shove it straight up your ass.

Democrats love to toss the word Racism around as the ultimate copout. I remember in 2008 democrats saying this country as a whole was too racist to even elect a black man president. That was their copout if indeed Obama failed to get elected. Then when polls shifted in Romney's favor it was because the USA is too racists to re-elect a black man. That same dumb ass line has been used for EVERY SINGLE POLITICAL SITUATION ever since he has taken office. If he is unable to get his way, it only happened because whomever was against his ideas were racists. It is tiresome, and the ultimate copout. I really do not think there has been a debate since Obama was elected where race did not become a part of the conversation.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

How? He hasn't done anything impeachable....

But he's black a socialist though.

 

[Mighty Chin]

Google it. I'm at work so I'm not going to google "Condi Rice is a nigger" but it's there. If you like, when I'm home tonight I can post some links.

You asserted it, you post it.

 

[commedieu]

I'm not deflecting. When you deflect the tea party as "they hate President Obama because he's racists" you're deflecting them. That's not why the majortiy hate him. They hate him because he's a Democrat. In their hate and spite they'll go along with, use, whatever they can to attack him. It's stupid and wrong. But, you guys often try to make it very easy to box them and that hurts your side.

I don't think "someh" have embraced Ben Carson when he's extremely popular within the movement and even wins some straw polls for President. I think that there is a cross section of the tea party that is very racists. It's why a lot of them gave money to Ron Paul and why the Paul family has been so friendly with racists.

you're making excuses for whatever reason, but as others have said. they understand the racism factor, as it exists, but it's not wise to generalize in general.

youre telling people not to see racism in the republican party, even though its clearly.a.facet.

we make progress when people can agree on a problem, and youre pretending that the racist portion of the gop isnt really a big deal. thats a lie.

 

[Gannd]

Yeah, it's obvious to a lot of people that race plays a big factor in the right's dislike of Obama. I acknowledge that completely. I just say that, in the Grand American Dialog, bringing it up serves only to offend sensible people on the right and alienate the center. As a result, it's better to drop it as a talking point and focus on just how dumb the extreme right's positions are until sensible people look at the situation and go "Well damn, it's gotta be because he's black that those people are mad, nothing else makes sense!."

Seriously, look at what you posted from the perspective of someone on the right or in the center. You immediately force the reaction of "Hey wait a minute, I'm just not convinced that the ACA is a good plan for America, I'm not a fucking racist! Fuck you, buddy!" and that's not a great way to have a conversation.

PS - I've seen a lot of commentators move in this direction; calling out arguments and complaints as specious and asking the question "I wonder why they're really upset. Hmmmm.

I don't think a lot of people here care about the Right or the center. Isn't there a Sun Tzu quote about when your enemey is attacking itself just stand back and let them do it. I think that would be the best thing for the Democrats. If I were a Democrat, all I would say is "I think it must be really hard for the Republican party to deal with the fringe that has risen up and gain a lot of power" or something like that. Let the Republican blood bath secure your 2016 election and then worry about the fallout if/when it happens.

 

[slit]

I'm not deflecting. When you deflect the tea party as "they hate President Obama because he's racists" you're deflecting them. That's not why the majortiy hate him. They hate him because he's a Democrat. In their hate and spite they'll go along with, use, whatever they can to attack him. It's stupid and wrong. But, you guys often try to make it very easy to box them and that hurts your side.

I don't think "someh" have embraced Ben Carson when he's extremely popular within the movement and even wins some straw polls for President. I think that there is a cross section of the tea party that is very racists. It's why a lot of them gave money to Ron Paul and why the Paul family has been so friendly with racists.

You are deflecting because while some Dems are racist they don't have much clout within the party itself. That's not the same as whats going on in the GOP currently. Also Carson did not win the straw poll if you're talking about the one from a couple of days ago.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Thanks for the answers guys. It really seems to me that in order for the GOP to survive into the next era they need to take the short term hit of splitting off from the TP and telling them all to fuck off. Winning elections is all about putting together a coalition of voters and the Dems have now got a very broad church because the GOP have driven out so many of their fiscal conservative moderates in favour of people who are seemingly looking for a Somalia style government of zero intervention except in military matters.

 

[teruterubozu]

Thanks for the answers guys. It really seems to me that in order for the GOP to survive into the next era they need to take the short term hit of splitting off from the TP and telling them all to fuck off. Winning elections is all about putting together a coalition of voters and the Dems have now got a very broad church because the GOP have driven out so many of their fiscal conservative moderates in favour of people who are seemingly looking for a Somalia style government of zero intervention except in military matters.

But they like the Tea Party. They say the things they can't say.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

As a Republican you can take this kind of bullshit and shove it straight up your ass.

Democrats love to toss the word Racism around as the ultimate copout. I remember in 2008 democrats saying this country as a whole was too racist to even elect a black man president. That was their copout if indeed Obama failed to get elected. Then when polls shifted in Romney's favor it was because the USA is too racists to re-elect a black man. That same dumb ass line has been used for EVERY SINGLE POLITICAL SITUATION ever since he has taken office. If he is unable to get his way, it only happened because whomever was against his ideas were racists. It is tiresome, and the ultimate copout. I really do not think there has been a debate since Obama was elected where race did not become a part of the conversation.

To everyone: Case in point.

To you: I'm sure you understand that there's some vitriol from the right that's race-driven, which is sad, and I'm sorry that some people who have understandable complaints or disagreements with the president's policies get lumped in with them. It's especially disheartening to see it on GAF all the god damn time.

 

[Gannd]

you're making excuses for whatever reason, but as others have said. they understand the racism factor, as it exists, but it's not wise to generalize in general.

youre telling people not to see racism in the republican party, even though its clearly.a.facet.

I'm not making excuses. There are racists in the Republican party. How many people post the flippant "Because he's black" is why the tea party hates him. No. That may be while a fraction of the movement hates him. The real reason the tea party hates him is because he's a Democrat. That's a generalization but guess what when you're dealing with millions of people you have to abstract. It's a good abstraction to say: Hard right knuckle dragggers hate a liberal President. There isn't a whole lot of nuance in this thread.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

I'm not making excuses. There are racists in the Republican party. How many people post the flippant "Because he's black" is why the tea party hates him. No. That may be while a fraction of the movement hates him. The real reason the tea party hates him is because he's a Democrat. That's a generalization but guess what when you're dealing with millions of people you have to abstract. It's a good abstraction to say: Hard right knuckle dragggers hate a liberal President. There isn't a whole lot of nuance in this thread.

Romney won 59 percent of the white vote, a twenty-point margin over Obama. He lost every other background. I'm sure it's just a total coincidence though.

And I'm a WASP. I understand all that dogwhistle the Reps put out loud and clear.

 

[Baraka in the White House]

That's a generalization but guess what when you're dealing with millions of people you have to abstract. It's a good abstraction to say: Hard right knuckle dragggers hate a liberal President. There isn't a whole lot of nuance in this thread.

But he's not liberal...

 

[Blader]

As a Republican you can take this kind of bullshit and shove it straight up your ass.

Democrats love to toss the word Racism around as the ultimate copout. I remember in 2008 democrats saying this country as a whole was too racist to even elect a black man president. That was their copout if indeed Obama failed to get elected. Then when polls shifted in Romney's favor it was because the USA is too racists to re-elect a black man. That same dumb ass line has been used for EVERY SINGLE POLITICAL SITUATION ever since he has taken office. If he is unable to get his way, it only happened because whomever was against his ideas were racists. It is tiresome, and the ultimate copout. I really do not think there has been a debate since Obama was elected where race did not become a part of the conversation.

Because race IS a part of the conversation.

You can't discount racism on the party of Tea Party supporters when you see this shit:

Not all Republicans are racist and you don't have to be a racist to dislike Obama. But discounting ANY racial component to the situation is just ignorant.

 

[Gannd]

You are deflecting because while some Dems are racist they don't have much clout within the party itself. That's not the same as whats going on in the GOP currently. Also Carson did not win the straw poll if you're talking about the one from a couple of days ago.

What Republican party leaders are racists? What Republican party "movement" is racists other than the Paulites and some of their supporters? I don't think there is any evdience of the racists having any power in the Republican party. But, like barnickles of the Republican party they are attaching themselves to the tea party as away to get their agenda pushed. The boat isn't racists but the barnickles are. (in this weird example)

 

[Gannd]

Because race IS a part of the conversation.

You can't discount racism on the party of Tea Party supporters when you see this shit:



Not all Republicans are racist and you don't have to be a racist to dislike Obama. But discounting ANY racial component to the situation is just ignorant.

Are there any other photos of anyone else with that stuff? I see the same guy in all of those pictures and no one else. One guy in many different photos a movement does not make.

 

[jamesinclair]

When is the vote happening?

 

[demon]

There is most definitely a racist streak that runs through the Republican party and it's why the whole "birther" movement started. But this whole fiasco would have happened with a white Democrat president.

 

[RurouniZel]

Can we just, get rid of the House? Forever?

It's always the House that seems to fuck up everything, no matter who's in charge. Keep the Senate, Kill the House.

 

[Trouble]

Is our long national nightmare finally over delayed?

Can we just, get rid of the House? Forever?

It's always the House that seems to fuck up everything, no matter who's in charge. Keep the Senate, Kill the House.

I'm convinced the house should move to straight proportional representation. It would let 3rd parties grab a seat or two and would let the parties maintain coherent caucuses.

 

[Manmademan]

What Republican party leaders are racists? What Republican party "movement" is racists other than the Paulites and some of their supporters? I don't think there is any evdience of the racists having any power in the Republican party. But, like barnickles of the Republican party they are attaching themselves to the tea party as away to get their agenda pushed. The boat isn't racists but the barnickles are. (in this weird example)

Every single one that pushes or has pushed the birther narrative, demanded to see birth certificates, or floats Islam and sharia law as some kind of boogeyman to scare up votes.

Those aren't the fringe, this is leadership doing this via well constructed talking points.

 

[maquiladora]

When is the vote happening?

They are in discussions about who votes first and which way will be quickest. I've read that the House may vote first to speed up the process.

 

[InsaneZero]

Can we just, get rid of the House? Forever?

It's always the House that seems to fuck up everything, no matter who's in charge. Keep the Senate, Kill the House.

No need to kill the House, you just need to enforce non-partisan redistricting across all states. Or kill representation based on locality altogether and abolish FPTP.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Can we just, get rid of the House? Forever?

It's always the House that seems to fuck up everything, no matter who's in charge. Keep the Senate, Kill the House.

No.

Get rid of the senate.
Keep the house.
re-design the voting system to instant-runoff and proportional representation in the legislature.

 

[slit]

What Republican party leaders are racists? What Republican party "movement" is racists other than the Paulites and some of their supporters? I don't think there is any evdience of the racists having any power in the Republican party. But, like barnickles of the Republican party they are attaching themselves to the tea party as away to get their agenda pushed. The boat isn't racists but the barnickles are. (in this weird example)

It's the racists in the Tea Party that are pushing their representatives agenda. Whether the leaders themselves are or not is irrelavant at this point. There are those that are so determined to rebuke anything this president proposes even if it makes sense for them from a political standpoint they threaten the GOP leadership with a primary challenge. The hate is irrational and that hate does not stem from normal political discourse.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

How, exactly, does proportional representation work? How do you pick which representatives go to the house and which don't? Is there a mechanic based on areas or what?

 

[Patryn]

A good move would be forcing all the states to adopt Iowa's redistricting policy.