The infighting continues among the GOP, with some attempting to jockey into a position of front-runner for 2012, others trying to inject a calm voice of reason into the debate...and then there's Limbaugh. Sort of like "And then there's Maude!" Wouldn't you love to see how Maude would have dealt with Limbaugh? What a comedic goldmine that would have been! But I digress.
The latest brouhaha started with Mitt Romney commenting on only two Republicans appearing in Time's 100 most influential people in the world: Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh. He tried to make some joke about how maybe it was really a list of the most beautiful people rather than most influential. Silly Mitt. Obviously not, since Limbaugh is on the list! Many Palin supporters took offense at that, thinking that he was being dismissive of her qualifications. Silly Palin supporters. What qualifications? [grin] So a group of Palin supporters came out with this video:
I had seen it earlier yesterday, and when Ken saw it last night, we both started laughing. Not at the video, but at the continued snarky infighting going on in the GOP. But wait, there's more!
Colin Powell spoke Monday about the problems the GOP is facing, and believes that one of them is Limbaugh. "I think what Rush does as an entertainer diminishes the party and intrudes or inserts into our public life a kind of nastiness that we would be better to do without." Limbaugh fired back today (surprise, surprise), calling Powell "just another liberal," and stating again that Powell's endorsement of Obama was about nothing more than race. He said, "He’s just mad at me because I’m the one person in the country who had the guts to explain [the endorsement]. There can be no other explanation for it." He suggested that Powell leave the Republican party and become a Democrat.
A few things here.
This sort of fighting amongst themselves is very unattractive. While Ken and I laughed about it, we also agreed that it's exactly this sort of thing that made us stop calling ourselves Republicans, and why we'll switch our affiliation to Independent. While I had made up my mind a while before the election about who I would vote for, Ken's ultimate deciding point was the nasty turn that the McCain campaign took at the end, especially Palin's attack dog tactics. I know some will disagree, but I believe that instead of offering real solutions and plans, their primary campaign platform was to tear down the opposition and paint them as bad people and scary characters. When I see that sort of behavior, it really turns me off, and I much prefer hearing someone clearly articulate their plans and refrain from character attacks.
As for Limbaugh, his remark that Powell's endorsement of Obama was about nothing more than race is offensive and completely unfair to General Powell. It implies that Powell is neither intelligent enough or impartial enough to make an informed decision, that he voted for Obama only because he's black. Obama wouldn't have been elected without a significant number of white votes, so that's a stupid argument. Also another reason why the GOP is hemorrhaging members. Being so dismissive of an obviously intelligent, decorated member of the military--who also happens to be black--would seem imprudent, don't you think? Suggesting that they leave the party seems even more foolish. I suspect that Limbaugh won't be satisfied until everyone who is still left in the party (after he gets done with his exclusionary tactics) is in complete goosestep with him. Yeah...good luck with that.
In honor of the GOP's free for all, here's the Motor City Madman himself, Ted Nugent, in his gonzo glory days. I believe Ted is quite the conservative, so this seems especially fitting...just like Ted's pants. Nuge is a little crazy, but he's one of my favorite guitarists!
It couldn't happen to a more deserving group of people.
ReplyDeleteXOXOXOXOXO
I thought I had the inside track here for a Silver Squirrel until you put the Nugent video in at the end. Something tells me these days that Ted would call himself a libertarian.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I can't get enough of the implosion of the GOP. I find myself moving more towards the center of things as I get older but there is no way in Wango Tango that I could ever identify with the so called "leaders" of that party. They lost their identity as soon as Iraq went bad, because they were dumb enough to fall in line behind the most incompetent president ever. And then they give us Sarah Palin! My sides!
And the arrogance is just mind-boggling. How anyone respects Limbaugh is beyond me. All the guy really cares about is making his 20 million per year.
They're gonna have a hard time coming together when all they can do is fight and call each other names.
ReplyDeleteMitt? Your time has come and gone....go away.
Palin? Really? You think so? 'Cuz I don't.
Limbaugh? ^%$#!@*ing blowhard drug addict.
Move on or get out of the way.
It's called progress.
It's worse than watching a bunch of monkeys fighting over the same banana....
ReplyDeleteBeth, You and Ken were Republicans? I'm shocked, but pleasantly so. I have good friends who are liberal in their social issues, but still hold on to their Republican-ness. She even still says, and I quote (although it turns my stomach to do so) "I love George Bush. He was a great president!" Compared to who, Nixon???
ReplyDeleteIt's fun and not the least bit surprising watching the GOP implode. What else would you expect with crazies like Limbaugh, Palin, Hannity, and Coulter at the helm? Great leadership flows from the top down. Fortunately, America, once again, has great leadership.
While it is entertaining in some ways to witness the implosion, it is also distrubing because it is nasty, and that is not the American way.
ReplyDeleteOn another front, one of the things that has made this country great is the two+ party system, and the inherent checks and balances. With the large defection and the shrinking, we may lose some of this in the future.
It's like a pack of starving wolves, turning on themselves, turning on everyone else, turning to chase their own tail. You would think, after the previous 8 years they would spend less time chasing tail and more time realigning the authority and Alpha leaders...
ReplyDeleteBut then again, if they figured everything out, what would happen then?
Rebecca
Sheesh ... the watching the GOP these days is like watching a train wreck in slow motion ...
ReplyDeleteBest,
Marty
Following on from Ken's concern, we've suffered very much that same problem in the UK in the last 10 years or more. With the collapse of the Conservative government and party in the late 90s, the UK's Labour party (Blair, now Brown) has had free reign, effectively. The result has not been good for the UK, and shows no sign of improving still.
ReplyDeleteWith nothing to counterbalance it, a party in power quickly becomes the master, rather than the servant, of the people.
I can not stomach Linbaugh or Sarah Palin. My husb and keeps saying we ned just one party but I agree that we need 2 parties and of course the independents. I am peoud of President Obama and I think he is doiung quite well.
ReplyDeletei have been a Democrat since the age of 17 and a half.....thank GOD.....i liked the Nugent video....i never liked him but my brother did....Limbaugh is a fucking idiot.....i wanted Powell to run for President and i even would have voted for him.....i would like anyone to put what Powell has done in his lifetime up against Limbaugh and then tell me Limbaugh is not laughable....he sure has a big ego for such a pitiful little maggot.
ReplyDeleteand Palin? Words escape me.
I wrote you an email on this subject a few weeks ago. Every election you have a winner and a loser, and the losing side is alleged to 'implode' while the winners will rule forever. Go visit Barnes and Noble and just scan the covers of recent politic books. Same premise, recycled every four years.
ReplyDeleteRemember, the death of the liberal in 88? Or the everlasting triumph of the GOP in '94, followed of course by the decline of the same masters of the universe two years later. Then there was the GOP's dominance at the start of the decade, followed now by what Carville says will be a 40 year reign of Democrats. Phooey to it all.
Followers of politics make lousy psychics (sp?) and I have never bought into the arguement even in victory. The GOP will sort itself out. I have no doubt four or eight or twelve years from now people will be mourning the death of the Dems and predicting GOP dominance that will, as usual, be nothing but propaganda just as all this talk is.
BTW, I don't listen to Rush, but Powell wears a political label only when it serves his personal needs, and he is welcome to go elsewhere. Seems to me he was mighty quick to shuck responsiblity for his own role in leading us into Iraq when he saw the going get tough, and I lost much of my respect for this bland politician at that point.
Civil debate and discourse is the cure - The Triumph of Reason over Fear!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm just hoping someday, someone will get it right!
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Katie
Mark and I have problems with both sides, that is why she too are Independenes. It is true, all of this ending fighting makes the GOP look ugly. And as my Grandmother would say: G-d don't like ugly. I have never liked Rush and have had major problems with Mr.Powell even before the Iraq war.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
I applaud your switch to being Independents, although why anyone would ever think of being a Republican in the first place is a mystery.
ReplyDelete