Harold's Left:
"It would be laughable if it weren't cynical and irresponsible. It's a lie". Perhaps the best line from Obama's speech to the joint session of Congress, as it so aptly describes nearly all of the ridiculous lies that come from the minds on the Right. RNC chairman Michael Steele has decided to send out a letter to constituents urging them to stop Obama's "socialist power grab". The entire letter is littered with language equally as stupid:
"Once again, President Obama stepped in front of the prime time TV cameras to attempt to sell the Democrats' leftist health care scheme to legislators and anyone else who might still be paying attention... They have seen through the hype and media adoration to understand that the Obama Democrats are determined to push their far-left agenda on our country whether the American people like it or not."
As you'll notice with all of the following arguments, each one is steeped in a traditional line of conservative attack. This first one going something like "always attempt to make it seem that they are pushing an unwarranted leftist agenda". The RNC wants people to forget that in the last two elections voters spoke loud and clear in favor of progressive ideals. If anything Michael, the administration has moved to the center of what they were preaching during the campaign. Secondly, Republicans love to think they have a monopoly on "the American people". It just further goes to their inherent belief that people who are perennial Democrats cannot be "real Americans". Instead of Steele saying "whether the American people like it or not", he should have said "whether Republicans like it or not".
"You can feel the rising mood of freedom-loving Americans across this country. Not afraid, but incensed and determined, that their government not be a menace to our hard-earned liberty and prosperity.
They are extremely concerned that the President and his congressional allies are launching an unprecedented assault against the principles upon which America was built."
First, I have a question. Why do both Steele and Palin feel it necessary to either bold, capitalize, or italicize half of everything they write? Just kind of shows their general lack of common sense. Anyway, Steele is right about one point here. The President and Congress are launching an assault on the principles America was built on if you are using a conservative frame of reference. Of course, to conservatives those principles can be defined as overt bigotry, disdain for the poor and sick, defense of big business, proselytizing of Christian theocracy, and preemptive war. This is what conservatives define, albeit incorrectly, as American values. So yes Michael, we are assaulting those values and instilling the values that America was actually built on. My last point here is that since government should not be involved in people's 'posterity', then does that mean they should be denying women the choice to get an abortion? Just a thought.
"Our government is of the people, by the people, and for the people. Those aren't just fancy words. They are the bedrock upon which our republic was founded. Whether power hungry officials in the White House and on Capitol Hill like it or not, they are to serve the interests of the people -- not the other way around.
Well, the town halls are over, and Congress is back in session. That's why you still need to show your support for the principled position of fiscal restraint, personal responsibility, and unfettered liberty as opposed to the Obama Democrats in Washington who are trying to force leftist "change" upon our country.
Send a personalized e-postcard, your own "Declaration of Independence," to Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid who lead the elitist, "progressive" Democrats.
Let them know enough is enough -- you won't stand idly by while they threaten our livelihoods and liberty with their outrageous Washington power grab."
There's almost too much stupidity in here to address. I think there are two or three really important (and again classic) conservatives arguments to pull out of this. The first is one that was used notoriously against John and Bobby when they were in power -- that liberals are elitists who have a "we know best" attitude. Now Bill Maher would probably say "damn right" to that, but that notion is not entirely true. While there is a correlation between education level, worldliness and liberalism, the fact remains that liberals spend their entire careers for the most part fighting for the little man. Conservatives like Reagan and Bush exploit the fears of the little man to get elected, and once they do they immediately cut taxes for their wealthy and elite brethren. The second argument here is that progressives have instituted a "power grab" and have illegitimately come to power to damage America. What Steele and the RNC call a "power grab", the rest of us affectionately refer to as "democracy". What Steele and his clown platoon at the RNC refer to as "trying to force leftist change upon our country", the rest of us refer to as "winning". Steele's whole argument that Americans do not want reform as evidenced by town halls is absurd. The fact remains that American people do want this. Steele would ask "well what about the polls that show that over half of Americans are dissatisfied with how the President has handled health care"? That's easy, before Wednesday I was dissatisfied with how the President was handling health care, not because I did not want reform, but because I want him to be less bipartisan.
With this letter Steele has tried to use every old, dusty, worn out Republican trick in the book against the administration. It won't work, not because he can't scare people, but because in the end the majority of people are not so stupid as to "confuse tyranny with losing".
Post a Comment 2 comments:
"Why do both Steele and Palin feel it necessary to either bold, capitalize, or italicize half of everything they write? Just kind of shows their general lack of common sense."
It shows a general lack maturity. As does the other tired old right-wing tactic of being a copycat.
The cries of Enough! are clearly meant to echo Obama's call of Enough! at his nomination speech. Right wingers' attempt to portray themselves as the oppressed salt-of-the-earth is just insulting.
September 12, 2009 3:02 AM
I really find funny, in a sad and pathetic way, these fundraising tactics of claiming that Obama is the media darling and that he wouldn't be as popular as he is if not for MSNBC and the New York Times/Washington Post. I am old enough to remember, as an adult, the media adulation of Ronald Reagan. I was surrounded by conservatives, racist conservatives, in college who adored "King Ronald (their name, not mine.)" So they mock liberals as looking to BHO as the Chosen One, when in reality we see him more as a Clinton than we thought we were going to get; but they don't think we were around for the adulation they shoveled out to Maggie Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.
My own dissatisfaction with BHO is not that he is trying to do too much with health care, but that he is trying to do too little. He is bargaining away any sort of sensible public option with the insurance and pharmacy lobby. I am dissatisfied that he has kept the only sort of plan that would make economic sense "off the table," single-payer insurance.
He is going to be in Minneapolis today, and in days past I would have rushed to get free tickets to see him; but I plan on staying away because I feel like I am being forced to show my support, as a Democrat, for a plan that I think is unwieldy and overly complex and long.
It will be fun to watch the street theater over this event, but from the safe distance of television and YouTube.
September 12, 2009 4:19 AM