CPAC's popularity contests tell us a lot about the Right
By David Neiwert Monday Mar 02, 2009 9:00am
The above chart, taken from the straw poll of attendees at last weekend's zany Conservative Political Action Conference, really tells us pretty much everything we need to know about the kind of people who attend these things.
And for some perspective on how completely out of synch with the rest of the American public they are, remember this:
And just how narrow a slice of the right-wing pie are we talking about? Well, 52 percent of the voters were students.
Of course, most of the news surrounding the straw poll was that Mitt Romney again won their presidential endorsement:
Not that this necessarily means a lot; Mittens won last year's straw poll too. And Bobby Jindal, whose GOP star appeal seems to be fading, was a distant second.
But more noteworthy, perhaps, are the two candidates who came in tied for third at 13 percent: Ron Paul and Sarah Palin. Paul's showing suggests his pseudo-libertarian followers are not going to fade away into the woodwork; while Palin's weak showing suggests her 15 minutes of right-wing fame are just about up.
However, both candidates represent the right-wing populist bloc of the GOP -- and their combined support would have been 26%, or the largest single bloc at the convention.
These are the folks who have been the most vocal about calling Obama's economics "socialism," as they were at CPAC:
This gloomy hour for the right is probably most akin to 1965: Routed at the polls, the bedrock conservatives see their worst dreams of big government becoming a legislative reality. One word that has surfaced repeatedly here in speeches and interviews has been "socialism."
"Lenin and Stalin would love this stuff," Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee told a packed ballroom on Thursday.
"We now have moved a major step in the direction of socialism," Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.) said Friday, adding: "We are close to a fascist system where the government has control of our lives and our economy."
Which inspired the following observation over at Fox Forum:
From the likely nationalization of Citigroup to centering power in the White House by politicizing the Census to using American taxes to promote abortion around the world, Obama’s policies are more like Mussolini than Lenin.
Sure, just like we liberals had trouble discerning whether George Bush's policies were more like Ted Bundy's or Hannibal Lecter's.
But which kind of totalitarian state is it that Obama is bringing about? A fascist state, a communist state, or a socialist state? Because ne'er the three shall meet ... unless one wanders into the fetid swamps of Jonah Goldberg.
Which I think is where indeed we're heading, judging by their favorite media figures:
Glenn Beck -- who suffers from a groaning case of Jonanism -- is now their second-favorite figure. The guy who's forecasting Road Warrior militias for post-Obama-failure America. The one running "Comrade Updates", predicting impending economic apocalypse, and comparing Al Gore's global-warming efforts to the Hitler Youth.
How long, one wonders, before Palin and Paul combine forces? They share the same constituency. And considering the direction the conservative movement is gradually taking, it may only be a matter of time.
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palin got 13%, beating eyes of a newt?!?!?!!
OMFG that is funny
i wish i had one of those CPAC twirly hats....
Barak Obama kept the banking system in tact and like the 1930's we are not close to seeing the level of thievery and criminality from this banking system. We are going to hit bottom hard and the billions you gave to the bankers goes nowhere.
You've been duped and there is no way Obama is going to make up for the last 8 years by letting the bankers stay in power, and by not criminal prosecuting the former administration for warcrimes WHICH IS IS REQUIRED BY TREATY TO DO.
Until that happens I'm afraid this whole love affair with him is a false one and you are being played.
I too had high hopes for him, but its clear that the moral fiber of punishing the guilty and helping the needy is not going to come from him.
This is class warfare, and you are all on the front lines.
Well, brilliant response Krackonis ... Now I take it that your liberaterian POV espoused here would be to just let the banks fail? Is that it? And then I suppose we can put American's savings and small business financing into what exactly? What is your grand plan?
After this week's stress tests, you will see that many are not solvent and will have large gov't stakes taken over the coming weeks & months.
BTW, can you tell me what this has to do with liking Pres Obama??
I think you should make new banks. Give the monies to taxpayer directly to invest.
Paying the rich who stole from you is not intelligent.
not sure why this is a response to my post...
duped? love affair? dude, dude, dude... i can imagine some people that know my posts are quite amused that you think I have a love affair with obama. that's not something i have ever been accused of before.
your aim is way off
(that said: i agree with your class warfare statement)
What I want to know is who those 4% are who approve of Obama's job and the the hell are they doing at CPAC? lol
The 4% were the prostitutes.
.
.
Ron Paul... Jesus, what a joke.
I don't think i can stand another election season of seeing every comments section of every website under the sun flooded with "RON PAUL RON PAUL RON PAUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
If anyone knows of a handy how-to guide for manufacturing thorazine in a basement suite, let me know -- my sanity hangs in the balance.
Except Ron Paul has been correct on everything he has said. If you were looking for someone who could read the future, it was him. Everything. He was saying this two years ago about the banking system, he was saying about this warcrimes years before that.
So... Who should you have voted for? (I didn't vote, I'm not American, I'm just saying from the outside it's clear who was right and who was full of crap)
Just because he has been right about a couple of issues. It does not make him less of a looney.
Being correct for the wrong reasons is not really an achievement in my neck of the woods...
BTW, he has said diddly squat about war crimes. The only reason why he is against the war is a) its cost, and b) he is an isolationist. Both selfish reasons, which it is his prerogative. Alas, I get annoyed when people try to paint him as some sort of "humanitarian."
If the war in Iraq had not had such a bad economic impact, Paul would have had no major objections to it.
The only person, who ran for president under a major party banner, proved correct time and time again has been Kucinich IMHO.
"If the war had not had such a bad economic impact, Paul would have had no major objections to it"
Nonsense! he objected to the war because it was morally wrong and against the best interests of the American and Iraqi people.
he is such a humanitarian that he has virulently opposed any kind of increase in federal help for those living under the poverty level, those who can't afford health care, and even public funding for children healthcare.
With "humanitarians" like your idol who needs assholes?
Why is isolationism selfish? The rest of the world would be better off without us and vice versa. Ask the Latin Americans.
once you have f*cked the rest of the world and you don't feel like helping with the cleanup.
You can't go to a restaurant at the begining of the weekend, break up all their china, and claim you don't want to help them cleaning the mess because you rather stay at home on Saturday night.
So bring the bull back in the china shop so he can stop it some more?
Tyler, bulls can't fix china. they can break it, but they can't fix it.
Your comment about fixing Iraq and Afghanistan is similar to McCain's 100, 1000 years, what ever it takes, whilst having no definition of what fixed is.
i swear ron paul nuts are freaking creepy.
"read the future"? wtf? its like a cult. psst, if you are asked to drink the 'kool aid'... meh, nevermind, try it.
too bad that ron paul's ideas amount to corporatism run rampant.
lasts more than 10 minutes...Ron Paul is for sanity before he turns against it.
Really? An Obama supporter lecturing someone else's supporters about political cults?
Ron Paul supporters are just passionate, and unlike Obama supporters they aren't just into a personality cult. You wanna talk about creepy? Go back to Obamas nomination acceptance speech. People in the crowd blubbing and feinting as though Jesus had walked into the building.
Every group has their nuts and fanatics. You shouldn't judge a person just because of a few nut jobs. (Was "Feinting" a play on words - if it was, that was rather clever. However, I don't think it was... but alas, it was pretty sharp to use it like that.)
go to my profile, read my comments. see how much of a "supporter" i am. seriously, do it, or stfu.
then, realize that you are a idiot, peddling bullshit.
i will await the apology. although i won't accept it.
all that progressive talk and "feet solidly on the ground" view of the REAL world...really is creepy.
also, did you watch the crowd? All those minorities and whites coming together? What can you expect for all that miscegenation going on!!!
You silly! You misspelled "lunatic."
You are confused, oh snarky one! Many, if not most, of the people showing some emotion at the nomination acceptance speech were thrilled to finally see a black person nominated to such a position. To be given that much respect. That includes black people, old hippies, and others who are concerned about civil rights. You are a sore loser. And perhaps, even a bigot.
A big Ron Paul support group, if you like American Nazis.
I'll tell you what's a joke: Obama's Iraqi withdrawl plan. This is a PR scam pure and simple. Ron Paul is the only one who meant what he said about ending the occupation that has stained America's reputation, perhaps forever.
the only thing that could do worse damage to the reputation of the US than George Bush's ridiculous Iraq war is walking away and leaving the mess for someone else to clean up. Getting out of Iraq responsibly will take time.
....from the party that left the gigantic pile of shit in Iraq Obama has to carefully clean up.
Ron Paul was against the war from the beginning.
He's from Texas. Happy Texas Independence Day!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkgcEu6RGOQ&fe...
"Ron Paul was against the war from the beginning."
so was i, what's your point? did you support me for president?
Ron Paul and his pychotic agenda was even more rejected than Grandpa's and Palin's. He's a third string quarterback who is telling anyone who'll listen that he can play better. You go graze that grass on the other side...Paul's message is and has been a failure.
..how was he going to do that?
How was Ron Paul going to really, really end the occupation of Iraq? Was he going to say, ALLEY-ALLEY OXEN FREE, and then magically whisk all the troops back to the states? Or is it more of a ruby red slipper, click your heels three times kind of thing?
I doubt that any plan of Paul's is better then the one that is NOW in place. Say anything you like and no one, not a soul out there can tell me I don't want to see the troops home faster than anyone else but Paul had no magic to doanything other than what's being done by our current Commander-in-chief.
All hail the dear leader! They can march right out anytime the order is given. Why not ask the Iraqis?
There go the Kurds; the Sunnis and the Shiites will be slitting each others' throats quietly while smiling at us and saying, "No, no. Everything's juuuuuust fine and dandy! Really!" While the next regime is setting itself up.
I don't agree with the Iraq war, I don't agree with our troops being there. But now that we're there, and have established a semi-functioning government, we need to stay and nurse their country into a healthy state that they can take care of themselves.
Justifying occupation. Sick.
100 years, 1000 years whatever it takes!
Their ideal form of government probably looks a lot like Somalia.
Or that pig Lou Dobbs.
These numbers foretell the future of the GOP. I predict they will lose states to the Libertarians and the Greens in 2016.
Yeah, that is a bastion of right wing ideology, LOL....
With Reagan/Bush conservatism in such disrepute, It does seem that the libertarians are growing. I really think that the Republican Party could truly fall apart over the next 20 years. I don't see the Greens doing much at all.
That suprised me.
You're right about the Paul/Palin ticket. Adding up the conspiracy consumers, economic kooks, and religious flakes they've got a formidable block of voters within the Republican party.
Either they have no idea about world history (Lenin's communist Soviet Union, Castro's socialism), or they just use words like socialist and communist to gain viewers and try to drive up Obama's negatives. Or they just like applause lines.
Because never do I see actual fact-based associations between these labels and what the gov't is doing to try to save jobs, the economy and the banks.
Essentially, anything that is not 100% pure free-market trickle-down Reaganomics is socialist, communism and terrorism all wrapped up into Barack Obama.
Obama's change is just more of the welfare/warfare state. END THE FED END THE FED
Everything, every subject no matter what always revolve around the Fed or the Gold standard.
LOL... so predictable.
The Federal Reserve is a completely unaccountable and undemocratic organisation and until we get it under control we will never get this country turned around.
That governments are inherently corrupt, and that free market and private enterprise can take care of things much better than public organisations.
There you have, the Fed is a private enterprise... libs should love it!
The Federal Reserve system was brought in to finance the empire. If we're to get rid of empire that is bleeding this country dry we must get rid of the the Fed.
replying about the taste of oranges makes little sense.
FYI.
The fed is the penultimate libertarian institution. All the tangential talk about "empire" and whatever other nonsense you guys come up with, will not distract some of us from that fact.
Libertarian/Vienna school approaches usually end up in unmitigated disasters. But there is always some sort of excuse, someone else to blame. Which it is ironic, coming from a bunch of people so hell bent on pushing "personal responsibility" down other people's throats.
LOL.
Our empire is "nonsense"?? Ask the Iraqis.
and remotely related to the subject at hand.
The Fed is a private corporation created by our government that has Monopoly control over our money. There is a lack of competition when a corporation has a monopoly. This stands in opposition to free markets which are about competition and freedom of choice.
Indeed. And of course, how curious it is that there seem to be a few closet socialists in the Republican Party who are now pushing for nationalization. Oh i know, their "nationalization" consists of seizing doomed banks and toxic assets, fixing them up (sending the bill to the taxpayer) and then, as a great sage put it, "selling the bank off to pre-selected winners at fire sale prices..." but let a boy dream.
They're not stupid enough to believe that Obama or any of his cohorts have anything to do with socialism; their disciples (average dingbat Republicans) on the other hand -- well, you know...
As for the free market goes... In the words of Dr. Parenti, "Their goal is to get us back to 1900." And for any "RONPAUL!!!" lurkers out there, he will only accelerate the "progress."
Hey parents, did those stories about rotting milk and tainted food send a little shiver up your spine? Well take heart... You won't have to worry about such things in a Ron Paul administration. You will never hear about it, because there will be no one to investigate corrupt little upper-crust vermin who knowlingly sell poison to, well, whomever.
The magic of the marketplace indeed...
These swine are not your friends.
And if Israel wants to bomb Iran will Obama stop them? I don't think so.
Nope, as soon as they have a chance to screw you over, they will and never look back.
they are bald-faced lying hypocrites
the GOP and the rightwing do NOT want a truly "free" market. not that one could ever truly exist in the first place, but their claim to support a "free" market is pure bullshit wrapped in cowshit bathed in horseshit dipped in pigshit.
reaganomics = privatized profit and socialized risk.
Don't forget, er, muslimism.
Obama is a socialist communist terrorist crazy christian atheist devil worshipper, who is also a muslim.
While Paul is healthier than McCane, he's still getting up there, dontcha know...
I enjoy being lectured about how bad government is by two smug idiots who have lived most of their lives off the public tit.
Paul returns his share of his gov't pension every year. How many dems do that?
He has an investment fund worth millions.
He also does not renounce to his public-funded health care, when he has done all he can to avoid extending the same level of care to his constituents.
The only representative doing anything remotely close to what you claim is DeFazio from Oregon. Who has renounced to his pay increases ever since he has been in congress, and has donated that money to a scholarship fund for displaced workers in his district.
CPAC, expecially this year, consists of people who still care enough about the GOP to SHOW UP. OR who could AFFORD to miss the work necessary to show up. This bears especially true in the report that 52% of attendees voting in their "How's Obama doing" poll are students. Considering Obama got the youth vote by an overwhelming margin, I'd suggest that it's kind of an anomaly that SO many polled are students.
I only bring it up because it's the sort of misleading statistic that will probably become something of a talking point amongst the stupid or mire dishonest of our supposed liberal media. "HOW popular is Obama among today's youth? WEH-ell, if the CPAC attendance is any indication, it's not as strong as we thought, let's take a look..." and then they'll bring up the high percentage of students at the convention, without mentioning that it's at a time when only rich kids can afford to travel OR miss work, and that plenty of people who would normally think of themselves are conservative are SO desperate for relief, they're willing to test a little of Obama's so-called socialism.
Newt edges out Undecided by a point!
Truth be told, George Bush's policies were clearly more AL Bundy than Ted Bundy.
How can this be a legitimate right-wing poll if the respondents weren't allowed to pick Joe the Plumber as their preferred Presidential candidate?
Seriously. The guy is the brain-trust and moral center of the Republican Party.
1) Do you believe in the Lord?
2) Is America a Christian nation?
3) Is abortion wrong?
4) Are liberals in league with Satan?
CPAC knows liberals do not acknowldege God's handiwork in the creation. TYhey cannot be in League with Satan without believing in Him.
4) Are liberals unAmerican terrorist sympathizers?
Y feliz dia de independencia de Tejas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmLVyrBLkEE
...every good Repuke knows that the atheistic libs are unknowing pawns of Satan, who will only figure out their 'mistake' come judgement day.
CPAC is sickeningly amusing.
5. Do you see black government helicopters at night?
the evangelicals feel slighted by BUSH who sold himself as a evangelical. they love palin. i say she does NOT have a chance on the big stage. it's a real Motley Crue: palin,hucklberry,jindal,romney. the governor
of utah seems like a sensible (R). if they continue their typical strategy they're done. if Obama moves more left it may give the (R) some hope.
I think the BIG STORY in those survey results was that there were actually 4% that APPROVED of the job a Democratic President is Doing ...
it was the hookers.
They tend to make more money when Republicans and Conservatives are in town than Liberals and Democrats.
hate to break it to you, but that is totally wrong.
Hookers make MORE money at the Democratic convention then GOP convention.
Also, Republicans are well known with the "sexual services" industry as ofttimes more likely to look for deviant sex.
Not that there is anything wrong with deviant sex. ;0)
from: http://tinyurl.com/2bmkum (Rocky Mountain News)
An excerpt:
'More business' from GOP
Too bad for Watson and others like him that Denver didn't land the GOP convention instead, said Carol Leigh, a San Francisco prostitute "over 50" who has traveled to previous Democratic conventions in Los Angeles and Atlanta.
"It would be a lot better for the sex workers if it was the Republican convention," she said.
"We get a lot more business. I don't know if they're just frustrated because of the family values agenda," she said.
When the Republican convention was held in New York in 2004, some sex workers offered limited-time discounts, according to New York Magazine, which ran a feature story titled "The Girls in Their Summer Hot Pants."
...
That aside... there may be no truth to the matter or the numbers are grossly inflated (pun intended) depending upon which side the story comes from. Also, since there's no realistic way to accurately count the money spent on hookers or sex services. However, both parties do tend to cause a spike in that kind business.
the point is ocnceded.
Republicans have to pay for sex more often than Democrats do. ;0)
And liberals don't have to pay at all! ;0)
and that failure's no success at all.
These folks haven't got a clue - -
Try this for what Fascism looks like - - http://www.rense.com/general37/char.htm
Remind you of the past eight years ????
I almost hate the "Pauletts" as much as the current Republicans. The Libertarian/Conservative answer to all of our problems seems to be "we were against building that massive dam just above the city from the beginning" so the solution is "let the dam fail and wash away all the little peoples lives, only then can we rebuild" The strong will take care of them selves and the society is better off with the people that don't. Let them get help from their churches.
If we spend so much we destroy the value of the dollar we are going to turn America into a third world country.
you mean like countries with no social safety net, no consumer protections, and no social services? kind of like what paul wants here in america...
you want a third world country, you just don't realize it.
Precisely the policies that we have been forcing on other countries throught the World Bank and the IMF.
and see how well they have worked?
why do you want that for america? why does ron paul want that for america?
Obama's policy of shovelling money into the kleptocrats pockets is even more destructive.
There is no painless way out of this and the sooner we all realize this the better.
why, when pressed about the third world-esque paul economic prescriptions, do you deflect and evade?
me: i think TARP was one of the worst pieces of legislation ever. and i think the govt-corp's coddling of the banks is disgusting.
As far as economics goes, I think we are screwed no matter what we do. We may be reduced to some sort of barter system.
Until we get our head out of our ass as far as foreign policy goes, there is no way we are going to get this country back on track.
It was wrong to invade Iraq and is wrong to stay, and it will just make it harder when we are finally forced to leave.
Hilary is pledging more money we don't have to rebuild Gaza. We are paying to blow shit up they paying to bebuid it. Meanwhile our own country is falling apart. This is insane, and I haven't seen that Obama understands this basic fact.
Why don't we buy each Palestinian a mansion in Dubai? It would probably be cheaper.
since you are a paul follower and, i assume, a libertarian i am confused by this statement you made: "Hilary is pledging more money we don't have to rebuild Gaza. We are paying to blow shit up they paying to rebuild it. Meanwhile our own country is falling apart."
anyhoo, you seem to be implying that the US govt should be spending money here ("own country is falling apart"), instead of spending our money to rebuild israel... doesn't that run counter to libertarianism? are you expressing a desire for the govt to spend money to rebuild the country?
if so, i think you might have strayed from the libertarian conga-line.
(note, i agree. we should cut israel loose. they aren't the 51st state)
Libertarians shouldn't tell others what to think. I haven't read Austrian economics or Ayn Rand. I've spent a lot of time arguing with them about Chile, which they seem to think is a great success.
"We need to mind our own business at home and abroad". I think most Americans would agree with that.
you do realize that ron paul is a libertarian, yes?
Labels are essentially meaningless in this day and age. Was George Bush a conservative? Certainly not. The paulians want to rebuild their party into an honest opposition party and I don't see anything wrong with that. If the democrats had behaved like an opposition party a few years back we might no be in the mess we are in.
At the end of the day both of our major parties believe in power, and very little else.
That's very Freudian.
Why not the "minority"?
I was quoting Chomsky. He said correctly that the US had no functioning opposition party from 2000-2006.
Are you dizzy yet? Ron Paul is such a fucking political psychopath that even the confederate section of the Republican party told him to fuck off.
It could be argued that our entire political culture has degenerated in a kind psychopathology. Perhaps we should be "isolated" from the rest of the world.
Where are you from?
Just wonderin'.
I live in the one city that perhaps benefited most from Bush's policies. He is coming to speak here on St. Paddies day.
...iirc, you're a Canadian.
So what's up with:
And,
?
Poetic license I suppose. With Stephen Harper in power we do not have an independent foreign policy anyway.
You want to push a guy (Paul) whose pet legislation aims at stripping the 14th Amendment from OUR Constitution? Do you know what that Amendment does? Do you? DO YOU?!?!?!
No need to get snippy. I'm more worried about some Jesus freak taking over and speeding up the rapture.
Did you read that link, Guy? It's all about stripping away the Constitutional protections that guard us from just that sort of Jesus freaks.
I don't pretend to have an in-depth knowledge of your internal governance, so I won't comment on how you should vote. I would expect the same from you.
If Obama fails and I certainly hope he does not, no piece of paper will protect us from what will come after. We would be lucky if it is only someone as crazy as Ron Paul.
we have been dealing with a libertarian from Canada?
Are you sh*tting me?
As a victim of Socialism, I feel that freedom should be prepserved somewhere. Now if you'll excuse me I need to go pick up my govt subsidised weed supply.
which allows you to have enough free time to worry about other countries.
LOL.
Harper is an American fascist. Turning our country into a commercialized hellhole of big box stores and no social securities and no pride.
Very sad indeed.
So do I. Jerkoffs who read Atlas Shrugged as fact instead of fiction.
it's the self help book of libertarianism.
Gold, Ron Paul, Peter Schiff, Friedrich Hayek, Gold, The Road To Serfdom, Ron Paul, blah, blah, blah...
Nobody cares. Leave us alone and go back to Photoshopping Ayn Rand's face onto your porn collections.
you forgot the Federal Reserve, and their idol: Rand.
In fact 99.9% of arguments by libertarians will include at least: 1 reference to the Gold Standard, or the Federal Reserve, or some sort of obscure passage from a book by Rand... which will be masqueraded as fact or common knowledge by using copious amounts of intellectual dishonesty by said libertarian.
listening to ed schultz...
he said he watched limpball at CPAC with the sound turned down and the resemblance was obvious... the actions, mannerisms...
I think this CPAC poll is probably off. I doubt very many people at the CPAC would admit to feeling any other way while at the conference. Group think is very big at these type of events. Take the same poll outside of CPAC and you would probably get different results.
Paul has the libertarians and Palin has the theocrats. I would say Huckabee has more traditional populist street-cred than Palin or Paul.
on his lips should!
Republicans are in a state of panic. They have no sense of reality, no brains, no sense of responsibility, no truth, no shame, no ideas and no compassion. They are consumed by their personal self-interests. They have NOTHING constructive to offer the American people in a time of dire crisis. They are dividers and saboteurs!
Republicans AREN’T making a sincere effort to STOP the bleeding THEIR incompetent leadership and failed policies created. Instead, they’re using conflicting economic theories as a smokescreen to conceal their subversive agenda, which is to cause President Obama and America to fail so they can blame Democrats for the consequences of THEIR calamitous dereliction and mismanagement.
There is not a single Republican who has the potential to speak to the interests or values of East coasters and or West coasters and or urban Mid-Westerners. Republicans are latter day Dixiecrats who speak only to the fears, hatreds and dysfunctions of an unenlightened, bigoted and insurrectionist rural South that is in it’s final death-throws.
Republican leaders are not the LOYAL OPPOSITION. They are the ENEMY WITHIN whose party first priorities have eroded their moral and ethical standards to the point that treachery and intimidation are their preferred modus operandi. It’s one thing to advocate conservative beliefs; it’s another thing entirely to willfully sabotage America’s government because an effective Democratic presidency would not be vulnerable to the fears and hatreds that produced and sustained the radical Republican corporatism and extremism that have poisoned and crippled America.
But, then, who ever thought we'd see Presidents Bonzo and Dubya?
I doubt seriously if Mr. Paul will team up with Palin on much of anything. Mr. Paul is not a religious wingnut, and, except for his political philosophy, is not particularly stupid. They just don't fit together. Having said that, here is a comment on Mr. Paul's statement.
Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.) said Friday, adding: "We are close to a fascist system where the government has control of our lives and our economy."
Actually he isn't that far wrong. A fascist system is where the corporate leaders are the same ones making political decisions, in other words, CEO's and legislators are much the same group and the government is of, for and by business. If you wanted to make a short summary of the Cheney/Bush regime, then I can't think of a better one.
Keep in mind a lot of Republicans don't believe in any kind of future. They are waiting for the rapture. If Ron Paul could somehow neutralize these people, would that not be a good thing?
wouldn't he run against a GOP ticket. By running as a GOPer he is actually enabling the GOP.
Or are you expecting Paul to be some sort of Ike-like figure, who was more afraid of the GOP than he was of the Democrats. And thus he decided to run as their top candidate in order to neutralize the loonies?
" "My enemy's enemy is my friend". Libertarian Repubs are less dangerous than the neocon variety.
So what if your Paulist "friends" were to succeed and ascend to seats of power? What if they were no longer in the position to stand against, but rather for something?
I would assume most of the kleptocracy would have fled the country by that point, solving a large part of our problem.
Funny how Libertarians rail against the Federal government's so-called over-extension of power, arguing that power should be in the hands of localities- because, when you boil it right down, it's the local governments with whom they actually have the real problems.
The "Fuck you! I got mine" Libertarian alternative, to be any better than the Neocon "Fuck you! yours is mine" policies we have suffered.
In fact, I would not consider libertarians to be even remotely opposed to the neocon main tenets. If anything they are complementary: You have to steal to build up your stash, before you can tell other people to lay their hands off it.
The problem (for you) is that Paul represents less than 10% of the electorate. In a two-party system you won't survive long polling less than 10%, some other coalition will rise up. Libertarians have had the grace in the past of at least being a third party ensuring they were on the less dangerous fringe. If Paul wants the trappings of the GOP to get his views enacted then he is equally as dangerous as the neocons. Much of the GOP base is sheep who will vote for whoever promises them the most beer and lynchings, even if it means a life of servitude and reality TV. Paul would immediately go from crazy uncle to real and eminent danger quite quickly if he is able to leverage what's left of the GOP.
Paul's ideal system leads to fascism. His libertarian ideals are similar to what got us into this mess just with a different set of even laxer 'regulations' which will inevitably lead to corporate leaders making political decisions and becoming one and the same with legislators.
I was surprised that Beck beat out Hannity but Hannity beat out O'Reilly. I don't follow them, but from what I've seen, Hannity is clever (not intelligent, there's a difference) but not as frothy mouthed as the rest of them, but Beck and O'reilly are both of the same cloth.
Gramm, Perry and the Bush 1 Liberry you should know from whence you speak. Happy Texas Independence Day Sr. Aggie.
Limbaugh/Palin is the way to go; and after this debacle the GOP will assume its rightful place at the bottom of the electoral slate, below the Green Party and the American Communist Party. They are stumbling and shuffling toward complete irrelevance!
Very optimistic. Another scenario might be, economic collapse followed by Republican takeover of congress in 2010. If these bailouts fail to get the economy going anything is possible.
on all these blogs even though nobody will admit it. If/When this shopping spree is over, and the globe is still in a pickle, voters will take it out on the Dems.
This is not a normal recession. It's more. Good luck to all of us to survive this thing.
there will be no US of A, much less a federal congress for the GOP to take over.
That is what most of the rightwingers seem to be unable to comprehend.
If your only venue for success is shooting yourself in the foot. Maybe, just maybe it is time to reconsider your position (or at least what your definition of "success" is?).
can the GOP get? I'm thinking they are just getting started. I was listening to some talking head saying that the GOP is getting very close to crossing the line. In the sense that the GOP is no longer just practicing the politics of responsible opposition, but starting to delve into the world of blatant propaganda, hard line ideology and yes...obstructionism. In the case of Rish Lumbaugh shooting his mouth off and the Republicans embracing his vile rants as gospel might be interpreted as inciting sedition in the hands of the right lawyer if they are not careful. As for accusing Obama of trying to usher in fascism or socialism...there were many, many people saying that about Bush...except for the twenty percenters. That's OK, let em keep talking. Someone will end up talking themselves into shackles and an orange jumpsuit.
And totally ignoring the almost unbelievable dump of shit Dubya left. These fuckers have become fringe.
“The feud between radio host Rush Limbaugh and Rahm Emanuel makes great political theater, but it is a sideshow to the important work going on in Washington. RNC Chairman Michael Steele and elected Republicans are focused on fighting for reform and winning elections. The Democrats’ problem is that the American people are growing skeptical of the massive government spending being pushed by Congressional leaders like Nancy Pelosi.”
That's our problem? What's been happening in the last three weeks under the Obama administration, that's the Democrat's problem?
Its more like the Democrat's problem has been America's nightmare since they formed, the GOP that is not to mention: the Reagan years, the GHW Bush years and lest we forget the last eight years from the W years. What a waste of time that's been!
They had the power of the American citizens behind them to act when they were voted into office in 2006 and a much greater support and power in 2008 , but their are afraid to make a more and not be re-elected... They are passing bad legislation to pacify and get the support of the republicans which are using their stupidity to destroy their policies and them...
Keeping their jobs means more to them then to do what is right and what they took an oath when sworn into office...
Their ties to the Jewish organizations are tripping them up with carrying out the correct decision on a lot of our foreign policies...
Just look at decisions made by Lieberman , Pelosi , Feinstein and other democrats and they will hit you in the face..
Going to war with Iraq , arrogant attacks on Iran with BS data , continual funding of the war in Iraq , the over whelming funding and support of Israel with their criminal and corruption in their attacks of other countries with our illegal weapons of mass destruction..
I think Reslugs are in for a rude awakening because none of these stupid, Reslug Ass-Holes, even qualify to be president.
and it's already over for america, there will be no recovery...
LIE CHEAT and STEAL, what did you think was going to happen?????
everybody bend,over and kiss your way of life goodbye, it will NEVER BE THE SAME!
the short straw?Or the one that broke the camel's back?
If the economy is still in the dumps come 2012, and Ron Paul is on the ticket as vice or President, Obama is going to have very big problems. Paul is the equal to Kucinich, tho Paul is most likely full of crap, Kucinich is not.
They are not in the same league... screw that... they are not even in the same sport.
Paul is marginal at best, the GOP knows it. There are as many chances of Paul being in the 2012 Republican ticket... as I have of winning miss USA that very same year: i.e. none.
If Paul really meant half of the crap he talks about, he would have left the GOP long time ago. But that would interfere with his prospects of being elected and continue sucking off the public tit. He would have to even *gasp* take his own advice and "pull himself" by the boot straps (whatever that means).
...what CPAC, the GOP, or any F*in Republican party apparatus thinks about Obama? They hate him. Story over.
Oh yeah, lets turn this into a racial issue where there was no mention of race in any form whatsoever.
Because I was creeped out by the Kim Jong-Il like displays of affection for Obama, that makes me a racist? No offence, but thats a really weak argument. These kinds of personality cults have always proven to be dangerous throughout history, and just because he's black shouldn't mean he's the exception.
Also, how can I be a sore loser? I didn't vote for the either candidate of the republicratic party.
First of all, there a huge difference between being genuinely inspired by your leader and being forced at gunpoint to look enthusiastic or else.
Secondly, you Rushbots whined incessantly about everybody in the country not shutting up and lining up LOCK STEP behind Bush. In that particular case, it was unpatriotic NOT to worship Der Leader.
Thirdly, maybe you don't remember, but (pre-Bush, at least) Americans always occasionally cheered their President, particularly in the hardest of times.
Frankly, I find YOUR loose comparisons of Obama to Hitler and Stalin and Kim Jong-Il creepy. Because there ARE NO SIMILARITIES, PERIOD.
If there's anything that's obvious about Republicans, it's that they're in it purely for the competition. They want to win. At all costs. Whether it's good or bad for America.
So it's actually quite sad that, with a stadium packed full of the most voracious fans, 3% actually chose to cheer for the opposing team!!!
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