D.L. Hughley asks: If it's a center-right country, what about the election?
By David Neiwert Wednesday Nov 19, 2008 7:00pmBay Buchanan tried spouting the right-wing meme that "this is still a center-right country" when she was on D.L. Hughley's CNN show this weekend, and he had a simple question:
Hughley: Bay, do you think all the evidence -- even the election? That's the biggest evidence we would have. It's kind of shifted, don't you think?
Buchanan tried to filibuster the point (sure, it was a good campaign, blah blah blah) and then emits this howler:
Buchanan: This was a rejection of Bush, it was not a rejection of that which is conservative. George Bush did not govern as a conservative.
Sure. Because all that deregulation of the financial sector, all that gutting of government services like FEMA, all that warhawking in Iraq, all the tax cuts for the wealthy ... all of the things that Bush oversaw and which got us into this mess -- why, those things aren't conservative at all! And they had zero support from conservatives while Bush was carrying these policies out!
Right.
The rest is equally amusing. Hughley shoots down her arguments expertly, and all Buchanan can do is grasp at straws.
[H/t to Heather for the video.]
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hmmm...center left...now just a smidge...to the right...ooops..now back just a little left...hmmmm...just a touch...GOT IT!!
go away...come again another day.
"George Bush did not govern as a conservative."
this is true, there was nothing conservative about his "leadership" he has pissed away money and lives for years.
in other words....the republican party is no longer conservative...which is true
they are a bunch of idealogues
this is not the party of eisenhower and goldwater...this is the party of reagan...who never governed, either as a governor or the president, as a true conservative, and who fed into the idealogues
Funny, conservatives are all about personal responsibility, except when it is their own responsibilities.
GWB is a poster boy of conservatism. They should own to it...
This was their conservative revolution. Conservatism by definition is stagnant, and it issimply not sustainable IMHO.
You can't blame republicans for the failures that came from the republicans being in control of both houses and the executive, it's not like they had any power to do anything to control spending. I mean, just because they are in control, what makes you think they were in control...it was those sneaky Democrats who took us down this bad path! it was Democrats who didn't stand up strong enough to the republican drunken sailor machine! But then again, the Dems' were not allowed to hold hearings, they were not even able to hold discussions without repugs, like Sensonbrenner coming in and turning off their microphones to stop the conversation. - and that really did happen, I saw it on CSPAN live!
...he was the most conservative candidate offered. That's obvious. And they defended him because he was their candidate, and their president. Just as true liberals (including feminists)pinched their noses and voted for Clinton twice--and "went to the mat" for him simply because keeping a scoundrel was better than letting THEM win. Whenever given a further-left, viable candidate (or in too many cases, even a non-viable one, re: Ralph Nader), Liberals voted for him/her. And yes, Liberals (the few who stood their ground) fought--in the face of the Conservative resurgence--for the Democrats to make a leftward swing in 2000 and 2004, arguing that while Clinton's effectiveness had been thwarted by his personal scandals, it was moreso by his failure to clearly articulate and push for the Liberal vision and the reforms Liberals desire.
And, in 2000 and 2004, Conservatives thought the far Left was mistaken, just as folks here argue that Conservatives are blind to the true reasons for McCain's defeat.
None of us has a line on this.
I can already see the talking points forming in the air. George Bush called himself a conservative, but he governed as a LIBRUL! Want proof? He doubled the size of government, and nationalized all them banks. Bigger government and government ownership of business are part of the librul agenda, right? Ergo, Bush was governing as a liberal, and THAT'S why he had such low approval ratings. (Sort of like putting the (D)-Florida under Mark Foley's name.)
Once again, here's to you Bay Buchanan! Screw you, and the plutocratic elephant you rode in on.
Bush governed exactly the way he was appointed to. Typically Nixonian - delusional.
The Rethuglicans kissed George Bush's ass for 8 years and gave him everything he wanted so it's George Bush, not the Rethuglican congress, who's not the true conservative right Bay?
Elections have consequences and the biggest one we have seen on the Rethuglican side is them throwing their poster chimp under the bus claiming he's not one of them.
Pure comedy.
No but you assholes went to the mat for that POS. He was anointed by God some of you claimed. "Our Preznit, right or wrong -- and he's never wrong!"
So now you can STFU Bay, you a hole.
Right or wrong, I do not give a fuck what D.L. Hughley has to say about anything and neither should you.
... alas, don't worry we don't give a fuck about what you have to say either.
Points that were sort of like putting pins in all of Bay Buchanan's talking point balloons. Pfffft! Thereby showing the yawning emptiness of her GOP memes, especially that ridiculous "the country is center-right," which it is not. Who knows what the country's average stance is? No one can poll every single adult.
And mind your language! Profanity is not needed to make your point!
Hughley is a homophobic jerk@ff. the fact that he is now some kind of political pundit is a joke.
Your right, Neiwert. It's amusing. Joe Lieberman is laughing himself to sleep as I write.
as for Bay, when you're as ugly as the north end of a south bound mule you will say anything to get attention.
Sure Bush was conservative---conservatively about 5 bricks shy of a load---just like Bay, who has nothing better to do than repeat the newest idiotic Neocon propaganda meme like a broken record. Why face reality when you can lie your ass off? Small wonder these big mouth lame brain dullards are the marginalized minority.
I really liked the 70's laugh track they played every time Bay said something stupid. Which was every time she opened her mouth.
You are making it worse (like SO many hardcore conservatives these days).
Please don't try to make such idiotic excuses, especially where Palin is concerned. The proof is OUT there! lol
Clinton was elected twice. Afterwards George Bush lost his first election, probably lost his second. Then Obama wins in a landslide. One has to go all the back to Reagan/Bush41 to find a republican that was elected fair and square and with a mandate.
Yea, center right nation.
Deny and Lie.....the 'It's so over for them all' republicans. Bay your new name is 'SINK HOLE'.
Its reassuring to know these female dinosaurs aren't able to reproduce.
This just goes to show just how isolated the far right has become. They claim that this is a "center-right country" yet many center right people had voted for Obama. They were completely turned off by the Palin and her far right wing views.
That and the fact that she pals around domestic America hating secessionists. Her husband.
Bay Buchanan, Pat Buchanan, Bill O'Reilly, angry loud white irish catholic rascists. The face of today's GOP.
I dont know about you, but i campaigned, donated to, and voted for Barak O'Bama
He's Black Irish
Catholic?
Not Bay.
Her religion advocates infiltration into government matters, all the while remaining tax-exempt and cozy in Utah.
Thanks - I'm glad you threw in the white irish catholic bit... I feel really good now - thanks.... I mean we couldn't just say they're loud and angry racists... instead you had to tie race into it yourself huh?
these white Irish Catholics are the problem and they need to be dealt with. It shouldnt be too hard, we're a self-loathing bunch.
lol
Sean Hannity is also angry. VERY ANGRY...
A shot of Jameson's to you all...
I liked how she said that like a sports team, you need to analyze your losses and look deeply into how to make your message resonate with the american people...right after saying 'its bushs fault, hes why we lost'
The Reichthuglican talking points are well known to be propaganda, its reflected at the polls, that is how people speak. All things Reichthuglican are on the outs, Bay Bay. Please pay attention.
Bush isn't one of us! He's not a true conservative like us! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PluoMotgl2w
Sarah Palin.
Harharhar.
We are SO not a center-right country. The sheer magnitude of the Obama win in key places like Ohio shows that America wants change. Change is...what? The opposite of conservative? Change is...LIBERAL.
why does Obama winning in Ohio show that we're not a center-right country?
I agree that we're not - I don't really care because our opinion on this matters little, but I don't see how Ohio voting for Obama shows anything other than Ohio voting for Obama.
It's not like Ohio is Texas, a bastion of republican-ism, Ohio's voted democratic often. Ohio has a democrat as governor and secretary of state. Cities like Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati (maybe not so much cincinnati), Dayton, Toledo, Akron and Youngstown push out a lot of liberal voters.
I do see your point, and it is more than Ohio. It's all the battle ground states. It's the swelling majority by which he won the whole country.
And as a Texan, I can say that though we are pretty damn red here, we're not as bad as the deep south.
How much deeper south can you get than texas? Mexico touches it lol... j/k
Texas is a damn big state, but I'd say we're more Southwest than deep South over all. -shrugs- We have a very high minority population which makes us, if only a tad bit, more prone to swing democratic than the more deep south states like Mississippi or Alabama.
Those states that are considered deep south were really close in this election. Only Wyoming, Oklahoma and a maybe one other were solidly behind McCain/Palin this time around. True, McCain took many of those southern states but not by as much as he would have liked I am sure.
McCain +...
Arkansas- %20.
Alabama- %21
Louisiana- %19
McCain pretty solidly took the Deep South.
(Texas- %12
And fun fact: Alaska %22)
Wyoming and Oklahoma I'd personally consider more mid-westy than deep south-y. But that's relative perspective geography so, -shrugs-
All the same, Obama kicked ass this election
southern strategy....so what
they cannot win anything if they only hold the south...and they know it
Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska are as bad or worse than the deep south.
I know. XD Just sayin- they aren't deep south.
that. They will become more and more wingnutty, trying to recapture the magic that turned out to be a big lemon.
She's a tired old nag.
Good riddance to her and her fetid philosophy.
Who cares?
I do have one objection to this post though: I really don't think Bush governed as a true conservative would. 'Warhawking' is not a conservative principle as much as it is a war-monger's principle - liberal or conservative. The gutting of FEMA is not really a conservative principle. I think maybe sometimes we take conservative and modern republican to be one and the same... it's not.
EDIT: Just like liberals often don't agree with democrats :)
The gutting of FEMA (and privatization of many other government functions) has certainly been a bedrock "conservative" principle since Reagan at any rate. So has rabid militarism. On those two scores, Bush delivered exactly what his conservative base wanted.
No no - It's been a bedrock of the modern republican party... As far as conservatism goes, it doesn't really advocate foreign wars or wars in general... Conservatism advocates the status quo and the individual... whereas liberalism advocates progression and the community... <-- in the most basic of terms
...the most liberal senator? If a majority of the American people voted for the most liberal senator in the Senate then doesn't it stand to reason that the country has shifted left of center?
DaveC: Well said.
Unless I see some criminal prosecutions for all the egregious crimes commited the past two presidential terms, then I must say all the pundits are right and the biggest losers for years to come will be the American people and the generations to come.
"The key to defeat is to analyze what happened"
...and then find a way to insist that it didn't.
BUCHANAN: And when Obama closes Gitmo or begins bringing the troops home or fixes our health care it will be even more evident that the country has gone even further to the right of center.
HUGHLEY: Say what?
BUCHANAN: It will. See, being a mathematician like me, which you're so obviously not, I can tell you that this country is in the progress to become completely right. No center and certainly no left.
HUGHLEY: What the hell did you smoke before you came on my show you ignorant, condescending, half-assed righty?
BUCHANAN: You see? You just proved my point.
HUGHLEY: What? That a black man like me can't be any good in math because my brain's not overly developed like yours? Or that I said half-assed righty which rhymes with half-assed whitey while your tight-assed right-wing conservative gang of theives are still destroying this country after eight years of an iron fist up everyone else's ass but your own?
(Bay, sobbing bitterly she stands up, yanks off her mike, and screams.)
BUCHANAN: Go fuck yourself! (She runs off set screaming.)
HUGHLEY: Where? Right of center? Center? Or left of center?
My kind of humor!!!....'Say What?'...side hurt...lol
how for 2 years can you call a candidate a terrorist loving socialist and the most liberal senator in history...how can you call his tax policies marxism...yet then say that he ran a reagan conservative?
everytime i hear these wingnuts speak, it sounds like they are trying to prove to themselves that their philosophy is right
it of course isnt....and that is why they lost....and most likely will continue to lose for at least a generation
How predictable. I thought conservatives would wait until Inauguration Day to begin trashing Bush, but first Palin and now Buchanan.
According to conservatives we have never had a conservative President. Even Reagan is referred to as a lilly livered liberal by many conservatives.
The conservatives need to face facts never in history, anywhere have conservative principles brought better more efficient government. They only cut taxes for their business cronies and deficit spend until they're tossed out of office.
... was a work of fiction, not an instruction manual.
War is not peace.
Slavery is not freedom.
Losing the election is not wining it.
Not even Goebbels or Baghdad Bob would make their own reality like these bozos. Just like when McCain was saying he had Obama right where he wanted him. Where fucktard? 8 million+ votes ahead of you?
Only a conservative would be so divorced from reality, as to claim that their electoral debacle means the country shares their vision.
When your policies only benefit your richest cronies at the expense of the other 98% of the population, eventually you are going to be exposed by the light of day (truth). Conservatives can't handle the truth, because it is like kryptonite to their bullshit, society destroying policies.
These trust fund assholes who never worked a day in their lives, will say anything to keep their tax cuts.
Last two elections:
Republicans -60 House Seats
Republicans -14 Senate Seats
Republicans -200 Electoral College Votes
If Bay is right, I can't wait till were a "far right" country.
The simple fact is that Bay Buchanan is too stupid to understand just how far out of her league she is next to D.L. Nothing like a comedian to take bullshit like hers and stand it right on its head.
Do not let these right-wing fuckers get away with anything. They must be called out at every turn. Yes, it's tedious, like trying to teach quantum physics to a cage full of hyenas. However, it must be done if the progressive elements are to hold onto power long enough to effect some real change. The flip side of it is that the progressive elements now have a shot. Don't fuck it up or I guarantee that there will be hell to pay for a very long time.
These people need to start now to brainwash the electorate once again to vote against their own self-interest. The only way these people have been able to get in power is to improperly use the church (blaspheme themselves) to get poor and middle class Christians to vote for them based upon their trumped up claims of being the party of God. They effectively have used the abortion issue, and the gay marriage issue to get into office, and then they give business anything and everything it wants, and they benefit the rich at the expense of the poor and middle class.
They believe that had the economy not tanked this election cycle, that McCain would have won. In my opinion that is a laugh. This time around, people saw through their tactics, and I think the only way McCain could have won is if Christ Himself came down and personally annointed McCain in full view of the entire country.
But, they are now laying the groundwork for their future, and that is a fact. They hope we will forget how abused the entire country was under the rule of herr Bush and the likes of Tom Delay and Senator Frist.
God help us if we forget!
Anyone else find her constant gasping annoying?
I think it comes from the brain washing she got as a child. I think they drill a 4 inch hole in their heads and pump in the 'Dyed In The Wool' stuff.
I wonder if she is delusional and actually believes her own horse shit or if she is just a liar , a propagandist who mindlessly puts ideology ahead of reality and truth and fact like most of the far right . Either way it's an amazing thing to hear them spout their non sense , straight faced no less , they are a different breed to say the least , thank God the sane and rational prevailed in this election.
Conservatives were upset at the way George W. Bush was governing? When?
Every single conservative voice out there was going to the mat for Bush. When in the past 8 years have you heard Fox News crack down on Bush?
So they were upset at what?
That Bush didn't do more to deregulate the banks?
That he didn't get us into enough wars?
That he didn't get his conservative supreme court?
Jesus, the guy was the most fucking conservative president we've ever had, by their own measures.
The US is still a center right country means ,even though Obama won, he has to govern our (the Republican) way. They're essentially claiming the election doesn't count. It's interesting that they spent the whole election cycle trying to paint Obama as the most liberal of senators which was clearly never the case and now they recognize him as the moderate he always was. Just a little to the left of center and that's not good enough for them.
she drops her g's in words that end in "ing."
...Palin.
George Bush and Cheney are the ultimate conservatives, Bay.!
And every rubber stamping republican conservative in the House and Senate that could stop voting for his spurge and surge. Erasing constitutional rights. Racing America's economy into the race to the bottom that America is owned by foriegn countries investors and America has no sovereignty.
Embracing greed and leaving Americans to fend for themselves after Katrina (as if they were our enemy). Conservative trickle up econominics and conservative Gov't spending worse than any drunkin sailor story you ever heard.
Alot of people just assume that Bay is married to Pat. Nope... she is Pat's sister.
She's old as dirt.
Never had a boyfriend.
Never had a kid.
Never been married.
All this adds up to Bay being a lesbian.
Imma lesbian?
Gay bash much?
The statement that the country is center right is just like the statement that Obama was the most liberal senator or that he voted to raise taxes 97 times; its all a big steaming pile of BS. Directly from the "Let's just throw this lie out there and see if it sticks!" school of GOP talking points. Their points have dulled and while they figure out how to try and get back into the good graces of the American voter, let's hope they fade into obscurity!
for the Republican party strategists: STAY THE COURSE! The Titanic is heading straight for the iceberg, stay the course, only cowards cut and run! (right, Jean?)
Yes, but don't point that out to them. Take away their binoculars, and tell them that everything is clear. No danger ahead. Nominate Palin in 2012 and then 2016. That's the ticket.
Unfortunately, it appears that we are beginning to rearrange the deck chairs.
Here, Babe, chew on these numbers:
Babe, when only 40% of eligible voters vote... and only 50% of them vote for Republicans... that means your "Center-Right Country" is defined by ONLY 20% OF THE COUNTRY.
THEREFORE, when larger numbers of voters come to the poles (who have not voted before) we begin to see a MORE ACCURATE reflection of the political landscape... which is that THE HEART of AMERICA is actually LIBERAL...
Sorry if that's a BITTER PILL. Suck On It.
I love the look on Hughley's face (what the fuck are you talking about you batshit crazy woman?)while Bay spoke. KKKarl Rove has a piece in the latest Newsweek saying the same thing--that America is center-right. What is wrong with these morons???
They believe Conservatism is right. They believe they've sold that to America. They believe, based on Reagan and "W" being elected, that the country wants them in power. They won't ever blame Palin. They blame Bush. And the implication of what she is saying is that they blame McCain for not being conservative enough. If Bush wasn't conservative enough, McCain sure wouldn't be. As long as they have no doubt about their philosophy, they have to drink the rest of that glass of kool-aid and believe everyone else sides with them.
DL Hughley did good, but if he had said everything that was in that one paragraph in the post that starts with "Sure", I would have liked to see her reaction.
"Sure. Because all that deregulation of the financial sector, all that gutting of government services like FEMA, all that warhawking in Iraq, all the tax cuts for the wealthy ... all of the things that Bush oversaw and which got us into this mess -- why, those things aren't conservative at all! And they had zero support from conservatives while Bush was carrying these policies out!"
There is still some fallout from the 6 years in which the Republicans controlled Congress and went on their binge of Shiavo, gay marriage, you're not patriotic, "no we don't want to have oversight of the Executive Branch", "no-regulation" -style of governing. It was apparent to everyone that things were out of control, and that's why the Founding Fathers set up the Constitution the way they did. The Legislative Branch is just that - the branch that creates laws. The Executive Branch is just that - the branch that administers the laws. They don't create their own laws with signing statements. They don't ignore the decisions of the Judicial Branch -- at least not according to the Constitution. (The Legislative Branch never does that.) If Clinton had lied us into war, it would have taken the Democrats a long time to recover. Hopefully, the same will be true for the Republicans. Goodbye Foley, Stevens, and all the other morons who were in power during that time and were thrown out over the last two elections. And goodbye Palin and Bush and Cheney. January 20 can't get here fast enough for me.
You know what is glaringly absent in any news these days? The mention of the 'Bush Economy'. It just doesn't seem to exist. It seems All this happened by chance and it's gonna be put on Obama's shoulders like he deserved it. So, anytime anyone of you write something about the economy be sure to label it correctly.
Good point, we can't let them dump any of Bush's many mistakes on Obama.
Damaged our economy
Damaged our military
Damaged our Constitution.
Republican dogma has nearly destroyed this country. Only fools would keep on believing and voting for Republican crap.
Don't flatter yourselves: the US is a center-right country PRECISELY because it elects Democrats, who represent the liberal wing of the capitalist ruling class, and Republicans, who represent the conservative wing of the capitalist ruling class. There is no mass worker's party in the US.
Several of the pompous pundits of the right have gone on record as saying that the Republican Party lost because the party wasn't conservative enough this time around. The party hasn't been conservative for years. If it were, there would have been fiscal responsibility, a balanced budget, and tax increases to support the war.....if these guys were so hot to go to war. Instead total irresponsiblity....cut taxes, underman the war, undersupport the troops and call it conservative and patriotism. Don't think so.
Americans may be slow learners, but they are not that slow. Eventually they saw "conservatism" for what it is....a few dollars off taxes in exchange for never questioning the government.
The country is center left on the environment, economic policy, healthcare, abortion etc, but seem not to like the term liberal. But many Europeans don't think the US even knows what a liberal party means.
At the same time the US electorate are skittish right now. Some want change, but not to upset the applecart. They don't seem to be demanding significant change just cosmetic. They want their retirement accounts and any stocks to be stabilised, they want jobs, always seem to vote for their own incumbent, and Obama didn't exactly campaign like an enraged bull with a glare and smoke coming out of his nose, which probably helped him to win.
They way they push this false meme so hard in the media these days, I hope Obama proves to be that most liberal Senator that they always claimed him to be. Obama ran as a centrist, but I'll be delighted if he is a true progressive like Time magazine is painting him with the FDR cover.
You forgot tort reform for corporations
It takes a real mental hernia to claim that a center-right country elected the most liberal US Senator as President.
... is more of an indication where the one making the claim stands.
If you find yourself in the right-hand gutter, of course everybody is to your left.
In addition repugs are good at interpreting words. They made 'liberal' a pejorative even though everything good in this country came from liberals, and now they claim to be the party of fiscal responsibility, even though facts prove them wrong. Clinton was the only fiscally responsible president in recent memory, but repugs have convinced the general public it is them who are for less spending and more and more tax cuts. Tax cuts sound good, except when you are too poor to even pay taxes, then only the rich get richer, and they don't spend their tax cuts, they just reinvest them to get even richer. When is the last time you heard a repug, in fact anyone propose any way of how to pay to run the country?
Hilarious. It's all Bush's fault now. Never mind everybody on the right has been right in step with him the whole time. 'It's Bush people hate not us.'
What sad, pathetic creatures these Republicans are-
I keep hearing the Repugs on right wing radio dismiss Obama's vitory, arguing that Obama didn't win, but rather, McCain lost (because McCain was 'too liberal')
These wingnuts use very strange logic!
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