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Obama Hate Has Forced Conservative Extremists Out of the Closet
There are very few occupations that require one to modify their appearance in order to prevent recognition, and they are usually associated with law enforcement or intelligence services such as the CIA or FBI. Changing one’s appearance to misrepresent their true character is different than wearing a disguise, and for the past three years Republicans have abandoned misrepresenting themselves as servants of the people they were elected to represent, and instead have revealed themselves as the wealthy elite’s sycophants. On Sunday, Vice President Joe Biden remarked that the GOP was unrecognizable from the party he once knew and said, “This is not your father’s Republican Party. This is a different party than I’m used to,” and like millions of Americans concede, the GOP has revealed themselves as far-right lunatics whose policies and resistance to compromise have made governing nearly impossible.
The Vice President pointed out that many new members of Congress blocked efforts to work with Democrats, and he blamed the “minority of the Republican Party as controlling Congress, so that there is no room for compromise,” and that “the leadership of the Republican Party is prepared to work with us, but it’s sort of the tail wagging the dog.” However, Mr. Biden also said the electorate has changed and that it is forcing Republican leaders and lawmakers to move farther to the right creating an environment of extremism that is empowering Republicans to be straightforward about their goals for the country and that “this is the first time Republicans aren’t hiding the ball; they’re just saying straight up what they believe.” The Vice President’s remarks, although true, fail to acknowledge that the newer, extremist members of Congress were not serving for the first two years of President Obama’s Administration when Republicans failed to compromise on any legislation, so assigning blame to the tea party caucus is not entirely fair. However, his point that Republicans are not concealing their true beliefs any longer is entirely correct.
It is not a new Republican phenomenon to oppose government spending for anything unrelated to the defense budget any more than giving the oil industry and corporations preferential treatment is, but their drive to openly destroy safety nets while giving the wealthy and corporations bigger breaks although not new, is their stated objective and they are unrepentant and unwavering in their efforts to shrink government. This new Republican Party Vice President Biden refers to is the continuation of Bush-era policies that in themselves began with Ronald Reagan’s presidency. As Mr. Biden points out, the difference in 2012 is that Republicans have support from a segment of the electorate that is not so much concerned with the deficit or spending, but they are concerned that for the first time in American history there is an African American man sitting in the Oval Office and it is that racist opposition to President Obama that empowered Republicans to show their true colors and intent to change the nature of government.
Republicans have opposed social programs since the inception of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and it has been their dream to undo every aspect of FDR’s vision for a country where every citizen deserved a secure retirement, decent job, healthcare, education, and home. However, besides government ensuring that all Americans have security and a decent life, it is government regulations that conservatives have sought to undo as much as social programs. Looking at Republican opposition to banking and business regulations in 2012 is a continuation of conservative’s opposition to business and banking reforms they hated in the 1930s. The cries of fascism, communism, socialism and loss of individual liberties Republicans are promoting today were well-known to Roosevelt and his question to Americans in 1934 is the same question liberals are asking teabaggers and conservatives today; “Have you lost any of your rights or liberty or constitutional freedom of action and choice?” The answer, of course, is no, but the Republicans have perpetuated fear among racists that safety nets, taxes, government, and programs such as the Affordable Care Act are attempts by Barack Obama to rob Americans of their personal liberty.
Republicans have not changed their conservative agenda and they are not being pulled or pushed farther to the extreme right by teabaggers in Congress any more than they suddenly began hating taxing the wealthy and their corporations. Their agenda today is the same agenda they have carried since the New Deal and despite misrepresenting their character as politicians concerned for Americans and their freedoms; little has changed in nearly 80 years. It is interesting that this country’s greatest economic growth and creation of the great middle class occurred during the last decent Republican president’s administration, but today’s plutocratic Republicans never bring up Dwight Eisenhower’s name. Why? Because he presided over an economic period that witnessed the creation of the great middle class, Interstate Highway System, and it was paid for by taxing the wealthy at a 91% tax rate.
The Republicans’ goal in 2012 is to return to pre-New Deal America that fostered the Great Depression and they are beginning by taking the country back to the Bush-era that created the Great Recession. As Vice President Biden noted, they are not disguising their attempts to dismantle social safety nets or financial reforms that will prevent another Great Recession and their unapologetic drive to enrich the wealthy with greater tax cuts is only matched in severity by their plans to destroy Medicare and eventually Social Security. They are pandering to disgruntled white racists to garner support for their agenda and their opposition to compromise has hampered the nation’s economic recovery and job creation. Nearly every Republican has staked their political life on the fact that all Americans are racists, woman-haters, and evangelical fanatics to impose their Draconian budget that will increase the nation’s debt and devastate the poor and middle-class, and the Republican presidential hopefuls promise to finish what Bush-Republicans started and destroy the economy again. Their opposition to education, financial reforms, safety nets, and a government that works defines them not as Republicans, but as Libertarians. Perhaps that is why Vice President Biden said he does not recognize the Republican Party that is, in reality, an anything goes, privatized government that panders to the wealthy and their corporations while sending 98% of the population into poverty.
Mr. Biden was wrong on one count; Republicans are not being controlled by newer members of Congress, they are simply using them as an excuse to destroy everything that made this country great and they are “just saying straight up what they believe;” there is no limit to what we will do to wipe out 80 years of progress to change America into an oligarchy.
image: the democraticstategist.org
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16 Responses to Obama Hate Has Forced Conservative Extremists Out of the Closet
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David29073
Apr. 3rd, 2012 at 10:24 am
Or GOP can stand for Gouge Our People!
Shiva (Moderator)
Apr. 3rd, 2012 at 10:41 am
we note that the Republican Congress does not necessarily follow the same path as the local and state Republicans. You don’t really see a lot of the war on women at the federal level. Of course that is a protection thing for Republicans jobs.
I think Obama has to continue to push them to the right and to make them look like the fools that they are. They are not working for America. The Republicans in my view are doing everything they can to create a corporate government otherwise known as the free-market. The refusal to protect our own people from the banks, the total refusal to create jobs in the attacks on women children and seniors makes them so obvious
Hrafnkell Haraldsson
Apr. 3rd, 2012 at 10:53 am
Muse, you ain’t whistlin’ Dixie, the lyrics of which are as racist as it gets. Obama will never be forgiven to have the audacity to think he shouldn’t be mopping floors for da white man.
Reynardine
Apr. 3rd, 2012 at 11:46 am
This is generally what I get: the sight of a black man in the White House has caused them such an explosion of spleen that they want to put all the Untermenschen back in their places for good, and even the prudence of hypocrisy has taken a back seat to that.
majii
Apr. 3rd, 2012 at 1:34 pm
And, believe it or not, most Americans have NO idea that this has been going on since the Civil Rights Act was signed into law by President Johnson in 1964. Racism and bigotry didn’t suddenly disappear when the CRA was passed and/or when BO was elected POTUS, as some conservatives would have us believe. For the most part, it took the undercover route–until that black man began occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Being that I am a POC of the Black American variety, I can say that racism and bigotry never really disappeared. I’m almost 60 years old, and I’ve been dealing with it my whole life. When BO won the election in 2008, it was “a bridge too far” for some Americans because in their minds, black, gay, Muslim, atheist, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian American, etc., is NOT the face of America they want the world to see. For them, white is the preeminent face of American political power. Never mind all of the contributions these groups have made/make to this country. These persons’ contributions are immaterial because the extremists seem to think that it is they, not one’s achievements, who should determine how “American” one is/is not.
Elizabeth
Apr. 3rd, 2012 at 4:01 pm
Unfortunately, I agree. Add women of all stripes, and you’ve got well over half the population. Yet, these guys continue to delude themselves that they are the majority. I’m hoping that what is going on is the last gasp of this dying breed. They are not the majority. Even with their downtrodden women, they are not the majority. I am hoping that if the majority of us hang together and insist that things change, we’ll finally beat them back.
Grung_e_Gene
Apr. 3rd, 2012 at 12:28 pm
But, in order to impose their Neo-Feudalist Dream State upon the American People they need more than their duped and bonded conservatives which is why the Republicna Party, that den of pampered reagan-esque coiffed attack poodles, continues to work to attach the chains of Wage Slavery onto the 99%.
Conservatism is Oppression and Terrorism.
Anne
Apr. 3rd, 2012 at 2:07 pm
This is another black woman who clearly sees the racial hatred toward black people that is at the base of so much anti-Obama sentiment. The GOP has been extremely complicit in ways that range from actual racist rhetoric toward the president by GOP politicians to not strong, unequivocal condemnation of such rhetoric, whether from GOP politicians or everyday Americans who vote Republican. Politicians like Gingrich and Santorum have been vocal in demonizing black people in general by labeling us as takers of other people’s money or being excessively dependent on welfar. All this is on top of the GOP overreach in attacking women’s reproductive rights or attempting to bust the very unions responsible for the benefits too many of us take for granted in 2012. These folks only consider white people “ril ‘Merikuns,” which is why they are so strongly opposed to the Obama presidency that they would willingly cut off their noses to spite their faces. That mindset makes it impossible to see non-whites in any position but a subordinate one.
It’s important to note that there is a large number of white folks whose views they do not represent, and that gives me hope. It’s also laughable that the GOP thought the mere fact that Herman is black would drive a large number of us to vote for him, or that Sarah Palin’s being a woman would cause large numbers of women to vote for the McCain-Palin ticket in 2008. As Majii says, it’s about one’s political positions and not his or her race or gender.
robyn ryan
Apr. 3rd, 2012 at 2:30 pm
At least they’ve been lured out into the open. Nowhere to hide, little haters.
GOPISRACIST
Apr. 3rd, 2012 at 2:49 pm
You can only look at how they defend the racist coward Zimmerman who slaughtered an unarmed black child to see they are primarily upset that a black man is in the White House.
Nanette
Apr. 3rd, 2012 at 7:49 pm
One of the founding members of the John Birch Society was (Papa) Fred Koch. The so called “grass roots resurgence” can be followed back to the Koch family, via ALEC, right wing think tanks and paid off politicians. They are reviving vitriolic extremism once believed to only go on behind closed doors. Guess what? They’re no longer covert with the help of “Citizens United”. The Kochs and ALEC are inserting (buying) themselves into every level of government as witnesses by the extreme policies carried forward by a new crop of republican governors.
For those of you on the fence about Obama – just think how it will be if the republicans win the presidency and who will be controlling the puppet strings this time. You thought Rove was bad, just wait!!
The link below references a great article. Please read it and pass it along to anyone on the fence…
blog.reidreport.com/2010/...
Jeff Smith
Apr. 3rd, 2012 at 9:50 pm
They should be encouraged at every turn to say what’s really in their minds and hearts. When people see how small minded and small hearted they really are, they might just vote them out.
I hope the President campaigns actively for Democratic candidates at every level of government – because right now things are almost worse at the state level than at the national level.
Chris Lee
Apr. 4th, 2012 at 1:25 am
This is Karma. For the last 40 years, the Republicans have been working tirelessly to gerrymander the country into hard Republican and hard Democratic districts to maximize their representation in Congress. This has led to the success of more radical candidates as they have only had to cater to the most conservative audience. At the same time they have changed the way Congress works, most particularly by changing the filibuster rule (now you don’t have to actually filibuster, just threaten to and everyone pretends you did). This has had the inevitable result of driving the party further and further to the farthest right. Unfortunately, the system is now in place and they’re having to live with it. There can be no compromise when each side is supported and controlled only by their own team. The only place they can’t control that way is The White House unless they decide to pull out all the stops and tell Diebold to crank out a win (which, sadly, is not beyond the bounds of possibility). Independents still control the swing votes at the Presidential level. Of course, disenfranchising as many Democratic voters as possible will surely help level the playing field for them.
Deborah Montesano
Apr. 4th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
I”m going to add one more ‘unfortunately ‘ to the mix. Unfortunately, they’ve managed to get virtual control of the Supreme Court, the consequences of which we all have to live with, no matter how many Republicans we may throw out of office. See “Save Democracy! Impeach a Justice!” at thepoliticali.blogspot.co....