And John McCain Finally Nears Rock Bottom: Fellow Republicans Mock His Newest Campaign Ad

Conclusive proof that Senator John McCain has outlived his efficacy as well as his facilities of good judgment.  Watch as Joe Scarborough and fellow Republican Arizona Republican John Shadegg, along with the rest of the panel, laugh at McCain’s campaign ad, “Just finish the danged fence.”

He probably will win his re-election bid, but in doing so he will have also lost any self-respect he might have left.  Such a shame.  Who would have thought he would go from presidential candidate to this desperate, pandering foolishness?

The Rise and Fall of Reason on the Right: How Charlie Crist Went from Presidential Contender to Party Pariah

My voter’s registration card identifies my party affiliation as “No Party Affiliation”;  however, I do lean Democratic.  However, in the 2006 Florida gubernatorial election, I supported Republican Charlie Crist over his Democratic opponent, Jim Davis.

White Noise: The Deafening Cacophony of Silence from the Right Could Be the Death Knell of the GOP

white noise  --noun  Also called white sound.  a steady, unvarying, unobtrusive sound, as an electronically produced drone or the sound of rain, used to mask or obliterate unwanted sounds.  –www.dictionary.com

“In the end, we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”   –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Did I ever tell you that at one time, for a very brief period of time, I wanted to be a playwright?  Yes, when I was an undergraduate. I took this class entitled “Reading Drama, Reading Life,” and successive readings of the plays of James Baldwin, August Wilson, and Joseph A. Walker moved me to become a playwright.

So, in a weekend of frenzied and inspired creative energy, I wrote my first play.  And on Monday, assured that I had just composed a virtual masterpiece, I presented the play to my professor who read it intently, said he found it quite good, but he offered one criticism.  The characters talked too much. 

In my zeal to write touching, affective dialogue, I had ignored the silences.  As my professor told me on that morning, in drama as in life, sometimes what is not said is as important as what is said, if not moreso.  It is in those silences, those vast lacunae between what is said and done and what is left unsaid and undone where true meaning and intent often resides.

But I have already talked too much.  I have already given too much time in building this grandiose metaphor.  Allow me to put it all in perspective.

For months now we have heard this cantankerous clamor of un-contrite cynicism from the right.  This wall of white noise has become such that it has began to define the right.  But this is the thing.  I don’t believe everyone on the right concurs with those sentiments being expressed by what I take to be a very small but very vocal, very loud minority.  In fact I know they don’t.

On a daily basis I interact with right-leaning and staunchly Republican friends and colleagues who are as dismayed as I by the rhetoric seemingly driven by racial animus and resentment.  They come to me in private and lament the voices now speaking on behalf of the GOP. 

They then shake their heads and dismiss themselves from my presence.  Some even seek me out to apologize though I am not certain what a personal apology to me means in the whole scheme of things.  But outside the closed doors of my presence, outside the four walls of my audience which hides their secret shame, they say nothing;  they cross their fingers, and they whisper a silent, fervent prayer that everything turns out alright.

But such is the posture on the right now.  Such is the attitude of the GOP.  So desperate is the GOP establishment to return to power that they have cast their lot with the most base, fanatical, and fringe elements.  And the louder this minority becomes, the more sensational their rhetoric becomes, the more attention they draw to themselves, the more the right acquiesces. 

Even in this fringe’s more egregious assertions and actions, those who know better, those who claim the moral high ground for themselves, say nothing and even seem to be frightened to confront this beast of their own creation until the beast finally has taken over, making any rational, well-meaning discourse and decision making impossible;  they now find themselves enslaved by this beast.

But what they do not realize is that at some point, those rational, sensible people looking on from the sidelines, those maligned groups spurned and trampled by this beast—African Americans, Hispanics, and other minorities--, and those who have simply grown tired of the bombastic rhetoric, will look upon the GOP’s reticence, timidity, and cowardice and in the deafening cacophony of that silence they will realize true meaning, motive, and intent, and they will simply turn away.

Republicans, thank you for finally showing me how much you care about black folk.

You know, dear reader, I am composing this post with a decided sense of relief. You see, I consider myself a moderate. On some issues I veer left and on others I veer right. For some time now, my political affiliation on my voter’s registration card has been listed as NPA for No Party Affiliation. That way I could reserve the right to vote for a Democrat or a Republican or an Independent or whatever candidate best articulated a platform that most approximated my political beliefs.

That being said, though I have voted for Republican candidates in the past, it has been a while since I have done so. At some point I sensed the Republican political rhetoric to be steering from covertly to blatantly racist, and though I am not overly sensitive when it comes to matters of race, you cannot expect my vote if you cannot respect and acknowledge my humanity. You might hate me in private, but at least put on a good show of it in public.

But that has all come to an end. My suspicions and apprehensions surrounding the seemingly rampant racial rhetoric and racism of the Republican Party have been allayed. The Republican Party has finally shown that they really do care for African Americans.

When Senator Harry Reid’s atrocious remarks during the 2008 campaign that Barack Obama was electable as president in the main because of his light complexion and “he had no Negro dialect unless he wanted one ” finally came to light, who had the courage and the temerity to call him out for his lack of forethought and sensitivity but the Republican Party?

Never mind that though we are loath to admit it, Senator Reid told the truth. He just lacked the eloquence of language in which to frame his remarks.

But only the Republican Party could make the connection to then senate majority leader Trent Lott’s 2002 insinuation that we would be a better nation had we elected segregationist Strom Thurmond to the presidency in 1948 thereby evincing an implied support for a racist, white power platform.

Now I can dismiss the Republican silence when conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh unveiled the snappy ditty “Barack the Magic Negro,” and another Republican politician packaged this with other seemingly racist and sexist tunes and circulated the CD among his supporters on the right.

And I can forget the chill that ran down my spine late in this past presidential campaign when presidential candidate John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin decided to appeal to the most base elements of the party and substitute racially explosive and provocative rhetoric for a comprehensive, substantial platform; from where I sat, each cry of “SOCIALIST, SOCIALIST, SOCIALIST!” sounded an awful like “NIGGER, NIGGER, NIGGER!” but evidently I was mistaken.

And I could have been mistaken when I thought I heard the same sentiments expressed by the whole Tea Party Movement thing. And I could have been mistaken when I thought I heard racial overtones in the inquisition, excuse me, confirmation hearings of Justice Sotomayer.

However, I felt much better when I awoke recently to find my favorite soul brother, Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele, pointing out the hypocrisy of the Democratic Party. His song and dance would have been more convincing, though, had he not used the racially insensitive statement, “Honest Injun,” only days previous in communicating the soundness of the Republican Party platform.

Republican Party, I acknowledge your efforts in standing up for me and all other African Americans and you have my deepest and most heartfelt appreciation. Now can you take a timeout from the posturing and jousting with windmills so that you might actually get down to the business of governing.

If You Play With a Puppy, He Will Lick Your Face: Predicting the Inevitable Downfall of the GOP

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After last fall’s election, I thought the GOP would use their defeat as an opportunity to regroup and rethink their platform and agenda. I thought, perhaps naïvely, that the party would pull together its best minds, lock itself in a room somewhere, and when it emerged, stand before the American people new and improved and prepared to provide the leadership requisite to meeting the many challenges facing the country.

But I guess I was asking for more than the party could deliver. And in the panic and pandemonium that ensued, it suddenly dawned on me that in the first place, the GOP had no platform to rethink. Their entire game plan was based on appealing not to reason but to emotion and fervor. Their entire game plan was built around waking up the most base instincts in a segment of the population either frightened of change or seduced and exploited by ideology and dogma.

So, in their response to their election defeat, they decided to double down on this strategy. As time wore on and their numbers dwindled, the party reached even further right to solidify the support of its most ardent supporters. And instead of leading, the leaders began to follow in taking up even the most outlandish and outrageous conspiracy theories and assertions made by its most delusional, off-kilter supporters.

But this will eventually become the GOP’s undoing.

Last April when Texas governor Rick Perry excited and incited the Austin City anti-tax tea party crowd by hinting at state secession through the evocation of state sovereignty, he and his advisors probably spent much of the night congratulating themselves on their ingenuity and counting the political points they assumed themselves to have won. I’m sure the bourbon flowed freely. [Click here for the original story and audio.]

But take a look at the clip above. Governor Perry has lost control of the argument. The crazies have picked up the mantle of secessionism and run with it. Now he dares not repudiate his earlier statements because if he does, he looses the crazy vote, and there are more than enough candidates for the Texas governorship espousing secession who would be only too happy to claim those votes. But this is the precarious position the GOP puts itself in.

The GOP cannot suddenly switch gears now. But if it continues in its efforts to placate the crazies, those few remaining Republicans actually subscribing to reason will defect further diluting their already decimated ranks. However, if the GOP suddenly comes to its senses and moves back toward the center, then the crazies would more than likely jump ship and either form or move to a third party like, say, the Libertarians.

Additionally, more and more the crazies are getting a taste of power and are testing out their new found voice and importance within the party and eventually as they yell louder and louder, their voice will be the only voice that can be heard on the right. The takeover would be complete.

But no one on the right has found the temerity to call a timeout to regroup and rethink their efforts. They inside have chosen to continue to follow the nut cases down a slippery slope into a deep dark chasm of obsolescence.

Perhaps the best advice I can give the GOP is advice my grandfather gave me about choosing who I align myself with and the evitable outcome of flirting with foolishness: If you lay down with dogs you will come up with fleas; if you play with a puppy long enough, it will eventually lick your face.

Saturday Morning GOP Nutz Watch: Fourth of July Edition

What’s up, people. I was sitting here tonight trying to think of something unique I could do each Saturday morning when it hit me. In their quest to return to relevance, the GOP and their spokespersons give me all the material I need. So each Saturday morning, I will be presenting the GOP Nutz Watch.

And I know it’s a bit sophomoric, but hey, it’s Saturday morning so let’s just have fun and go with it.

And this week in GOP Nutz Watch News:

Last week South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford dominated the news with his disappearance. His staff stated that he was off hunting, but then reporters spotting him arriving in Atlanta from a trip to Argentina. He later revealed that he had actually been visiting his Argentinean mistress, effectively ruining his political career.

But just when the furor died down, Governor Sanford once again took center stage to profess his love for his mistress, going so far as to call her his soulmate, even as he vowed to reconcile with his wife, and he then admitted to even more affairs over the course of his twenty year marriage. In Governor Sanford’s words, he “crossed the line” numerous times, whatever that means. My but don’t deez nutz get around?

As a side note, did you notice that the GOP wives have not been standing dutifully and passively by their husbands' side as they confessed their transgressions? This is very rapidly becoming a trend. Good for you GOP girls! Deez nutz go out and fool around and have you standing up their beside them looking foolish and holding the bag.

He just wouldn’t seem to shut up even as everyone agreed that it was in his best interest to do so. Even Jon Steward of The Daily Show in this hilarious clip admonished him to shut up already.

And speaking of nutz that can’t seem to stay out of plain sight, Samuel Wurzelbacher, also known as Joe the Plumber , reemerged this week to announce his participation in a Fourth of July Weekend Tea Party tour. Ol’ Joe told reporters that at one time he considered running for the governorship of Ohio, but God told him not to do so. However, sources close to God have informed me off the record that God knew nothing of Joe the Plumber or his desire to run for government office, and furthermore, He would like those hypocrites on the right to keep His name out of their mouths.

And speaking of hypocrites, deez nutz are trying to recreate the April 15^th magic that was the Tea Party Movement, but alas, there seems to be a dearth of willing teabaggers. But the show must go on.

And speaking of big nutz, ultra conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh managed to tie Michael Jackson’s death to the Obama administration. Limbaugh stated that Jackson “flourished under Reagan…languished under Clinton and Bush…and died under Obama”:

What a line of logic. Sometimes I just can’t believe what comes out of deez nutz.

But the biggest story of all in nutz news of the week was the announcement by the biggest nut of them all, Alaska Governor and former Vice President candidate Sarah Palin, that she was resigning as governor of Alaska. Her announcement in a long, convoluted speech took everyone by surprise and got everyone thinking. After all, she’s a slippery nut.

At first I thought someone had perhaps leaked the long rumored Maxwell Reddick/Sarah Palin sex tape. But that’s locked securely in the vault. So, we have to think it’s one of three other distinct possibilities:

1. She had decided to run for the senate even after she says she would not.

2. She’s preparing to run for the presidency in 2012; or

3. There is a big scandal awaiting us just around the corner.

Whichever it is, I promise to keep you posted.

And that’s your GOP Nutz Watch news for this week. And remember, I’m watching these nutz so you won’t have the discomfort of doing so yourself.

What do you think? Should I keep doing this spot or do I need to go back to the drawing board?

What Little Boys Are Made of

I said I wouldn’t do any more posts like this. I said that I would keep the GOP’s name out of my mouth and off my blog. In the state the party is in now, it's just not worth mentioning. To criticize them has become all too easy. But then sometimes you see something so utterly foolish, so completely inane, that you have to say something.

It seems next week the RNC will meet in an emergency session, and during that emergency session a resolution to rebrand the Democratic Party the Democrat Socialist Party is on the agenda.

Come on now, WTF? Is that the best the GOP can come up with? I’m disappointed. Hell, I’m just plain pissed!

Let me reiterate my position. Democracy works best when rational beings, regardless of ideology and party affiliation, come to the table with rational ideas and then work to come to a consensus through compromise. But the GOP is not holding up their end of the bargain. It’s been quite a while since they have come up with any idea worth a damn. And now it becomes abundantly clear that they don’t have jackshit. The best they can do is to resort to some old playground shit. It appears the party is populated with a bunch of spoiled little boys. Even Michael Steele in his infinite wisdom has all but said this ain’t going to work; it’s just going to backfire in their faces.

Let me take time to explain the ramifications of an irrelevant opposition party. Extremism in any form is undesirable. We just lived through eight years of extremist driven government with Bush. But to swing too far left is equally unacceptable. But the absence of rational thought from the right is all but taking the GOP out of the game. Far leftward we go!

I would like to think we could expect more from our elected leaders and officials. I would think someone with courage and halfway good sense would stand up and put an end to the foolishness. It's time for someone to show us just what the GOP is really made of. But it appears ignorance and conceit are the things these little boys are made of.

NOTE: It also came to my attention that Sarah Palin is writing a book that is to be published by Rupert Murdock. Or, better still, Sarah Palin is “collaborating” (wink, wink) on a book. Even further, that book is expected to bring Palin a huge payday. That she still remains a relevant and viable figure in certain circles is further evidence of the dearth of rational thought on the right.

Scared Shitless

You know, this thing is getting way out of hand. At one time, it was quite humorous watching the republicans while they chased their tails looking for a message or any kind of traction, but now its gotten just plain scary. A night or two ago, I caught a snippet of North Carolina’s representative Virginia Foxx, who in testifying against the expansion of Federal hate crimes legislation, labeled the death of Matthew Shepard as a complete and elaborate hoax. I could not help but shake my head. I don't think she took the time to think that statement through.



Did she even bother to research the Matthew Shepard case before she stood in from of Congress? Did she take the time to discuss her ideas with someone, at least someone with fairly good sense, before she stood up there and performed the equivalent of farting loudly in front of an audience?

Just one question. Are the GOP party members even thinking now or are they simply spouting shit off the top of their heads. The other night that lady from Minnesota—what’s her name, Michele Bachman—was on some show saying something absolutely crazy and off the wall. It seems every time she opens her mouth, foolishness comes out.

It’s one thing when citizens get in front of the cameras and advance all kinds of half-baked conspiracy theories, but when the person in front of the camera advancing the half-baked conspiracy theory is an member of the governing body of the United States of America, we all could be doomed. They are making decisions that effect my life and the lives of my children, yet it seems that they are so divorced from any semblance of reality that any decision they make, be it paper or plastic or whatever, is inherently flawed.

On a previous post, I stated that we needed at least two viable political parties engaging in effective dialogue if we were to ever come out of this mess. Scratch that because at least one of those two parties are not viable at this moment. Instead, I’d settle for a group of people thinking rationally and carefully weighing the efficacy of the various available solutions. Because at this point, we can’t rely on the GOP; they seemed to be on some of that new and improved shit.

Signed,
Scared Shitless in Florida