The Sad Tale of Greg the Republican

I have this friend. We'll call him Greg. Greg's an insufferable Republican. One of those Republican stooges who drives you nuts. The kind that seems brainwashed, defying logic and blindly defending the GOP and anything Republican as if they're on the payroll. Even if it goes against their own self-interest. I believe it's mild insanity.

Greg's not stupid. He's actually rather intelligent. Has a graduate degree. He's not the stereotypical resident of Dumbfuckistan. In fact, he's from Southern California. Lives in a ritzy gated community. An exclusive yet culturally diverse enclave that is home to all ranges of white people: rich white people, really rich white people, and super-rich white people. He owns a technology company. One that in fact does business with the U.S. government. But when it comes to politics, Greg seems as mindless as a Pied Piper rat. I often wonder what drives an otherwise savvy guy to the point where his ability to reason is paralyzed by the political filters through which information passes...distorting reality beyond recognition. What makes him and others so unconditionally loyal to the Republican Party, where they can no longer think straight?

To be sure, these folks are so consumed by partisan vitriol that, for the opportunity to bash President Obama and Democrats, and with an insatiable desire for power, they literally root for the economy to fail. They want the government to suffer. And they're willing to to get their own asses kicked financially just so they can say "I told ya so" about Obama and perhaps win an election next year. It's baffling. It's shameful. And, quite frankly, unpatriotic.

Greg and people like him truly appear to be upset at any sign of a recovering economy. It's as if their brains have chips that translate language into partisan drivel. You say "Wow, did you see that awesome 3.5% GDP number?" They hear, "Obama's successful." You say, "Retail sales are strong, and consumers are spending again," and they hear, "Obama's economic policies are working." They wince at good news. Therefore, you cannot engage them in intelligent, rational discourse. They are consumed with the "Republicans good, Democrats bad" mantra. It's all they can hear. And it's what drives them. So their typical response is to try proving that things are really terrible and getting worse. No matter how uninformed and foolish it makes them appear.

Greg keeps sending me articles. Has been for a year now. It's like he's possessed. On a mission. Nothing but pessimistic, negative, bearish, politically-rooted propaganda about the economy and the stock markets. The funny thing is though, Greg is in complete, utter denial. He and his naysayers have been dead wrong all along. The Dow has surged from 6500 to 10,000, and with it the economy has come out of recession, showing solid, consistent gains in the financial, banking, automobile, retail and housing markets. We've witnessed appreciable growth in the GDP; a steep drop in job losses; declining inventories; increases in manufacturing and productivity; increased borrowing; a rise in consumer spending; strong corporate earnings; and other very positive economic indicators. But none of this matters to Greg & Company. Their hatred of liberals, and their intense hunger to see Obama fail, keeps them oblivious to reality. In the face of clear, obvious economic recovery, these Chicken Littles keep yelling "The sky is falling, the sky is falling." And worse, if need be to bring Obama down, they'd be willing to lose more jobs, more home value, more investment dollars and more corporate sales. Their party first, country second mentality is unconscionable. They want America to fail.

Fortunately for Greg and his pals though, they get to play Chicken Little while Obama's cleaning up the economic shitstorm their president left him. If only they were able to show a little appreciation.

 

Comments

[Shockedbyhalftruths]

How do you claim that things are getting better when we have the highest unemployment numbers since 1983?

I'd love for things to get better, but I don't think Obama is doing sqaut to make that happen.

What about the inflation of the numbers of reported jobs created/saved?
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/maps/Bogus-jobs-created-or-saved-by-the-Stimulus.html

[Greg0658]

hum .. I sorta am like that Greg so I'm slightly taking offence .. but this Greg leans to the other flavor .. mainly because I get dirty (used to) for a living .. like that phrase "I took a shower after work not before"

why am I like that Greg .. because I'm the boy crying wolf, chicken little or the paperboy warning of bad times to come on the editorial page wishing to not see it on the front page

you mock that flavor because it puts consumers in thinking mode .. of where and how to stockpile for the future .. and I agree depressions can be made that way ... balance man

will the sun rise tomorrow .. yes ...
could a lot less people of all flavors not be able to enjoy it .. you can bet on it .. and I think Wall Street has a financial instrument you can play that one with

[TyneCrescent]

The description of "Greg" is an astute, and realistic, description of all those people who fall under the wing of GOP fanaticism. I know some people who act exactly like that. They live in a state of reality that exists only in their hateful, unpatriotic and vengeful minds. You can almost wrap the GOP party into birthers, tea-baggers, Beck and Bachman rally supporters, etc. Each group exhibits and shares characteristics that are eerily similar, extremely disruptive, hateful, divisive, obstructionists and non-productive, all lock stock and barrel, members under a singular fringed mindset. What is it about the GOP that causes seemingly rational individuals like "Greg" to lose their ever-loving minds and part with their souls?? The right-wing resembles a cult more than a group of people with any sense of the world around them.

[Saidas]

The same is true for people that are like Greg only with religion instead of being Republican and unfortunately, often the two go together.