Far-Right GOP's Viciousness, Venom Familiar to Some of Us

On Nov. 22, 1963, just as we learned President Kennedy had been murdered down in Dallas, half the kids in my high-school English class in suburban Oklahoma City stood up and cheered. A few cried.

When I tell people this now, often and understandably, they think I'm making it up. I'm not. I've asked fellow Army brats whose families were also stationed in Oklahoma and Texas if they had the same experience in their Southwestern schools. All of them said yes. JFK was hated by many people in that part of the country, and probably still is.

So, I've seen this kind of ugliness and viciousness before. Just not outside Oklahoma/Texas politics.

Beauty, someone once joked, is only skin deep, but ugly is forever. That's one of many things today's venomous right-wing extremists don't get. The Fox News crowd has gone well beyond the bounds of common decency recently, and we shouldn't let any of these merchants of hate forget that they've left a permanent stain on our democracy after their disgraceful tactics and countless lies during the health-care debate.

Does anyone else remember George Bush's Karl Rove-inspired vicious attacks on the classy Ann Richards in the 1994 Texas governor's race? In Texas and Oklahoma, I learned from living there, it's a football mentality -- winning is all that matters, no matter how ugly you win. I've seen this poisonous mentality spread throughout the country, largely abetted by the ugliness that is Fox Noise.

Spitting on black Congressmen and spewing homophobia at Barney Frank? Hey, why not? Yelling "Baby Killer!" at pro-life Bart Stupak? It just feels right to the poisonous right.

San Francisco Chronicle blogger Mark Morford noted this about the behavior of the far-right loudmouths who are the darlings of Fox News during the past few days of the health-care debate. The bottom of the barrel just got a whole lot deeper.

"Like millions, I was fairly convinced it simply could not get much worse or more acrimonious than when Dubya ran the nation into the ground, embarrassing and humiliating us planetwide a thousand times over as the rogue idiot pseudo-cowboy laughingstock war-hungry prick of the civilized world. I was wrong."

Many of us lefties said plenty of unkind and unflattering things about Bush, but it was mostly out of disgust. Viciousness of the kind I experienced in my high-school days in Dubya's Southwest is something I hadn't experienced much since then -- until the health-care debate's shameless, nonstop litany of lies and fear-mongering.

Morford again, on the not-so-grand Old Party's disgraceful behavior :

"The Republicans have been pure venom. Theirs was a systematic fearmongering, a nonstop bombardment of misguidings and untruths, an acid bath of panic overlaid with a fine sheen of racism and rage. This is turning out to be easily the nastiest, meanest GOP organization in ages, the house that Karl Rove built, a group shaming their own party's once-noble legacy. Even Reagan, who claimed Medicare would destroy the country, would be stunned at this gang's level of savagery."

I'm dismayed that the level of nastiness and venom I saw in high school has made it out of Oklahoma and Texas politics into the national arena.

Being a Republican is in my DNA. I was a registered Republican until 2006. Both my parents were rock-ribbed Republicans when they were alive. But they'd never recognize this current bunch of oleaginous hypocrites and fearmongers. I didn't leave the Republican Party. It left me.

The party of moderates/conservatives I grew up in and once loved has become a rallying point for far-right extremists. It's truly a national disgrace.

 

Follow Bill Mann on Twitter: www.twitter.com/newsmann

Comments

[TommyMcCarthy]

03:52 PM on 03/25/2010

You're playing my song, Mr. Mann.

My parents were conservati­ve Republican­s,.....in the older, mainstream sense.
I suspect the only Democrat they ever voted for was probably JFK (they were Irish from Fall River, Mass.)...a­nd even THAT'S not a sure thing.
Nixon was a sitting Vice President, after all.

I don't recall the folks ever saying they "hated" anybody...­and we kids were admonished not to use the term (which, in our case, was invariably in reference to opposing sports teams or members thereof...­heh)

To my mind, racism and greed have always been an element of what the Republican­s have been selling. Gradually, over the course of my lifetime, all other elements of the Republican message have fallen by the wayside.
Most still mouth the platitudes that reflect the bygone values of the once "Grand Old Party".
Patriotism­, a strong national defense, (and the PRUDENT applicatio­n thereof), respect for time honored traditions and cherished institutio­ns, genuine concern for fiscal responsibi­lity, etc...... only a tiny handful actually hold these values dear.

It has become abundantly clear that the current crop of Republican­s would be perfectly happy, even eager, to see America fail, to see: the economy in ruins,
to see our troops bogged down in lethal, unwinnable conflicts
to see our political system rendered unable to adress the simplest functions,
to see the judiciary & rule of law itself , disrespect­ed and ignored
all so long as some percieved political (and even personal, monetary) benefit might accrue.

continued

[TommyMcCarthy]

04:40 PM on 03/25/2010

While it has been the source of some satisfacti­on watching the Republican­s abandon all pretense in favor of their pursuit of naked self interest..­..longer term this dynamic does not bode well for our embattled country. "I told you so" will be cold comfort to even the most partisan Democrat.

I wonder how far down the treasonous Timothy McVeigh wing of the Republican party is willing to see America go before they remember that:

our system of checks and balances is predicated on a vibrant opposition party OPERATING IN GOOD FAITH.

and that

A "loyal" oposisitio­n whose message appeals only to the base fears, hatreds, and parnanoic of fantasies of the most simplemind­ed among us is more threatenin­g to our way of life than a thousand Al Quaidas.

Regards
TM

[MoeB]

12:57 PM on 03/25/2010

Nice piece, Bill (referring to the article of course).

Many of us started noticing this disturbing trend during the 2008 elections.­..sadly, it seems to be getting worse, and most members of the GOP are only continuing to fan the flames, even as they 'denounce' the more violent actions of some americans. They keep saying "americans are upset and angry", well, because of YOU ALL! You've got a portion of this country fearing socialism, marxism, fascism, government takeovers, offing grandma, death panels, "rationed" care (from the government­...apparen­tly they're ok with private insurance rationing care), government dependency­, loss of liberties, loss of gun rights...t­he list goes on and on. So now we have a situation where the GOP has created a bloc of the american populace (who aren't innocent either, as the lies don't have to be believed) who fear EVERYTHING about this administra­tion...and sometimes, people do crazy things out of irrational fear. I can only hope that there's some respectabl­e GOP members who will take a REAL stand against the charged atmosphere they helped foster.

[jestemwpolsce]

11:23 AM on 03/25/2010

can we all just get along, live in tipees, eat vegan, and use only natural holistic medicine and shamans.
this stress, anger and even hate exhibited on this forum is killng the worlds and is making you sick people.
and you don't want to get sick, don't you? healhcare reform or not.
maybe it won't cost you much but you'll still be sick and waiting, and waiting, and waiting to see a doctor.

[ledocia]

10:32 AM on 03/25/2010

All these teabaggers can move to Texas, secede from the union, and enjoy their
low level politics all by themselves­.They have all the answer and know what is
right and the jerk Gov. already wants to secede so the die is cast.

[Freesia2]

10:11 AM on 03/25/2010

I no longer view them as a political party, Bill. I think they are rapidly on their way to becoming domestic terr*rists­. From shutting down government at 2:00 (oh spare me) to smiling on at the minions who cut gas lines in an opponent's families home - they've gone to the dark side. Everything is about destructio­n and some obsession with power that's made them positively unhinged.

And I'm not trying to be an hysteric. But I truly believe the Republican party has gone some place so filthy that there's no redemption­. They're not going to get any better. It's been there since the Southern Strategy was first implemente­d, it was carried foward by an unholy marriage with the evangelica­ls, the debacle of Bush and Cheney. But with the first step on a stage by Sarah Palin all decency left. They don't even pretend to be anything more than racists and fear mongers. They're proud of. I don't think you can cure that.

I'm an Independen­t who grew up in a red state. I don't recognize these people either. I think about the only solution is for any actual conservati­ves (are there any or did they go the way of the Dodo?) to leave and form their own party. That's the only one way that this Independen­t will ever be giving a vote to a conservati­ve candidate again - if they don't have an R in front of their name. That's a deal breaker.

[lizt]

11:27 AM on 03/25/2010

I think the new party will come from a split off of the BlueDog Dems as they are fairly close to moderate Republican­s in many ways.

[newsmann]

11:34 AM on 03/25/2010

The GOP/Teabag extended temper tantrum has been going on since Obama's election. The GOP Senators are now acting like children, and the 2 p.m. move is but one example. They all need to be punished in November.

[normathumb]

10:07 AM on 03/25/2010

My father had retired from Sheppard AFB outside Wichita Falls, TX in May '63. I was attending Thomas Jefferson Elementary nearby when the assassinat­ion took place. I don't recall any jubilation at Kennedy's death. I have no doubt it happened. Within some factions Kennedy was virulently hated for his policies, foreign and domestic. Barry Goldwater represente­d the hard right within the Republican party. There is no room for a Goldwater in the party today, much less a Rockefelle­r, a Nixon or even a Reagan. Remember, though a long time NRA member, Reagan had a long history of supporting gun control. For all his talk, he was hardly a fiscal conservati­ve, for as Dick Cheney so erroneousl­y put it, he, (Reagan), ..."proved deficits don't matter."

[dayala]

09:41 AM on 03/25/2010

Bill

it's not just this country that views them with disgust, the entire world sees them the same way.

you reap what you sow, in due time everything is going to come crashing down on these people and Fox News.

[Bonaboman]

09:23 AM on 03/25/2010

You state ".... Congressme­n spit on". I've heard the it was Emmanuel Cleaver - were there others spit on?

[ledocia]

10:30 AM on 03/25/2010

OH, if it was only one person it's ok?????

[NomadicView]

09:13 AM on 03/25/2010

The bottom of the barrel just got a whole lot deeper.
My favorite line of the article.

[justoverit333]

09:05 AM on 03/25/2010

Thank you Mr. Mann for pointing this out. American
citizens are aware of the GOP tactics and they
are over it.

[FirstGame72]

09:52 AM on 03/25/2010

Would you take back this comment and admit your wrong IF the GOP gains seats in the house and senate in this year's elections?

[chazmanr]

10:32 AM on 03/25/2010

I would take it back if they take a majority after 1 election. Not if they gain seats. There is a well establishe­d pattern of Congress shifting when one party holds both the executive and legislativ­e branches. Further, I would lament that Americans embrace hatred, violence and lies.

[alto2]

08:57 AM on 03/25/2010

I was a registered Republican until the nomination of Reagan and I thought, "This is the best we can do?" That appeared to have been the case, and I have never regretted having left that sorry excuse for a political party. The current derangemen­t suggests mass psychosis or some horrible social disease, left untreated. When did "Winning isn't everything­, it's the only thing" become their mantra?

[gtt]

08:28 AM on 03/25/2010

Mr. Mann, I was in an Austin third grade class that morning. I recall no student in the class or in the school cheering or showing any sign of approval. Many of us were planning to go to see JFK at a parade in downtown Austin that afternoon. The teachers, staff and students were all stuned.

I still recall the principal of the school taking two other boys and me from class and directing us to the school flag pool so that we could, with all reverance, lower the flag to half staff. He was an ex military officer and he took our small group out like a military unit and instructe us how to perform the task properly.

Many, many tears that day in that Texas school.

[chazmanr]

10:36 AM on 03/25/2010

Austin is the only city in Texas where the majority are not racist, m0rons. It is an island of reason in a cesspool of bigotry, hate and ignorance. It helps to have a large, pretty good university there.

[Countess]

08:23 AM on 03/25/2010

Racism and violence have always been an important part of American culture and I can remember the atmosphere of hate before the Kennedy and King assasinati­ons which is why I'm concerned about this latest round of hatred. The big difference I see this time is how much more widespread the popularity of right wing extremism is today and how their hatred for this president is so visceral.

[34Boxcar]

09:49 AM on 03/25/2010

It is wide in a way. But the difference today is the legitimacy the media is giving to it. The media has become so sensationa­listic its all they cover any more. So many people look at the TV and see this stuff and think " my god the whole country is going crazy there is going to be a civil war!'. But the reality is these tea party people are a small minority they are just the loudest and that plays well on TV so they show it. The majority of people in America want nothing to do with this nonsense. It is a huge social distortion and it is very profitable for the networks who pump this stuff into all the homes across this country.

Don't get me wrong the Tea party has big numbers and big hate. But they are still way in the minority.

[FirstGame72]

09:50 AM on 03/25/2010

Odd thing about the make-up of the Warren Commission­, they were ALL southerner­s (except for G Ford, the most junior member).
As was the man who appointed them and took over as president for Kennedy.

[twohearts]

12:50 AM on 04/03/2010

Warren (head of the commission­) was from California­. & of course we know that LBJ was elected as VP on his own (sort of, you know). Ford was from Michigan..­..but what is in fact the point of your post?

[FirstGame72]

08:01 AM on 03/25/2010

This entire article should be very old and tired news.
But whenever I point out in my comments in HuffPo that it is the beliefs and attitudes of the American people that create and are reflected in the attitudes we see by our representa­tives on capitol hill, I am ignored.
It's easy (a cliche in fact) to blame "politicia­ns" for all of the social problems of this society. But readers of HuffPo still don't seem able to face up to the idea that their neighbors, friends and family that are (still) proud to put an "R" next to their name are the real heart of our problems.

[gtt]

08:19 AM on 03/25/2010

Agreed, the republican­s that are "not part of the 'Christian Right' take over of their party" are just enabling the republican­s to spread the message of h8 and obstruct social justice.

[FALCON72]

10:27 AM on 03/25/2010

You are so right. Until Obama was elected President, I did not see nor hear the racist, demeaning comments and e-mails from so many people I live near, work with, even go to church with. It has left me very frightened at times. I can still vividly recall watching the news on tv when I was a teenager in the 60's, showing the policemen turning the water hoses on the Black people and being horrified at how people could treat their fellow human beings that way. I had hoped that even people in my state could never stoop to that level of hate again; I'm not so sure anymore.

[jjtx]

07:39 AM on 03/25/2010

I, too, was in Texas when both JFK and Martin Luther King, Jr. were murdered. You speak the truth. If the cheers were loud when the President was shot; they lifted the roof when King was killed.

So sad.