Old Right-Wing Whine, New Bottle

It should come as no surprise that John McCain's VP nominee elicited rowdy applause from an otherwise comatose gathering of Republican delegates. The Republican Party, it seems, never tires of hearing the same talking points about the Democrats, and they never stop looking for newer and younger people to deliver them.

It is worth noting, however, that McCain's convention frame is the exact opposite of the 'Country First' message the Arizona senator plastered all over the walls in Minnesota.

What are the tenets of that frame? (1) Government is a trick to defraud working people of their paychecks; (2) standing together for anything but war is a waste; (3) responsibility ends at walls of one's home; (4) personal gain first, country--last.

By now, Americans know darn well what Republicans whine about--whether those Republicans live in small town Alaska or not.

No wonder Americans feel more frightened, alone and divided than at any time in recent memory: 8 years of Bush/McCain whining has left the country on the ropes.

To see this complaining in black and white, we need only look at the text of McCain's VP nominee's speech.

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The Drumbeat of GOP Complaining
The typical Republican complaining in Palin's speech emerged most clearly in a the section where she cut down Obama's campaign. After 20 years of Republicans using these same talking points (yawn...), Americans are all-too familiar with them.

These talking points have nothing at all to do with actual problems or challenges the American people face each and every day. They are not really even campaign issues. The lines Sarah Palin used are about branding the Democrats in the media, having been produced over decades of framing research. The point of these lines is not inform the public about policy, but to define the Democratic party in negative terms. If you missed the Sarah Palin speech and want to know what she said about the Democrats, simply turn on FOX News to any show, or dial up the Rush Limbaugh radio program. Sarah Palin's talking points about the Democrats are no different than anything you will hear on right-wing media 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, twice on Sundays and Christmas.

Here they are as repeated by Palin in front of the RNC, highlighted to make them easy to spot (the 'he' referred to in this quote is Barack Obama):

What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world.

A Republican accusing a Democrat of wanting 'bigger government,' 'more of your money,' and being 'weak' on national security? How innovative (zzzz...).

And that is just the pre-amble. Palin continued by running through the full list of Republican branding points about the Democratic Party, a list that read like a transcript from a 'best-of' Sean Hannity show:

America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it.

Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.

Terrorist states are seeking new-clear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.

Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.

Congress spends too much ... he promises more.

Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.

The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars. My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that's now opened for business - like millions of others who run small businesses.

How are they going to be any better off if taxes go up? Or maybe you're trying to keep your job at a plant in Michigan or Ohio ... or create jobs with clean coal from Pennsylvania or West Virginia ... or keep a small farm in the family right here in Minnesota.

How are you going to be better off if our opponent adds a massive tax burden to the American economy? Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election.

Hold on a second! Did Sarah Palin refer to the Democratic party as 'Democratic' instead of the typical 'DemocRAT' the entire right-wing media uses as a slur? Goodness gracious, she did say something new after all.

But that is about all that was 'new.' The rest of Palin's whining was old cheese.

'Obama doesn't want to find more energy!' the Republicans whine, when Democrats spend ages proposing entirely new forms of sustainable energy.

'Obama wants to give into the enemy in Iraq!' the Republicans whine, when the GOP controls the military and thwarts every policy shift the Democratic Party has proposed.

'Obama will let the terrorists kill you!' the Republicans whine, when the GOP has used its tenure to turn domestic security into an ineffectual joke that results in old ladies in wheelchairs being padded down for vials of hand cream.

'Obama will raise your taxes!' the Republicans whine, when the GOP has given billions in tax cuts to billionaires, who take that money and hide it in off shore accounts while working people lose their homes, spend their savings on prescriptions, and go bankrupt trying to pay off loans for college degrees that did not earn them job security.

'Government is a scam that benefits Obama!'

'Obama wants to get rich by stealing your money!'

'Obama will fall asleep at the helm and the terrorists will flood into American and kill everyone!'

It's the same old GOP whine, alright.

Can you imagine what this means for the rest of the 2008 Presidential election?

Well, uh...it means the rest of the campaign is going to be exactly like the last campaign.

And the one before that.

And the one before that.

The Democratic ticket is going to try to talk about the economy and national security and sustainable energy. And each time they try to start that conversation--the pragmatic conversation about solving problems that the American public wants to have--the GOP's VP candidate will whine about 'big government,' 'higher taxes,' and 'terrorists, terrorists, kill, terrorists, 9/11.'

Wind and solar energy? Big government, high taxes, terrorists!

Health care coverage for every American? Big government, high taxes, terrorists!!

Redeploy troops out of Iraq, track down Bin Laden? Big government, high taxes, terrorists!!!

American schools are failing are children? Big government, high taxes, terrorists!!!!

It may seem redundant to say it, but that is the message we get from the McCain Convention: Same old GOP whine, new bottle.

So, enjoy the next few months, America! Heck, you already know the script.

Read more analysis from HuffPost bloggers on Sarah Palin

Comments

[24hourrifle]

where was this mythical "liberal media" i keep hearing about during yhe march -up to a war that has killed and injured 30,000 soldiers as well as untold iraqi civilians?its painfully(sometimes quite literally)obvious that sarah palin cannot withstand serious and legitimate analysis of her record and (lack of)credentials.i keep hearing about these countless "smears" and "attacks" on gov. palins family,yet i havent actually seen or heard any smears or attacks.olbermann and matthews were spot on-wheres the list of personal attacks?another site actually attempted to compile such a list and the best they could come up with was something said by a abc anchor(it was kinda inappropriate)...and sally quinns article-shes an opinion columnist!!! ie:jerome"anti semite racist swiftboater"corsi.the saddest part about all this is that all this whining and playing the refs by conservatives is actually having an effect.once again the media has been bullied into shrinking away from asking questions that need to be asked.(truth about earmarks,bridge to nowhere,troopergate).the fact is republicans are attempting to lump all media in with bloggers and tabloids,and what scares me most is everyone seems to be buying this load of...

[fignozzle]

what are you saying??
mcsendyourkidstoprivateschoolsandshutup does not believe in our government improving education ???
maybe he will renew the uber sucsessful NCLB.
that seems to insure that just about EVERY country with any class of education will be smarter and stronger than we???

vote for that if you are of a mind to....
i think obama has a plan to elevate education that would certainly elevate our nation and elevate innovation and inspire discoveries............
but, shoot, no wait, let us just teach to the test.
no critical thinking here.
let's roll!

[Twentylaws]

Gov. Palin's mockery of Community Organizers was in poor taste and Un-American! We as Americans, are at our best when our communities come together, organize and execute a good plan.

This goes to show the Republicans who helped write Palin's speech forgot McCain's own mission statement "Country First" and chose to alienate certain people! These attacks don't work and they simply don't get it!

[MajorKong]

Pilate was a governor. Jesus was a community organizer.

[demfriend]

Well....when we consider that media was kept away and still a distance is at best the opportunities for he MSM with Palin we learned one thing about Palin. She has the ability to memorize some instense expressions and can read the script laid down for her by the best writers to send out the GOP/ McCain message that doesn't really jibe with all of her previous stances in way too many areas to be a real speech that should make any dif but we also learned that the republicans were desperate for any signs of life in the McCain camp. I also have noticed that the republicans/GOP heads are willing to have Mccain attack, lie, misrepresent and put OUR country in danger for them to win this election. "At any cost" is the slogan they should use. That people would still support Bush 3 while he has damaged OUR country nearly to unrepairable states and try to whip up wars while it could make McCain look better (?) and if it killed people what the hell it's politics! The GOP is willing to destroy OUR country for Mac to win and her to push the red buttons.

[MsCanadian]

Question for you Americans - I see that John McCain is 72 years old, so what would happen if he became too ill to continue as the Presidential candidate? Would Palin have to step into that spot and pick a VP running mate? I know that the VP would be sworn in as President if the President became too ill or died after being inaugurated, but don't know what your procedure is if this occurs before the election.
Not that this pair is going to get far anyway! Palin is no credit to women. obviously does not walk her talk, and is living in a fantasy.

America is not a small town!!!

Good luck with your election! Go Obama Go!

[tesaract]

I think I have figured out McCain's next line of attack...

Now that all the Republicans are in line after turning everything over to the Palin's Christian right, he can now imply to everyone more liberal than that, Don't worry, you can vote for me because the Republicans are going to get their asses kicked so bad in November in down ballot races that he won't be able to force that crap down our throats.

Talk about a lame duck...

[Cenzo]

John McCain talks down to Americans as a primary school teacher talks to his/her third grade class. His tranquilized manner is very Stepford Wives-like. His crowd either looks bored, stupefied, or waiting for their next cue to clap. He couches his fear mongering in a first person pseudo-heroism that reeks of war. Was the intention to hypnotize the listeners into believing him? I suppose if you like being tricked into thinking big corporations are going to make our lives better rather than a government we elect, then you deserve to be overcharged for your extra minutes and live in a globally warmed planet.

[daveinoz]

Ok...I'm not American...but sheesh..that was like a Hallmark card...if I didn't have diabetes I bloody well do now!!

[Liberoservative]

Why do I feel like I am listening to more snake oil?


Obama at least spoke to me as an adult.... he didn't feem me propaganda

[Liberoservative]

sill waiting on how the teachers are gonna do this


Claiming to be Greeh is bad............. Drilll Drill and Drill them now........ since it is good for Alaska? What about global warming...

Oh wait let us give lipservace t all of Obama's plan....

[Liberoservative]

I think he just plagirazed
Help the teachers find another line of work?

Obama said that much earlier

[Liberoservative]

and now, he is adopting Obama's plan

sorry... if I have an apple and an apple with a tiny blemish?

I am picking the pure apple....

OBAMA/ BIDEN 08

[MMJones]

GUESS WHAT!? My taxes are going to go up NOMINALLY with OBAMA/BIDEN most likely. And GUESS WHAT??!!! I am fine with that as long as those with larger incomes also pay their fair share. Look, SOMEBODY is going to have to be realistic and start bailing us out of this fiscal mess eight years of Bush/Cheney has left us with if we're to begin to salvage our country.

Otherwise, we'll just watch the middle class continue circling the drain and the poor become even more desperate and the jobs continue to disappear and THE WARMONGERS will continue their Holy Wars at our expense. Oh, excuse me. Not the wealthy's expense. Yours and mine. Tax dollars wasted.

At least with OBAMA/BIDEN I can sleep at night, knowing my kids and their kids will have a fighting chance. If it's McSame, we'll be looking to leave the country.

[Liberoservative]

He gives no alternatives except the worst prospect...... Trickle down doesn't work..... this is morfe proff that he will give me more of the sa.me...

[Liberoservative]

ahh now here we go.... Repubs are bad... Bush is bad I am not bush!!!!

He is going for principal...
he will rally his base.....
thank god OUR base is bigger than his.... :)

OMG... He is invoking Lincoln, Roosevelt and Reagan,....



Sorry, John ... you can speak a good speech., but you have not been walking that talk the entire time you been campaigning... contarst that to O.... and he has never swayed..


Oh, here we go on family.... choices exept where you want to have an abortion..

Here we go with the lies... on taxes