Of all the things the Obama presidency has achieved, isolating the madness at the heart of America's psyche -- a madness knowingly cultivated and allowed to fester -- has been about the best.
Driving the right wing absolutely bat-shit nuts to the extent it has is one unforeseen benefit of having an intelligent, articulate person at the country's tiller, especially after the 8+ years of fumbling swagger and rampant booberie epitomized by the W presidency. The resultant fatigue and deeply lodged anxiety having exhausted all one's powers and skills justifying the onslaught of bad policies and inane utterances from that particular leader should have qualified all of us for much deserved sick leave.
But even more than just sounding good (and trying like hell to implement generally sound policy while having to compromise in order to do the business of government, and all while being assaulted night and day by his feral opposition) the presence of a black man in The White House has shaken opponents to their very cores and stripped any artifice that the right wing so feverishly depends upon to get their otherwise unpalatable message across. Now denuded, they cannot help but blurt out and embody their bitter racism, xenophobia and utterly profit-driven motivations for power, cannot help revealing the pathetic truth beneath their cloak of respectability and patriotism.
A traipse across the AM dial is a like a day-trip to an asylum, roars of paranoid outrage echoing through the corridors from behind padded doors; a look through the scuffed and smeared portholes reveal the screamers themselves, raving against the brown-skinned boogie man. The Rushes, the Seans, the Levins and all the rest of the inmates rattle their bars and spin lurid scenarios that were once relegated to the fringes of discourse but which have now found their way to the center of the town square, infecting and sickening all within earshot.
But that's a good thing. They can no longer successfully masquerade as good church-goers or patriotic congressmen or philanthropic CEO's as long as there's a glaringly contrasting example in an Obama presidency. Like Dorian Gray's portrait, the right wing's decay has been revealed for all to see and, slowly, people are stepping closer to view it in all its sad, shameful truth.
Because before you can operate to remove a tumor, you have to know where to make the incision.
And of all the cuts ever proposed, that would be the kindest.
Follow Steven Weber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheStevenWeber
Please, write more often.
Rampant booberie. lol. Is that another term for happy hour at Hooters? Thanks for another high velocity ride on the metaphor rails.
For the last 10 yrs I have listened to talk radio and over 100 times have called in to the Charlotte rightwing talk channel to try and get some truth out there.. I have come to realize that talk radio is the most powerful propaganda media format in this country. After the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine by Saint Reagan in 1986 the door swung open for the industry titans to take over our airwaves with NO time allotted for opposing opinions. It reaches far more people than TV. Beck may have 2 million viewers, but has 12 million listeners. Same for Hannity. Rush has 15-20 million. They are all basically industry lobbyists. Each has ther own schtik, but they always protect the same 5 industries on every issue 1. Wall St 2. war profiteers 3.Pharma/healthcare 4.energy 5. telecom/media
The real power is in the saturation and repetition. After the national hosts are over the channels play local PARROTING hosts to repeat the message and interact with listeners via phone calls.
I once read that Joseph Goebells had a 3 step propaganda recipe. In essence he said you can control a people anywhere any time by doing 3 things
1. Always have an enemy (Obama, Govt, gays,)
2.Always be the Uber Patriot
3. Always have the means to repeat and repeat and repeat the message until it becomes the truth (see talk radio )
we're screwed !
The first is a tendency to "over-generalize" our own perspective on Republicans. They ARE NOT ALL racists. The party agenda, policy, and attitudes may be racist, but many Republican voters are not.
That said, I think many (who may or may not be racist) Republican voters are voicing support for Mr. Cain because it provides "cover" for their Parties attitude on race. Much like the argument offered by the Tea Partiers when their racist views were questioned, if they can point to a speaker, or attendee, who is obviously a minority, they claim that they are not racists. Never mind that nearly 50% of the Country is minorities and that their representation at ANY Republican (or Teapublican) event is never even 10%, that's just a fluke.
When Herman Cain wins a primary in the "Deep South", or wins the majority of the "Gated Communities" vote, I might reconsider my opinion. For now, it's far to early in the campaign to give the Party a pass because they let him stand on the stage with all the white guys.
I'd like to ask if you've seen demographics on HuffPo readership? I found a website that put black readership at 7%, or just over half of their population percentage of 12.9%. Does that make HuffPo readers and contributors racist? I could go on, but really, why bother?
I'll try to educate you. However, I don't hold out much hope I'll get through the liberal bunker of denial you've encased yourself in. Read on...if you dare...
Not "one of us,"
Obama, as a baby, was found in a basket floating among the reeds in Egypt, where his "mother" was studying "Terrorism For Dummies" at one of the local madrassas.
She got his birth certificatÂe from her close friend Abbie Hoffman, who regularly created phony "official" documents for future "terror babies" back in the 60s.
At 12, Obama tried out, and failed to get, the "Good Times" role (J.J.), made famous by Jimmy Walker. Although as a budding young terrorist, he could say the line, "DynoMITE!Â!!," with real convictionÂ, he was deemed too young for the part.
This only made the young Obama agrier at American culture, and he vowed to go to Harvard, become editor of The Harvard Law Review, graduate magna cum-laude and return to run as our first "terror baby" presidentiÂal candidate.
He had to take out Osama bin Laden, because OBL was threateninÂg to expose him if he didn't have the CIA provide his villa with more porn.
It's all there for anyone who cares to dig for it, but most people prefer to live in a fantasy world.
Choose liberal Hollywood fantasy world, or truth, Mr. Weber. ;-)
Dayne
"A traipse across the FM dial, is like day trip to an asylum"
LOL, just brill!
The description of W's 8 years was perfect.
Thank you!