Online Left

Republican Spiral

As George W. Bush's presidency winds down, the Republican Party's greatest problem is that it doesn't appear to be reaching much of anybody who isn't already watching Fox News. Bush leaves behind a party that looks less like a coalition than a clubhouse.

Ronald Brownstein, Fatal Contraction, The National Journal

Hannity branded Emanuel "one of the hardest left-wing ... radicals"

Sean Hannity asserted that Barack Obama's new White House chief of staff, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, is 'one of the hardest left-wing ... radicals' and stated that the choice of Emanuel shows that Obama is 'hard, hard left.'

But contrary to Hannity's assertion, a study using every non-unanimous vote cast in the House in 2007 to determine relative ideology placed Emanuel in a tie for the ranking of 126th most liberal Democratic congressman, and news reports have labeled Emanuel as 'a centrist,' who has 'worked at good relations with Republicans.'"

Hannity is a lying sack of shit? Hard to believe, isn't it?

(Via Media Matters - Sean Hannity.)

GOP Finger Pointing Begins

Joe The Asshole Questions Obama's Loyalty

Joe the Asshole [both of them], are panicking that jobs promised by McCain are disappearing right before their eyes.

On the Sunday before one of the most important elections in years, why in hell does Faux News think this guy is relevant? Only McCain-Palin think so.

Isn't there some lawyer out there who is willing to challenge Faux News' FCC license?

Faux News Beats Down McCain on Lack of Conviction

Goober Government

Years ago, I was interviewed by a reporter for the Washington Post about Republican prospects in the upcoming elections. As a resident of Northern Virginia (yes, communist country), I opined that area residents were among the most highly educated, most intelligent electorates in the country. There was no way they would be influenced by the lies offered by Republican candidates as party platform. I still believe that. And, my assertion has been supported by a strong Democratic performance in every election since. Of course, my neighbors have voted for some Republican candidates -- but only when their campaigns have been issue-based, rather than lie-based.

Yet, supporters of the McCain-Palin ticket in 2008 continue their throaty support for a campaign that has been proven dishonest on essentially every plank of the campaign platform.

No matter how many times McCain supporters are faced with overwhelming evidence that their candidate is misleading them, they continue to voice campaign themes they, in their heart know are lies. Rather than resent the messenger, they learn to hate the opponent.

I thought an article I read on another blog was interesting, yet smacked of lies. The writer, Bill Boyarsky, interviewed a southern Ohio resident, Jim Broestler. Broestler, a self-identified conservative, told Boyarsky:

“People around here don’t want to be talked down to. The idea that they will see a 30-second commercial and vote on it, that’s not true. People I find here are willing to listen to opposing points of view.”

Boyarsky ends his article by suggesting that rural America is too smart to listen to a robot calling at dinnertime. Based on statements made (and recorded) by McCain-Palin groupies, there's every reason to believe that McCain supporters believe the robot.

I can hear the robot purring, "Who are you going to believe, me, or your lying eyes?

Are conservatives listening, or are they not hearing?

Goober was the fictional auto mechanic for the town of Mayberry in the 1960s American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show and its later spin-off series Mayberry RFD. He was played by George Lindsey.

Goober was Mayberry's "village idiot". This was perhaps best seen in an episode when Goober believed his dog was talking human, which then filled his head with delusions of becoming rich and famous. In reality the "talking dog" was a practical joke played by Opie and his friend, who had hidden a walkie-talkie under the dog's collar and pretended to be the dog's voice. He was a childlike and somewhat dimwitted character, similar to his cousin Gomer, although not as extreme. Both Goober and Gomer were the show's comic relief.

My original draft of this post refuted the stupid, inane, untrue statements issued by the McCain campaign. But then, I decided it was a waste of time. For Obama supporters, the defense wouldn't be necessary. They have read all the evidence and know the truth from the lies. Apparently, no matter how much is written to prove that McCain and Palin are the worst kind of liars, they aren't going to change their minds. In their minds, Obama is a socialist, Muslim, racist, liar. Nothing the national press, Media Matters, or Fact Check reports is going to change their minds. Unless God or the Grand Dragon tells them otherwise, they're not going to be convinced. Why waste my time?

No matter how much proof exists that Obama's tax cut and health care plans benefit them more than McCain's, they still applaud McCain's lies about Obama's versions.

Smart people will learn the truth and vote accordingly. The dull and lazy will be attracted to candidates who play to the fears of their audience, knowing they're too dumb to know the difference.

Pay attention. I only intend to cover this once. Samuel Wurzelbacher is NOT a plumber. Therefore, referring to him as Joe the Plumber is stupid. It makes about as much sense as calling Sarah Palin, Sarah the Genius. When you know it's stupid, why can't you just admit it?

Fortunately for us, there are more smart people than dim [you know who you are].

[We Are] Surrounded by Republican Hatred

More Faux News and Drudge

On the October 27 edition of Fox News' The Live Desk, co-host Trace Gallagher falsely suggested that in 2001 comments about attempts to pursue "economic justice" through the court system, Sen. Barack Obama had advocated "chang[ing] the mission of the Supreme Court in some facet," a statement with which Fox News Washington deputy managing editor Bill Sammon agreed.

Gallagher's comments echoed a false headline posted by the Drudge Report earlier on October 27: "2001 Obama: Tragedy That 'Redistribution of Wealth' Not Pursued by Supreme Court."

In fact, in the interview to which Gallagher was referring, Obama did not say that the mission of the Supreme Court should be changed. He also did not say, contrary to an assertion by the Drudge Report and by Fox News in on-screen text earlier in the day, documented by Media Matters for America, that it is a "tragedy" that the Supreme Court has not addressed wealth redistribution.

To the contrary, as Media Matters for America noted, Obama said that the "traged[y]" lay in the civil rights movement's overreliance on the courts to bring about political and economic justice, when the judicial system is not the appropriate vehicle to effect broad economic change.