Garrison Keillor: The appeal of unreality

[babylonsister]

http://www.salon.com/news/tea_parties/index.html?story=/opinion/keillor/2010/02/23/unreality


Tuesday, Feb 23, 2010 20:20 EST
Garrison Keillor The appeal of unreality
Conservatives keep screaming for small government, as if their darlings, Reagan and Bush II, hadn't enlarged it
By Garrison Keillor

snip//

Our healthcare system could be fixed by smart public-spirited people in a weekend, but in our current democracy it is very hard to budge the blockade, and things may need to get much worse and Republicans be boosted back into power and they can propose the very same legislation they are adamantly opposed to now and the system will change a little bit.

Unreality remains pretty much the same, and its appeal in politics is as strong as ever. Look at the recent powwow of the conservative choir in Washington. Their goal is to reduce government to where it was in Coolidge's time. They are sticking to this, though their presidents, Reagan and Bush II, only succeeded in enlarging government. As for their foreign policy, it's the old Flag In Your Face, Nuke The Whales, Talk Loud, Walk Tall, Proud To Be Dumb & Who Gives A Rip Anyway, Republican bravado that's all for domestic consumption and makes perfect sense if you're a shut-in and your TV is locked on Fox News but not if you are ambulatory and able to read English.

Meanwhile, our president, who is more or less forced to live in the real world, has seen his numbers drop alarmingly because unreality is so beautiful to so many people, such as the tea baggers. The conservatives should, in all decency, lie low for a few years. When you've driven the car into the swamp -- up to our eyeballs in debt, fighting two wars on behalf of shaky regimes, trying to keep a lid on Iran, Congress in a frozen stupor -- and then you throw mudballs at the tow-truck driver, you are betting on the electorate having the memory of a guppy. You can parade up and down stark naked and pretend it's very fine silk and fool a lot of people, but eventually word will get around.

[liberal N proud]

1. Another GREAT article by the Great Garrison Keillor

[Captain Hilts]

2. EXACTLY!

[keith the dem]

3. MUST READ

Thanks for posting this.

[snagglepuss]

4. K& R nt

[Blue Owl]

5. Heap it on, Garrison -- and don't be stingy

At least SOMEONE out there in the ol' librul media is telling it like it is when it comes to conservatives.

And telling it well, I might add.

:applause:

[badgerpup]

6. Mr. Keillor, you needn't worry...

There is still an 'edgy 27 year old young man' inside that 'nice 67 year-old gentleman'. :yourock:

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/59780547.html

Your outer 'nice 67 year old guy' (who has perspective, 'wisdom', experience, and is not at all afraid to kick some serious ass) has your inner 27 year-old's back.

Talk about a 'Dynamic Duo'...;)


Loves me some Garrison Keillor, I do...:loveya: