A Nation Cannot Continue Half Sane and Half Tea.

[Warren Stupidity]

Every time I find myself observing Teabag World, for example by accidentally watching any broadcast or cable news 'show', I am reminded that the opposition party is certifiably insane, and that our corporate masters intend to maintain this odd condition of feeble rule by a divided and corrupt party of relatively sane people alternating with heavy handed near fascistic rule by a highly disciplined party consisting of roughly 50% outright insane people and 50% conniving opportunists manipulating the other half of the party.

Our little tip in the left direction of the Great Political Pendulum, our small victories of '06 and '08, are being boxed in and reversed by the media drone and the massive corruption and ineptness of our party's leaders. I think it is quite likely that the Democratic Party will suffer reversals in 2010 that will cost us one or both chambers of Congress, and at the least will return us to a situation where our dixiecrats or bluedogs of *fucking assholes* or whatever it is that they refer to themselves as these days will in coalition with the Tea Party obstruct absolutely any progress on issues we care about.

Worse, it is now likely that a serious run at Obama by SOME ABSOLUTE NUT CASE will occur in 2012 and we could be soon confronted by a return to things as they were in 2001. Only worse. Much worse. In 2001 there were still some members of the Republican Party leadership who were *not* outright nutcases. We are now in a situation where if the opposition party comes back into power it will do so lead by frothing lunatics who simply have no connection with reality as we experience it.

I submit that we cannot continue as a nation half sane and have raving teabag nutcase. This is not a feasible democracy. One of our two institutionalized political parties has been taken over by the loons.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. tepid, timid, spineless leadership - that is our problem

and because of it, the D majority is facing a cliff.

WHY CAN THEY NOT SEE IT? What are they so afraid of? How can they be so hesitant and myopic?

I suggest that Mr. Reid needs to review his situation. I also think that the White House must drop its pointless, inane, and ineffectual effort to carve out some half hearted "bipartisan" result. All that does is put the power in the hands of a few radicals, like that Michigan based C Street bastard.

Leadership flows from the top. So far, the White House is grading a C+ at best.

[StreetKnowledge]

14. Reid needs to be fired.

I normally do not root against Democrats, but I very much hope Harry Reid loses in 2010. Our 60-seat majority ain't getting us jack shit, so if it becomes 59 I'm frankly not caring that much. Pelosi I hoped would be a fighter for our causes too, but the vast number of Democrats kissing the asses of the corporate lobbyists are making that impossible. We have to remove these 'Democrats'. If we cannot stop our party from being taken over by the DLC, life for average Americans will not get better. The corporatists MUST, I repeat MUST be tossed from office, any (legal) way we can get them out.

[valerief]

2. It's time to be tea-free. We've gotta wake up and smell the coffee. nt

[barbtries]

3. i'd like to see the republican party go the way

of the whigs. then we could maybe have a choice that is more representative of the populace. i think it's possible too- they seem to marginalize themselves more and more frequently, and their rhetoric makes less and less sense.

eta - seems to me that the only thing keeping them from being washed away in a river of their own bile is the msm.

[anonymous171]

4. If we lose the house and senate it won't be much of a change from our current situation

I'm not particularly worried right now.

[depakid]

5. "This is not a feasible democracy"

It is however, a perfect recipe for decline into third world status.

[ginnyinWI]

6. but it isn't half tea.

it's about 15% Tea. The rest are looking at them and thinking, "crazy!" If the rest of the repub party can't speak up for themselves and continue to let their rightwing fringe define them, fine--they must live with that. But if they think they will win elections pandering to that ideology, they've got another thing coming.

Has anyone on the right, sane or otherwise, come up with any credible argument with what Obama has done so far? Either they are predicting dire consequences in some hazy future, or they are outright lying. In other words, they are out of ammo. Not in small part to the savvy political skill of those in the White House, who seem to see everything about six or ten moves ahead.

[anonymous171]

7. Yeah, I forgot about Obama's mad 4 dimensional chess skills. nt

[Warren Stupidity]

8. The rest are looking at them and thinking, "crazy!"

If you have actual data that demonstrates that please remit it to this board for our inspection. Otherwise, with all respect, you are delusional on this specific matter. Nearly 50% of the voting public voted for McCain/Palin in the last election. All polls indicate that despite the takeover of the party formerly known as the GOP by lunatics, your '15%', that party is in position to make inroads in congress in 2010. I submit that the relentless media brainwashing of the last 40 years, and in particular the departure from any grounding in reality in the media that took place around 9-11-01 and has continued since then, has had its effect. Half of this republic is ready to follow the loons.

[wuvuj]

10. Which is WHY the terrorist trials will take place in NYC...

...to give these people some kind of resolution? Maybe the whole country might be start to get over some of it's INSANITY?


"in particular the departure from any grounding in reality in the media that took place around 9-11-01 and has continued since then, has had its effect."

[tblue]

11. Maybe. Maybe. But 1) The Republcan party is in the midst of a bloody civil war.

The political feasibility of the fringe is only now being tested. But NY-23 was the first example of the GOP's cannibalization, and it won't be the last. 2) In every presidential election in modern times, the more moderate-appearing candidate won. Having a Sarah Palin on any primary ballot, Congressional or presidential, will only move every other GOP hopeful further right and away from the winnng center, 3) Electorally, Obama won in a landslide. We don't have to win 56% of the popular vote. We just need to win strategically, 4) the stars are aligning: Soon Congress will pass healthcare 'reform,' and the Democrats will get all the credit for it. And we may have a KSM conviction at just the right time, and 5) no one has forgotten George Bush.

[Warren Stupidity]

12. NY 23 is not much to hang a hat on.

I understand 'the winning center' theory. That is a good theory when there are two centrist parties, an educated politically aware populace, and a robust 4th estate. I am suggesting that none of the above exist at this point in time.

The MediaDrone has been presenting Absolute Radical Lunacy as equivalent to the mushy center-right word salad emitting from our party's spokespersons for over a decade now. This center you speak of is now way over on the right, and the center-right party is ours, endlessly portrayed as far left, while the far-right party is now playing, as per our media, the role of moderate centrist balance to a radical left-tilt in washington. The buffoonery is having its effect.

[ginnyinWI]

15. well, I'd like to see evidence

that nearly half of this country is in love with the tea bag movement and willing to vote with them. It's a very vocal minority, just like we have here on the left. But most of the country isn't particularly impressed. I think we get a skewed idea of the political reality in this nation if we only look at the noisemakers. Even the tea party's founder has just left and rejoined the Republican party! http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2009/05/independents_outnumber_democra.html

The country is only 27% Republican right now; I don't think they're doing so well. The fact that they are catering to the tea parties just to scrape up a few voters is evidence of just how weak they are. http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2009/05/independents_outnumber_democra.html

We should never become complacent. But it is hard to deny that we are in a pretty favorable position right now as Democrats. People have not yet forgotten the Bush years, and Obama hasn't made any big mistakes. Keeping fingers crossed that he won't, but I have a fair amount of confidence things will be okay in 2010.

[Lagomorph]

9. Compare Free Republic to Democratic Underground...

Traffic wise, it's a lot more than 15%.

People are far more invested in the market than in government bonds. They have a stake in the private sector that the government can't match. That's how they'll vote, for whatever makes them feel more secure.

[Atticus]

16. In 2000 and 2004, the GOP "let their rightwing fringe define them" and we ALL had to live with it.

Many Republicans simply---very simply---vote for whoever the party nominates.

Sort of like many here urge us to do.

[Yuugal]

17. Its hard for reps to fight Obama

Since he mostly does what they want anyway. In a lot of ways he is better for them than Bush: same corporate crap, but they can blame it on us this time and get back congress because in the end, its the congress that controls the purse strings and the public is still furious they can't get a job but Harry and Nancy found 2 trillion for rich people so they wouldn't suffer any hardship.

Meanwhile Obama is now talking about Nafta 2 with the pacific rim, and you just know both reps and dems hate that free trade crap. I'm talking the working class, not the party hacks and rich people who profit from ruining us. 2010 is going to be a total disaster for us but since 2009 was also a total disaster I'm not sure I even care who wins next time. I'd gladly do 8 yrs of cheney as pres if my kids could get real dems in charge when they grow up and after the reps have once again screwed the pooch.

The reps are smart enough to realize they need to go right wing all the way because no matter what either party does, they always alternate power eventually, and you might as well have you most lunatic neocon at the helm if thats your only shot for that period. As opposed to our side, who when they win want to be republicans so the public doesn't even remember why they voted for these corrupt clowns in the first place.

[BradXXX]

13. The thing about teabaggers

From what I've gathered, a lot of what angers them is the same things that anger us. Mainly our government being run by and for corrupt corporations instead of the people.

They definitely are confused about other things that they seem to be mad about, but I think that's more of a case of them being deceived by those same corporate interests and not understanding how things work. (For example: universal health care. If they all had it, they'd love it.)

[kath]

18. K & R Love the title:

"half sane and half tea" :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: