DKos: A Short Note To my Republican Friends

[Hissyspit]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/9/13/781608/-A-Short-Note-to-My-Republican-Friends

A Short Note to My Republican Friends
by Raining Roses


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/9/13/781608/-A-Short-Note-to-My-Republican-Friends

Sun Sep 13, 2009 at 06:25:55 PM PDT

A few decades ago, I worked with a woman who lived in Germany during World War II and who had supported the wrong team. Understandably, Marta rarely spoke of the war. I was raised a polite girl in the South who would never (ever, ever) have poked into this woman's privacy; however, Marta did, on one occasion, broach the subject.

Raining Roses's diary :: ::

So, I asked her, "Why did you support such a mad man?" At first, she was disingenuous and pleaded ignorance. It was a half-hearted attempt, though. Soon she sighed, shrugged, and said,

"By the time we took them seriously, we were afraid."

I get that now, though I confess that in my youthful bravado, I thought her a coward then.

Which brings me to my mainstream Republican friends now. I get that you disagree with the political agenda of the Democrats. I get that you want low taxes and small government. Really, I do. I don't get why you allow a fringe group of thinly veiled racists to hijack your party and embarrass your nation. Overheard in an Atlanta restaurant: "No n----- will ever tell me what to do."

CONCLUSION AT LINK

[bluestateguy]

1. They're not for small government

They want abortion banned, pornography banned, people sent to jail for possession of a weed, mandatory Christian prayers recited in the public schools, gay people rounded up and put into ovens, and a massive, bloated military establishment.

That's no small government agenda. In fact, it requires oodles of new spending for enforcing all of the new laws that they advocate, as well as trillions more in defense spending.

[Historic NY]

2. Doesn't that mandatory prayers fit in with Islamic call to prayer 5X a day..

Christian or Muslim prayer is prayer....heads explode

[Hekate]

3. I believe the writer was making a clear distinction between the nutbag haters and real Republicans

Rather, what used to be the real Republicans. The ones we could talk with. The ones who either are now or should be afraid of the nutbag haters who have taken over the party.

The formerly real Republicans wanted fiscal responsibility and small government. Those are debatable policy issues, not ideology worth killing over.

Their party leaders wanted power and money more, and in order to advance that agenda they invited the ideologues and religious fanatics into the party, and those people want a great big theocratic government and the power that goes with it.

As this author concludes:
"Which brings me back to Marta. If you don't fear the radical right, you should. They are organized, motivated, and not governed by the constraints of rationalism. You, the mainstream Republican, really can promote your own agenda without sanctioning or merely ignoring this hatriotism and racism.

"The demographics of this country are changing, have changed. It's not that I fear the fringe will triumph. I just fear the bloody battle ahead."
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/9/13/781608/-A-Short-Note-to-My-Republican-Friends

Hekate

[grace0418]

6. The most hilarious thing I saw on the news was a young female teabagette saying

(in regards to "Obamacare") that she didn't want the government telling her what to do with her body.

WHAT THE EFF?

Uh, then why the FUCK are you a Republican sweetie?

[DearAbby]

4. !

[gordianot]

5. I have not encountered a real conservative Republican in years.

They have all turned into radicals. There are very few left anywhere.

[Shanti Mama]

7. I have a republican brother

He voted for Obama. He's compassionate, kind, terribly intelligent (we're talking 1600 SATs), thoughtful, curious and concerned. He just plain does not know what to do or think. There are many out there, I believe.