The American fascists are most easily recognized by their deliberate perversion of truth and fact. Their newspapers and propaganda carefully cultivate every fissure of disunity …. They claim to be super-patriots, but they would destroy every liberty guaranteed by the Constitution. They demand free enterprise, but are the spokesmen for monopoly and vested interest. Their final objective toward which all their deceit is directed is to capture political power so that, using the power of the state and the power of the market simultaneously, they may keep the common man in eternal subjection.
- Vice-President Henry A. Wallace, The Danger of American Fascism (April, 1944)
It’s been said that America gets exactly the quality of leadership it deserves. That depressing idea, if true (and I believe to be), means that our collective standards regarding those we choose to lead us are in the toilet.
The Republican cast of something-considerably-less-than-statesmanlike lightweights is a perfect illustration. One is a demagogue and self-promoter devoid of principles and concerned only with his own interests and self-aggrandizement…and the size of his dick. Another is a joyless hyper-Christian zealot who’d dismantle the Constitution in order to replace it with a theocracy ruled by (his version of) God’s laws. Another is a shape-shifting, principle-free nonentity who’s worked overtime (and failed) to convince Republican voters that he’s the REAL Conservative Christian in the race. The last one is a veteran culture warrior who’s managed to convince a large number of ill-informed observers that he’s actually a moderate Republican (when compared to the other kill-‘em-and-grill-‘em zealots, he may well be).
Listen to Republican primary voters, and what you’re likely to hear is a degree of ignorance and devotion to Right-wing propagana of the sort that will take your breath away. The things that some of these folks believe is truly astonishing, which makes them susceptible to those willing and able to manipulate them for their own selfish ends.
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you’re gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
- Donald Trump
Last night, for reasons I still don’t fully understand, I subjected myself to the Republican debate on CNN. Perhaps I was hoping (in vain, as it turned out) that I’d learned something that might help me to understand why so many low information voters insist on voting Republican when it’s clear doing so is inimical to their best interests.
What follows are some random observations from a debate the Huffington Post is calling “Civil, calm, and scary as Hell” :
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus is a smug, smarmy, arrogant ideologue who shouldn’t be trusted to manage a Dairy Queen, much less the (not so very) Grand Old Party. His idea of contrasting Republicans and Democrats is resorting to tired propaganda and talking points that have long ago been debunked. Stay classy….
Ted Cruz could suck the joy out of a screaming orgasm.
Is John Kasich REALLY the empty suit he seems to be? His opening statement was a nothingburger.
Rubiobot 3000 seems to be in fine form, tossing out vague generalities like candy.
Ted Cruz appears to have decided that he’s going to fight the good fight…except he seems to have forgotten his shining armor back in his hotel room.
Donald Trump is like cotton candy- tasty, momentarily satisfying, and completely devoid of substance. It’s like listening to the wind rushing through south Florida’s palm trees.
Kasich “grew up in a blue-collar family?” Looks like someone’s forgotten his roots.
“Common Core is a disaster;” “Obama has abused executive power.” Wow, it’s hard to keep up with the onrush of talking points…which appear to be Cruz’s weapon of choice. Actually supporting your assertions is just WAY too much damned work, eh?
This is why fact checkers still have jobs.
Will no one have the courage to acknowledge that Social Security is imperiled because Congress has raided it repeatedly over the years? IF Congress would act responsibly, Social Security would be hale and healthy. Then again, taking responsibility is SO not the Republican modus operandi.
“The less govenment, the more freedom….” Another meaningless Cruz talking point.
At least there hasn’t any discussion of penis size…yet.
Kasich wants SO badly to be taken seriously, but he’s like the nerdy kid no one likes. That he’s trying hard to portray himself as the moderate he so clearly isn’t is kinda pathetic, really.
Ted Cruz: Is he is, or is he not, the Black Angel of Death, the human embodiment of all that’s evil?
Rubio: “The problem is Presidents just can’t say anything they want.” Neither should Republicans…yet that’s never seemed to stop any of y’all.
Has anyone else noticed that Trump looks like someone who’s lost his binkie?
Still waiting for Trump to allude to the size of his dick….
Rubio: “I’m not interested in being politically correct. I’m interested in being correct.” WHAM! BAM!! Can’t you just feel the excitement?? Rubiobot3000 is EN FUEGO!!!
Trump: “They are laughing at us.” Uh…no, they’re laughing at you and the tree other moral midgets sharing the stage…and with damned good reason.
Rubio: Size matters…when you’re talking about our military, that is.
Cruz: “President Obama lectures Americans on Islamophobia….” So, irrational, ignorant, and wholly unfounded hatred is a good thing as long as Muslims are the target?
Cruz: “This is exactly the sort of moral relativism Barack Obama has….” Given your campaign’s devotion to dishonesty and situational ethics, you might want to be careful about questioning the morality of a President who’s survived seven-plus years of Republican intransigence.
After an hour of this mental abuse, Erin came home and rescued me. I’d seen enough; I’d wanted and needed to see for myself what Republicans are about, and to hear from the candidates themselves…and I’m here to tell you that, as an American, I’m beyond embarrassed. None of these nonentities should be allowed to manage a 7 Eleven, much less the affairs of the world’s foremost military and economic power.
After an hour of listening to four Republicans say little of value or substance, I felt as if I needed a shower- a long, hot one. If we’re witnessing the death throes of the GOP, it’s difficult to believe we’ll have reason to miss them.
