Mainstreaming the Crazy

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Darla
This is awesome! Donald Rumsfeld doesn't know whether or not Obama is a sleeper agent. I love this. Republicans are crazy, and what is so fun about them is that though their little dupes will shrilly claim that "both sides do it" the fact is that whatever crazies exist on the left are not mainstreamed. Republican nuts and cranks make up the very establishment of the Republican party.

"Speaking at a conservative gathering late last month, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he didn't know if President Barack Obama had switched sides in the War on Terror.

The video below — mined by Democratic opposition researcher James Carter IV — shows Rumsfeld answering a question from a man off-screen at an event hosted by the David Horowtiz Freedom Center on May 21 in the Los Angeles area.

"As you go around the country, do you have any sense or the same sort of sinking feeling that the rest of us have that [Obama has] actually switched sides in the War on Terror?" the man asked, drawing a smattering of applause from the audience.

"You know, I just don't feel competent to answer," Rumsfeld said. "I can't tell."

Rumsfeld added, "It bothers me greatly that he's unwilling to identify the enemy. I don't see how you win if you don't."

Carter, best-known for spotting the infamous "47 percent" video involving Mitt Romney, told TPM that the full video of Rumsfeld's appearance went up on the Freedom Center's website on Monday. How did he find the video?

"This is just what I do," Carter said.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/rumsfeld-cant-tell-if-obama-has-switched-sides
 
I mean, the normal response to that sort of thing is to say something along the lines of Obama has the best interests of the country at heart but the means he has employed to achieve that interest are unfortunately misguided. Unless, or course, you're afraid of upsetting the nutcases.
 
Dungheap said:
I mean, the normal response to that sort of thing is to say something along the lines of Obama has the best interests of the country at heart but the means he has employed to achieve that interest are unfortunately misguided. Unless, or course, you're afraid of upsetting the nutcases.
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At this point it's impossible to tell which one of them are pandering to their nutcase base out of fear, and which ones are actual nutcases themselves. So I really don't know.
 
Rana said:
You have stated it perfectly, there is really nothing to add. Although, I don't agree with his policies, I truly don't believe he has switched sides.
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And while I DO agree with a lot (not all) of Pres Obama's policies - when the conservatives demonize him like this, people stop listening to them. When they go on about Kenya and birther stuff, people stop listening. When they sound crazy, people stop listening.

I think we need at least two parties in this country; I think we need a balance of opinions and ideas; but when one party has gone so far off the rails, we're effectively left with one party, which isn't good.

Now as it turns out Obama is such a centrist that he can actually cover the piece of the republican party that has died - the moderate section - but this still isn't good.
 
Darla said:
You cannot tell the difference between ILA or any other random internet nut, and mainstream, high-profile, establishment Republicans.
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That's not true. There are still sane "sane" Republicans left. My districts house rep Pat Tiberi is quite sane, though he does play the Republican party line for obvious reasons but he's certainly not a wingnut and one of my Senators, whom I think Romney made a huge mistake not choosing as a running mate, Rob Portman is one of the last remaining Rockefeller Republicans left.
 
Darla said:
This is awesome! Donald Rumsfeld doesn't know whether or not Obama is a sleeper agent. I love this. Republicans are crazy, and what is so fun about them is that though their little dupes will shrilly claim that "both sides do it" the fact is that whatever crazies exist on the left are not mainstreamed. Republican nuts and cranks make up the very establishment of the Republican party.

"Speaking at a conservative gathering late last month, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he didn't know if President Barack Obama had switched sides in the War on Terror.

The video below — mined by Democratic opposition researcher James Carter IV — shows Rumsfeld answering a question from a man off-screen at an event hosted by the David Horowtiz Freedom Center on May 21 in the Los Angeles area.

"As you go around the country, do you have any sense or the same sort of sinking feeling that the rest of us have that [Obama has] actually switched sides in the War on Terror?" the man asked, drawing a smattering of applause from the audience.

"You know, I just don't feel competent to answer," Rumsfeld said. "I can't tell."

Rumsfeld added, "It bothers me greatly that he's unwilling to identify the enemy. I don't see how you win if you don't."

Carter, best-known for spotting the infamous "47 percent" video involving Mitt Romney, told TPM that the full video of Rumsfeld's appearance went up on the Freedom Center's website on Monday. How did he find the video?

"This is just what I do," Carter said.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/rumsfeld-cant-tell-if-obama-has-switched-sides
Click to expand...

What's scarier?

That some clueless buffoon asked a patently ridiculous question that Rummy took seriously or that the aforementioned question actually DREW APPLAUSE from the audience when it was asked?
 
Darla said:
At this point it's impossible to tell which one of them are pandering to their nutcase base out of fear, and which ones are actual nutcases themselves. So I really don't know.
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It has gotten to the point where that I feel that voting for any Republican, not matter how competent, is enabling the nut jobs.
 
tekkychick said:
And while I DO agree with a lot (not all) of Pres Obama's policies - when the conservatives demonize him like this, people stop listening to them. When they go on about Kenya and birther stuff, people stop listening. When they sound crazy, people stop listening.

I think we need at least two parties in this country; I think we need a balance of opinions and ideas; but when one party has gone so far off the rails, we're effectively left with one party, which isn't good.

Now as it turns out Obama is such a centrist that he can actually cover the piece of the republican party that has died - the moderate section - but this still isn't good.
Click to expand...
It's strange. 40 years ago it was the other way around. It was the Dems who had lost their way and had lost 5 out of 6 national elections from 68 to 88. Now it's Republicans who have gone to the opposite extreme and have lost the popular vote in 5 of the last 6 Presidential elections from 92 to 2012.

Karl Rove was right when he pointed out that the US is a center right nation. What he failed to address is the fact that the Republican party has become an extreme right wing party that has marginalized its moderate/centrist members and thus alienated the vast center of this nation.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
That's not true. There are still sane "sane" Republicans left. My districts house rep Pat Tiberi is quite sane, though he does play the Republican party line for obvious reasons but he's certainly not a wingnut and one of my Senators, whom I think Romney made a huge mistake not choosing as a running mate, Rob Portman is one of the last remaining Rockefeller Republicans left.
Click to expand...

Yes, there are still "sane" Republican politicians around. But they have been so "cowed" by the extreme right and afraid to say or vote the sane thing, they might as well be one of the nuts. Read Olympia Snow's book. I think she was just about the last (R) senator willing to stray from the "party line" and eventually just said, "It's not worth it under the current circumstances." So, if any politician is still sane, the only way they can express it is to get out of the Republican Party. Otherwise, if it looks like a duck, etc. etc. it might as well BE a duck.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
That's not true. There are still sane "sane" Republicans left. My districts house rep Pat Tiberi is quite sane, though he does play the Republican party line for obvious reasons but he's certainly not a wingnut and one of my Senators, whom I think Romney made a huge mistake not choosing as a running mate, Rob Portman is one of the last remaining Rockefeller Republicans left.
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There's a few left. I'm thinking of my friend Paula Dockery.

patriot66 said:
And yet Obama lends credibility to the story

http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/170122/
Click to expand...

I don't know what's funnier, you using an advertisement for a fucking book as a source for something or once again bringing up the same conference that's been held for ten years, even during Dubya's day. A conference that's attended by US citizens who happen to be Muslim.

You, Sir, are a certifiable fuckwad loon.
 
Red Mule said:
Yes, there are still "sane" Republican politicians around. But they have been so "cowed" by the extreme right and afraid to say or vote the sane thing, they might as well be one of the nuts. Read Olympia Snow's book. I think she was just about the last (R) senator willing to stray from the "party line" and eventually just said, "It's not worth it under the current circumstances." So, if any politician is still sane, the only way they can express it is to get out of the Republican Party. Otherwise, if it looks like a duck, etc. etc. it might as well BE a duck.
Click to expand...
I know what you mean. George Voinavich essentially retired for the same reasons. Another excellent person chased off by the wingnuts.
 
tekkychick said:
And while I DO agree with a lot (not all) of Pres Obama's policies - when the conservatives demonize him like this, people stop listening to them. When they go on about Kenya and birther stuff, people stop listening. When they sound crazy, people stop listening.

I think we need at least two parties in this country; I think we need a balance of opinions and ideas; but when one party has gone so far off the rails, we're effectively left with one party, which isn't good.

Now as it turns out Obama is such a centrist that he can actually cover the piece of the republican party that has died - the moderate section - but this still isn't good.
Click to expand...

My objections with Obama are primarily with his foreign policies. I do wish he would once again take his domestic policies directly to the people, light a fire under them on the issue of immigration, and infrastructure.
 
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