You want to know how Republicans talk about “states’ rights” these days? Parental rights. The new way they talk about the “gay agenda”? Grooming. How about the new way they signify their racism? Critical Race Theory.
it is coming to this because gops don't have an agenda that they can proudly stand behind. they are dredging up deep hatred buried within their midst to try to get the tribal fires lit.
The GOP is in a demographic death spiral. Their base is an amalgam of racists, misogynists, homophobes, xenophobes, white supremacists, neo Nazis, and general assholes who belong to more than one of these categories. They need to keep the fear and anger whipped up among their gullible base while they accumulate power so that their declining numbers won't matter in the future. See: Electoral College, Supreme Court, the Senate filibuster, voting restrictions, gerrymandering, control of state election boards, GOP majorities in state governors and legislatures.
Who is the leader on the left that can call this out and get people to see what's happening before our democracy is lost? Biden, Harris, Pelosi, Schumer, Obama...no. Maybe someone new like the Michigan State Rep who gave the impassioned speech last week?
I read recently an article proposing the top ten possible candidates for the next Dem Prez. (It wasn't that recent an article, I just READ it recently!)
Biden was #1 of course. Harris had moved down to #3 for some reason. But in my opinion, the only persons on that list with a degree of vim and vigor necessary to light a fire within a party were Cory Booker and Pete Buttigieg, neither of which would make the cut. Every other name on that list was straight, white, old and really, really nice. These were honest smart folks - good people who could not arouse a sleeping baby much less excite an entire party enough to go to the polls. It troubles me greatly that we seem to be in an era where only bombastic "types" can rise to the top of the heap.
Yes! We need leaders who can show some passion, get the Dem base excited, and stand up to the batshit crazies. Growing up, we learned that if a bully goes after you, you hit back twice as hard.
I think you have to look at the prospective candidates' negatives as well as positives. That's why Biden prevailed in the primaries and why he beat the orange monster - he was the least objectionable candidate. The situation in 2024 will be much different. Maybe Kamala will find her voice - she was an impressive senator and presidential candidate. Amy Klobuchar is also passionate and articulate, as is Stacy Abrams. Maybe we need a traveling road show with some of these people to counter the fascist rallies.
I love to hear Amy's voice, but with our shaky numbers in the Senate, I fear losing her voice and her vote there. Stacy is amazing and Georgians NEED her as Governor. I think Kamala has been playing a quiet backstage role which has been supportive of Biden, as he faces an unbelievable number of challenges on his plate. It seems to me she is going overboard not to distract from the agenda...which I look at as being a good team player. A lot can happen in two years.
While i agree with you, i will say this about Lee Atwater, on his death bed, fearing the flames of hell, he acknowledged that he said a whole lot of bad racist and incendiary shit which he knew was wrong. Today’s Republicans will fry in hell and never admit that they gere wrong
Yes, as corrupt and manipulative as Atwater was, I'll give him this, he genuinely seemed repentant at the end of his life. He didn't need to be, but he was. His cancer taught him something, altho' he had to give up his life to learn it.
Unfortunately, most of his old allies and plenty of new faces have yet to show a shred of similar decency, and I've no doubt the entire Trump family will die rich, in bed, and at complete peace with their evils.
I just caught the last 15 minutes of Frontline on PBS - “The Power of Big Oil-Part 2”. They were talking about what the Koch Brothers did to stop “Cap and Trade” regulations and how that resulted in the Tea Party taking over in the midterms in 2010. These events also contributed to what Lucian wrote about here. Where the Repugs are now has been a long time coming and has all the hallmarks of a cult with many “leaders”. It’s also a house of cards- a confidence game that depends on fear to keep its members engaged.
Q-Anon used to be the crackpot faction of the Republican Party. Now they’re in the mainstream, and the majority has adopted their talking points: Democrats run a pedophile ring and eat babies; they want to give children hormone blockers and change their sex; teachers are teaching children that they are to blame for slavery and racism, etc.
After reading your column clarifying culture wars from shear racism, I recalled one Max Rafferty, California's state supervisor of public education in the mid sixties. A right-wing extremist of the first order, his presence disturbed my very liberal mother so much she attended a speech of his and with great vehemence, called him "a rotten son of a bitch". The mid-size gathering in Anaheim ended at that juncture. It's difficult to fathom that the cultural landscape has actually become much more vile since my mother's courageous stance. See below on Rafferty.
Rafferty was described by The New York Times as an "outspoken antiprogressive educator"[15] who "built a national reputation attacking busing, sex education and the 'New Left'".[16]
His books Suffer, Little Children and What They Are Doing to Your Children attacked progressive education and urged a "return to the fundamentals" in education.[17] In particular, he wanted schools to focus on phonics, memorization, and drill; use American history and children's classics in teaching from the early grades forward; and drop psychology and "life adjustment" approaches from education.[18] Among his controversial actions as state schools superintendent was his attempt to stop schools and classrooms from using books that he considered obscene, such as Eldridge Cleaver's Soul on Ice and Leroi Jones's Dutchman. He threatened to revoke the teaching certificate of any teacher who used such works.[19] He attempted to get the Dictionary of American Slang removed from school libraries.[20]
Politically, he was known as an "articulate spokesman for the far right"[21] who had a "nationwide reputation as a Fourth-of-July style orator and writer."[22] In 1968, while running for the Senate, Rafferty said that those caught in looting should be shot.[23]
He urged quick, stiff punishment for crimes: "Retribution is what I'm talking about, friends, and ever since we crawled out of caves, retribution has followed wrongdoing as the night does the day."[22] He promised never to vote for higher taxes or for foreign aid to "dictators who hate us," and he criticized judges who "coddle criminals," saying he could not have voted to confirm any of the then Supreme Court Justices.[24]
In 1972, he campaigned for and served as a stand-in speaker for Alabama Governor George Wallace during the latter's Democratic campaign for U.S. president.[25]
For all of their posturing, race baiting and outright homophobia, the Republicans are easily the most hypocritical jackasses there are. Just google "Republican sex offenders" and you'll come up with a long, long list of perverts that would put the Catholic Church to shame.
They're guilty of 'grooming' and racism, just like they claim the rest of us are. They just need to hide it more. But the code is not unbreakable and that's what they're afraid of-they're going to be discredited as a political party and as human beings someday, and put out of power.
The sooner it happens the better off this country will be.
The 1619 project was the biggest favor the far left could possibly have done for the far right, and it's going to haunt us for years. The outrageous, unsupported assertion that the American Revolution was designed principally to preserve slavery from British reform was all the knuckleheads needed. Lee Atwater smiled down again on Greenville, South Carolina. And here we are.
Racism...Former's Obama birth certificate crap was was his clever whistle enrolling every hater in 'Murica.
You have to watch Former steaming in anger while POTUS humiliated him at the White House Correspondents Dinner, a forerunner of things to come...BIGLY!
Theodore Roosevelt wrote in a book published in 1918 (on Amazon his collected works) "Hate never solves anything, it finally defeats itself as a natural human revulsion sets in." He was speaking about the movie "Birth of a Nation" and the poison it spread. Today's Republican party is absurdly out of touch. Calling people 'Groomers' is truly offensive and the backlash is coming. Remember Attwaters bigoted campaign in 1998 offended everyone and in 1992 Clinton offered a rebuke and Bush was sent home.
I've actually written several times about Atwater, the "Southern Strategy", and his deathbed contrition, but somehow missed his connection to Manefort and Stone. Makes sense. Thanks for your in depth coverage of these issues.
You're describing America's enduring dilemma in dealing with cultural norms that persist long after they lose social relevance. We're seeing similar atavistic impulses playing out in Putin's Russia and Orbán's Hungary.
it is coming to this because gops don't have an agenda that they can proudly stand behind. they are dredging up deep hatred buried within their midst to try to get the tribal fires lit.
Repugnant Party agenda: White grievance, voter suppression, racism, Q-Anon delusions, The Big Lie, Putie fandom, owning the libs
They HAVE gotten them lit!
at times i wish we did have gulags.
waitamint..flyover country
how about the "Lowlands" (that's what they like calling it) of South Carolina
The Goober States…..
ah but you haven't been in the middle of North Dakota in the winter
The GOP is in a demographic death spiral. Their base is an amalgam of racists, misogynists, homophobes, xenophobes, white supremacists, neo Nazis, and general assholes who belong to more than one of these categories. They need to keep the fear and anger whipped up among their gullible base while they accumulate power so that their declining numbers won't matter in the future. See: Electoral College, Supreme Court, the Senate filibuster, voting restrictions, gerrymandering, control of state election boards, GOP majorities in state governors and legislatures.
Who is the leader on the left that can call this out and get people to see what's happening before our democracy is lost? Biden, Harris, Pelosi, Schumer, Obama...no. Maybe someone new like the Michigan State Rep who gave the impassioned speech last week?
I read recently an article proposing the top ten possible candidates for the next Dem Prez. (It wasn't that recent an article, I just READ it recently!)
Biden was #1 of course. Harris had moved down to #3 for some reason. But in my opinion, the only persons on that list with a degree of vim and vigor necessary to light a fire within a party were Cory Booker and Pete Buttigieg, neither of which would make the cut. Every other name on that list was straight, white, old and really, really nice. These were honest smart folks - good people who could not arouse a sleeping baby much less excite an entire party enough to go to the polls. It troubles me greatly that we seem to be in an era where only bombastic "types" can rise to the top of the heap.
Yes! We need leaders who can show some passion, get the Dem base excited, and stand up to the batshit crazies. Growing up, we learned that if a bully goes after you, you hit back twice as hard.
I think you have to look at the prospective candidates' negatives as well as positives. That's why Biden prevailed in the primaries and why he beat the orange monster - he was the least objectionable candidate. The situation in 2024 will be much different. Maybe Kamala will find her voice - she was an impressive senator and presidential candidate. Amy Klobuchar is also passionate and articulate, as is Stacy Abrams. Maybe we need a traveling road show with some of these people to counter the fascist rallies.
I love to hear Amy's voice, but with our shaky numbers in the Senate, I fear losing her voice and her vote there. Stacy is amazing and Georgians NEED her as Governor. I think Kamala has been playing a quiet backstage role which has been supportive of Biden, as he faces an unbelievable number of challenges on his plate. It seems to me she is going overboard not to distract from the agenda...which I look at as being a good team player. A lot can happen in two years.
While i agree with you, i will say this about Lee Atwater, on his death bed, fearing the flames of hell, he acknowledged that he said a whole lot of bad racist and incendiary shit which he knew was wrong. Today’s Republicans will fry in hell and never admit that they gere wrong
Yes, as corrupt and manipulative as Atwater was, I'll give him this, he genuinely seemed repentant at the end of his life. He didn't need to be, but he was. His cancer taught him something, altho' he had to give up his life to learn it.
Unfortunately, most of his old allies and plenty of new faces have yet to show a shred of similar decency, and I've no doubt the entire Trump family will die rich, in bed, and at complete peace with their evils.
I just caught the last 15 minutes of Frontline on PBS - “The Power of Big Oil-Part 2”. They were talking about what the Koch Brothers did to stop “Cap and Trade” regulations and how that resulted in the Tea Party taking over in the midterms in 2010. These events also contributed to what Lucian wrote about here. Where the Repugs are now has been a long time coming and has all the hallmarks of a cult with many “leaders”. It’s also a house of cards- a confidence game that depends on fear to keep its members engaged.
The problem is exactly how long this goes on and how destructive it is and how that lingers and continues to heat up over and over.
Q-Anon used to be the crackpot faction of the Republican Party. Now they’re in the mainstream, and the majority has adopted their talking points: Democrats run a pedophile ring and eat babies; they want to give children hormone blockers and change their sex; teachers are teaching children that they are to blame for slavery and racism, etc.
Unfortunately, the smiling button-down haters have a receptive, eager and energized mass following.
You're right, Lucian. It's like Lee Atwater is back. And Karl Rove isn't even involved!
Well, except good old MTG lashed out at Karl calling her pretty much nothing to worry about, someone with nothing to say.
After reading your column clarifying culture wars from shear racism, I recalled one Max Rafferty, California's state supervisor of public education in the mid sixties. A right-wing extremist of the first order, his presence disturbed my very liberal mother so much she attended a speech of his and with great vehemence, called him "a rotten son of a bitch". The mid-size gathering in Anaheim ended at that juncture. It's difficult to fathom that the cultural landscape has actually become much more vile since my mother's courageous stance. See below on Rafferty.
Rafferty was described by The New York Times as an "outspoken antiprogressive educator"[15] who "built a national reputation attacking busing, sex education and the 'New Left'".[16]
His books Suffer, Little Children and What They Are Doing to Your Children attacked progressive education and urged a "return to the fundamentals" in education.[17] In particular, he wanted schools to focus on phonics, memorization, and drill; use American history and children's classics in teaching from the early grades forward; and drop psychology and "life adjustment" approaches from education.[18] Among his controversial actions as state schools superintendent was his attempt to stop schools and classrooms from using books that he considered obscene, such as Eldridge Cleaver's Soul on Ice and Leroi Jones's Dutchman. He threatened to revoke the teaching certificate of any teacher who used such works.[19] He attempted to get the Dictionary of American Slang removed from school libraries.[20]
Politically, he was known as an "articulate spokesman for the far right"[21] who had a "nationwide reputation as a Fourth-of-July style orator and writer."[22] In 1968, while running for the Senate, Rafferty said that those caught in looting should be shot.[23]
He urged quick, stiff punishment for crimes: "Retribution is what I'm talking about, friends, and ever since we crawled out of caves, retribution has followed wrongdoing as the night does the day."[22] He promised never to vote for higher taxes or for foreign aid to "dictators who hate us," and he criticized judges who "coddle criminals," saying he could not have voted to confirm any of the then Supreme Court Justices.[24]
In 1972, he campaigned for and served as a stand-in speaker for Alabama Governor George Wallace during the latter's Democratic campaign for U.S. president.[25]
For all of their posturing, race baiting and outright homophobia, the Republicans are easily the most hypocritical jackasses there are. Just google "Republican sex offenders" and you'll come up with a long, long list of perverts that would put the Catholic Church to shame.
They're guilty of 'grooming' and racism, just like they claim the rest of us are. They just need to hide it more. But the code is not unbreakable and that's what they're afraid of-they're going to be discredited as a political party and as human beings someday, and put out of power.
The sooner it happens the better off this country will be.
Still waiting to see Matt Gaetz behind bars for pedophilia and violation of the Mann Act.
The 1619 project was the biggest favor the far left could possibly have done for the far right, and it's going to haunt us for years. The outrageous, unsupported assertion that the American Revolution was designed principally to preserve slavery from British reform was all the knuckleheads needed. Lee Atwater smiled down again on Greenville, South Carolina. And here we are.
This piece is one of the many reasons I love you, Lucian.
Thank you for this fine piece of writing, and for the heart which sources it.
Racism...Former's Obama birth certificate crap was was his clever whistle enrolling every hater in 'Murica.
You have to watch Former steaming in anger while POTUS humiliated him at the White House Correspondents Dinner, a forerunner of things to come...BIGLY!
Theodore Roosevelt wrote in a book published in 1918 (on Amazon his collected works) "Hate never solves anything, it finally defeats itself as a natural human revulsion sets in." He was speaking about the movie "Birth of a Nation" and the poison it spread. Today's Republican party is absurdly out of touch. Calling people 'Groomers' is truly offensive and the backlash is coming. Remember Attwaters bigoted campaign in 1998 offended everyone and in 1992 Clinton offered a rebuke and Bush was sent home.
I've actually written several times about Atwater, the "Southern Strategy", and his deathbed contrition, but somehow missed his connection to Manefort and Stone. Makes sense. Thanks for your in depth coverage of these issues.
Fathered a daughter with a Black child. My recollection is that she was only fifteen or sixteen years old, and Strom was in his twenties.
The only thing that surprises me here is he was only in his 20s. I'd expect him to have done that at 60 as well.
You're describing America's enduring dilemma in dealing with cultural norms that persist long after they lose social relevance. We're seeing similar atavistic impulses playing out in Putin's Russia and Orbán's Hungary.