Thursday Open Thread [5.2.13]
Michael Tomasky: “How stupid does the Senate background-check vote look now, I ask the pundits and others who thought it was dumb politics for Obama and the Democrats to push for a vote that they obviously knew they were going to lose. I’d say not very stupid at all. The nosedive taken in the polls by a number of senators who voted against the bill, most of them in red states, makes public sentiment here crystal clear. And now, for the first time since arguably right after the Reagan assassination attempt–a damn long time, in other words–legislators in Washington are feeling political heat on guns that isn’t coming from the NRA. This bill will come back to the Senate, maybe before the August recess, and it already seems possible and maybe even likely to have 60 votes next time.”
A new Time/CNN poll finds that when given a choice, 61% of Americans say they are more concerned about the government enacting new anti-terrorism policies that restrict civil liberties, compared to 31% who say they are more concerned about the government failing to enact strong new anti-terrorism policies.
44% of self-identified Republicans say that “in the next few years, an armed revolution might be necessary in order to protect our liberties.” That makes 44% of the Republican base traitors.
The number of self identified Republicans was recently cast at 24% of the population, since most Republicans have stopped identifying themselves as such. So if we are looking at 44% of them, that is still 33.2 million Americans who think they will revolt…. or 10.5 percent of the population! But that also means, 89.5% of the population will be those who will be fighting against them.. Before trying it, every Republican should consider what chance they’d have on a football field against a champion team, with no one on their side but themselves. That is about the same odds, 10.5/89.5.
Which brings up the very valid point. Why are we still listening to them? They are nothing. Nothing. They are nothing but the former Lyndon LaRouche supporters who used to sit with a table on the corner screaming “outrage, outrage”, the same ones whom everyone steered clear, avoiding eye contact, so they wouldn’t get singled out and forced to engage a conversation… These people are the by-product mutants every society must put up with, who are made harmless because we marginalize them as not really mattering…
I mean. who today would stick up their hand and say… I’m a Republican, unless they or course were looking for laughs?
To the 44% of Republicans: God Bless America, Love It or Leave It.
The 44% Revolt — I’d actually get cable to watch that reality TV show.
I’m guessing the majority of that 44% are chicken hawks who want someone else to fight.
@DD “That makes 44% of the Republican base traitors.”
Yep. With every word and deed they have defined themselves as traitors. They become outraged at constraints on flag poles as if flying the flag makes them patriots and good Americans. What everyone is afraid to do is to call them traitors but that’s what they are.
@kavips, “screaming “outrage, outrage”,”
Yep and therein lies the rub. They have been screaming outrage so much at everything, that nothing is outrageous any longer. No topic is beyond their outrage and ultimately no one listens because they’ve all read Chicken Little. There is a lesson there for everyone though. While some things are outrageous, not everything is outrageous. Knowing when something is or is not makes a difference in being influential and being ignored.
Interesting reaction from a group of people who probably routinely refer to themselves as “patriots” and label anyone who dares to disagree as a “traitor”. Actually this is nothing new, “militias” have been around for a while now and attract the hard line crazies who then proceed to stock pile guns and ammo in what passes for a bunker. Problem is no one cares about them, Ted Cruz types excepted.
Congratulations to Rhode Island! They are the 10th state to pass a marriage equality bill. Hope we are Number 11!