Owning the Libs Isn’t Everything, It’s the Only Thing
The question “How did Trump win?” has various answers. One of the most compelling, because its truth is on display daily, is that Republican voters don’t care a fig about supply side economics, they just want to Own the Libs.
It’s no accident that the eventual winner of the GOP candidate scrum was the one Democrats found the most loathsome of the lot. And it’s no accident that Trump’s administration, staffed as it is by the rump of the party’s apparatchiks, along with a coterie of outright nutjobs, has no real agenda beyond continued Owning of the Libs.
A pair of stories last week illustrate the point (no pun intended). The first was about the administration’s removal of one of the regulations Republicans despise so much (though when challenged they can never name any) — the ones that phased out incandescent light bulbs in favor of much lower-energy LEDs. Because LED bulbs are more efficient, they reduce the demand for electricity, which also saves consumers money. But remember that anecdote about the white guy in Tennessee who didn’t care that he was going to die of hepatitis C, he didn’t want Obamacare because that would help “Mexicans and welfare queens.” What’s a higher electric bill compared with that kind of dedication? Higher electric bills are a small price to pay if it Owns the Libs.
In the same vein, Josh Marshall wonders why the White House is bothering to put together a task force of climate deniers, to be headed by a physicist who doesn’t understand applied science. As Marshall points out, whatever such a panel produces will be ignored by the rest of mankind, so why bother? The answer is obvious: This jackwad’s appointment got plenty of coverage, every word of which made liberals angry. And the panel will get more coverage when (if?) it produces reports, because liberal anger drives page views. Consider the libs owned again.
Trump’s so-called base — which appears to be people with lots of opinions based on very few facts — have no other agenda. They don’t understand the issues well enough to discuss them. Their every position boils down to “everything is fine, stop stirring up trouble.” When Trump rolls back, say, vehicle fuel efficiency standards, he’s obviously doing automakers a favor. But there’s no constituency for incandescent light bulbs — did I mention they cost consumers more to operate? It’s a petty, cosmetic move motivated by nothing more than spite.
I guess when you’re not allowed to own actual slaves, Owning the Libs is the next best thing.
Defeating Trump needs to be the first, last and main priority of all good people in this nation.
“Owning the Libs Isn’t Everything, It’s the Only Thing”
You’ve tidily summed up 25 years of GOP strategy and philosophy.
Unfortunately, it has always been easy for Republicans to find Democrats like John Carney, Tom Carper and Lisa Blundt Rochester, who will join in. They call it “punching dirty hippies” but same basically the same deal. The policy is secondary to being seen making liberals angry.
Maybe because most liberals are just so goddamn insufferable? I fully admit to rereading the Daily Kos 2016 election night liveblog several times just to laugh my ass off. The transition from insufferable smugness to outright panic and then deep depression is just glorious.
Yes, you encapsulate the attitude.
It’s hardly as if smugness were confined to liberals, so that’s not exactly an enlightening answer.
Your enjoyment of the suffering of others is cause for some worry.
It is a quality own goal, right? Point is this entire post is ‘owning the libs’ is vacuous and vile.
Thanks for proving the point.
1 nil to Al. OG xyz 25′.
Right? the dummy doesn’t even get that he totally endorsed the entire post.
Liberals are annoying, lets face it. The younger ones are even worse, getting upset about everything, offended by everything, eager to outdo each other on how “woke” they are. I love liberal policies I just hate liberals in general.
Leftists don’t get offended. The reason people are shitty to you is because you’re cowardly cunt.
I think we tend to hate the Trump crowd as much as they hate us, and it’s just as visceral. For better or worse.
Plenty of hatred to go around in America, there always is. As noted the rank and file Republicans do not really have any attachment to “supply side economics” other than they thinks tax cuts help them win. They also think racism helps them win, sadly they are right. Should be noted that the Republican elite hated Trump almost as much as the left, only after he won did they have a “come to Jesus” Trump moment. Yucky, but there it is.
I don’t hate anyone, even Trump. However, I have great deal of disgust and disdain for any and all who were responsible for putting him in office. Ye reap what ye sow.
If you could not vote or vote or supported HRC, you have my sympathy. The rest can go pound sand.
Trump won versus a woman half of America thought got to work on a broom and was riding the coattails of a failed President named Obama.
I don’t mean to stump you, but was she riding a broom or coattails?
Is this guy ok? Should we call someone?
He surfaces every couple of months to dispense these priceless gems.