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There used to be something called, "The Loyal Opposition" in American democracy. That even if you didn't belong to the party currently in power, and didn't agree with their policies or philosophies, you still considered yourself American first and considered yourself to be loyal to your nation and your leader, extended respect even to those with whom you disagreed, and certainly to the Office of the Presidency. The concept of "loyal opposition," of course, changes with the times. When a President serves the interests of the powerful at the expense of the people, for example, or threatens the Rule of Law (the very foundation of our democracy), emotions will run high. But the right-wing opposition to Obama has nothing to do with his Presidency. It is a rising crescendo of hate that started long before his actual election. Its current level of intensity therefore has nothing to do with his political philosophies. It would be understandable that Republicans might not agree with Obama's policies, or might want to enter into debate about policy or political philosophical differences. This has happened in the past. Usually respectfully. But the level of rage and vitriol hurled at our President SINCE BEFORE HE WAS EVEN ELECTED suggests something far more diseased than mere disagreement. The names the right wing call our President: "boy," "bambam," "bubba" (among others) are degrading and offensive.
One has a difficult time figuring out what exactly Obama has done to these people to warrant this level of sick hatred. Especially when you consider that it has been going on since Palin's rallies. The nastier Palin got, the more they loved her. Never, during the campaign, did Obama say one disrespectful thing about John McCain or Sarah Palin. Never. Somehow, that made him even more suspect in their eyes. In response to his respectful adherence to civility and cordiality, not only did the right wing not return the respect in kind, they became even more enraged. Their behavior ever since has grown more diseased and hateful, and is an all-out perversion of the spirit of conservatism. William Buckley is probably turning in his grave. As is Reagan. Both of those men understood civility and respect. If they were to see the way so-called "Republicans" behave today--calling their President vile or demeaning or even racist names, marching in the street with disgusting/racist signs of disrespect, bringing guns to political rallies--they would disown them. For today, the right-wing masses behave like teeth-gnashing, racist, vile-spewing trolls. Even their leaders won't reprimand them. How can they? When the leaders themselves are just as hateful, and--in many cases--have themselves engineered the hate among the base: The corrupt and often racist politicians; FreedomWorks; or Rupert Murdoch's FOX network, wherein he has been on a mission to destroy American democracy by dividing the people. And FOX's audience is obeying the dictates of this Australian porn distributor and his henchmen--Hannity, Beck, et. al. Without even pausing to think about what happens to a nation when its people are divided.
America is a democracy. There was an election. Obama won the election. In response to his win, the right wing have not rolled up their sleeves and committed themselves to respectfully work with the duly elected President of the United States. No. Instead, they categorically reject the outcome of the election, and seek to destroy the administration, even if that means destroying the spirit of American unity in the process, and even that means destroying democracy itself. It's truly sickening. And it's time for the true conservatives--the Republicans with an understanding of dignity and decorum and respect--to either publicly and strongly condemn the behavior of their party, or publicly and strongly renounce it. We cannot allow this hatred to continue.
The republican party is in a shambles right now. The only option the party has right now is to allow itself to be co-opted by the radical, vocal right. They are operating purely in the attack mode. When you are only a few voices in the crowd, make sure you are the loudest and most outragous. The radical right care not a whit about health care reform or the economy. The're only agenda is to topple Obama and his administration. Hence the lack of any clear republican alternatives to HC and the economy. Whenever the radical right go to media events carrying signs that show Obama as Hitler or a tribal African the republicans say it is just a few minorities and not representative. But you never hear the republican mouthpeices come out and say this type of demonstrating is wrong and tell the radicals to stop. The silence of the mainstream republicans in not condemning the radicals speak volumes.
There used to be something called, "The Loyal Opposition" in American democracy. conservatism. William Buckley is probably turning in his grave. As is Reagan.
And they will all be huddled around this thread like it's a campfire on a crisp fall night singing koom byya, smugly smiling at each other as if they have it all figured out.
Meanwhile the forest starts blazing behind them...
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