"I've pretty much kept my mouth shut in the aftermath of Tuesday's elections but today I have had my fill. The next day turn around in the Republican party to want to do serious immigration reform and reach out to the dreamers has to be one of the most cynical epiphanies I have ever seen. And since we are talking about politics that is saying a lot.
This morning as I waited for the important things to start (football,people, football) I saw Ben Stein say "But we have to make some changes in our hearts - big changes. This is not the white man's country exclusively anymore, and it hasn't been for a long time. The strategy of appealing to angry white men is not correct, either morally or practically." Really, Ben? Would have been a moral issue if you had won on Tuesday instead of losing? Or is it really the practically part of your statement I should be focusing on. Are you really saying, "Face it the math won't work so we better get to changing." Then Lindsey Graham came on to talk about the wall that needed to come down between the Republican party and the Hispanic voters. I had to laugh...for years he and his colleagues have been screaming for a wall...now that they have it they aren't so happy...."
A year ago today I had multiple statuses where I basically spoke out about being tired of being told I needed to understand the Right and why they voted the way they did. How the plight of the working man was the reason for Trump's victory and it really was on the shoulders of the Left to get that.
This morning reading those things back to back made me shake my head.
Five years ago the Republican party lost and they wanted to reach out to minorities. To show that they were sympathetic to their needs. That they were going to change...Then they put up a candidate that shouted BUILD A WALL! RAPISTS! DRUG DEALERS! It's not your fault you're poor, it's theirs! Dreamers are your nightmare! Turned the dog whistles in to bull horns and tiki torches (granted the tiki torches came after he won and they felt more empowered). They did that, he won, and then it was all about how the other side needed to understand them. To change. We understood you. We still understand you. I still see you.
Ben Stein was wrong. Appealing to the angry white man still had a win in it.
Roy Moore didn't do anything wrong by pursuing 16, 17 and 18 year old girls when he was in his 30s. And he surely didn't do anything wrong with a 14 year old. I mean Mary and Joseph am I right? And all of this is a vast left wing conspiracy...You elected Trump who you had on tape admitting to just grabbing women. You said you didn't have a problem with that. Now Roy Moore will win in Alabama and you cannot act surprised. You don't care about decency because it starts with a D and all you care about it is the letter R.
How do I know? Because my feed is full of the latest Hollywood Lefty being accused of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior. But it was silent when it was Trump and Ailes and O'Reilly and now Moore. Or worst than silent, it was accusatory toward the women who came forward. It was dismissive of them (Trump said the women who came forward weren't attractive enough to harass for god's sake) it is willing to blame the media for reporting on it all. But oh how about that Kevin Spacey? Let me give you a hint on how to handle it. It's all bad. No matter what political side anyone is on. It's all bad. Feeling conflicted it normal when it's someone you thought you knew what they were like, but that shouldn't be a politically based decision.
This morning the news was all about Trump saying he asked Putin again about the election interference and Putin said he didn't do it. Trump believes him. Believes him over our own intelligence community. Believes him because he says that he didn't do it and really we need to have good relations with Russia. That would be a good thing, not a bad one. And I watch the party of "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall," sink further in to BUILD A WALL and PUTIN ROCKS! It's insane to me.
He believes a former KGB agent over our own intelligence agencies. And you still don't think there is anything there. It's a nothingburger story and let's talk about Uranium One instead. Wait, if Russia is our friend why do we even care if they own a stake in a company here? Or is it that they aren't our friends but our enemies and we should be really fucking concerned about their fingers in our elections as well as our uranium? (set aside that the Uranium One deal story has been debunked, repeatedly and the Trump campaign connections keep coming thick and fast).
And you know what, I get it. I get the feeling of wanting to retreat to your circle and poke at everyone who isn't like you. I mean it's so much easier when everyone around you agrees. It's so hard to understand people who think Thoughts and Prayers is an actual answer to Guns and Ammo. It's so difficult to find common ground with people marching in Pink Hats when you just got a pink slip. Both sides don't see each other anymore. We just don't. And I am as guilty as the next person. My liberal progressive hard shell is firming up more and more. My distaste for talking point responses and whataboutism has led to more than one curse filled rant. And not the fun kind.
I don't have answers. I never have had answers. But I keep talking. I keep trying. I keep striving. It's all we can do, right?
But don't tell me how I need to understand you when you won't do the same for me.
Don't lie to yourself that smoke is thick without any fire.
Don't whatabout at me.
Just don't.
This morning reading those things back to back made me shake my head.
Five years ago the Republican party lost and they wanted to reach out to minorities. To show that they were sympathetic to their needs. That they were going to change...Then they put up a candidate that shouted BUILD A WALL! RAPISTS! DRUG DEALERS! It's not your fault you're poor, it's theirs! Dreamers are your nightmare! Turned the dog whistles in to bull horns and tiki torches (granted the tiki torches came after he won and they felt more empowered). They did that, he won, and then it was all about how the other side needed to understand them. To change. We understood you. We still understand you. I still see you.
Ben Stein was wrong. Appealing to the angry white man still had a win in it.
Roy Moore didn't do anything wrong by pursuing 16, 17 and 18 year old girls when he was in his 30s. And he surely didn't do anything wrong with a 14 year old. I mean Mary and Joseph am I right? And all of this is a vast left wing conspiracy...You elected Trump who you had on tape admitting to just grabbing women. You said you didn't have a problem with that. Now Roy Moore will win in Alabama and you cannot act surprised. You don't care about decency because it starts with a D and all you care about it is the letter R.
How do I know? Because my feed is full of the latest Hollywood Lefty being accused of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior. But it was silent when it was Trump and Ailes and O'Reilly and now Moore. Or worst than silent, it was accusatory toward the women who came forward. It was dismissive of them (Trump said the women who came forward weren't attractive enough to harass for god's sake) it is willing to blame the media for reporting on it all. But oh how about that Kevin Spacey? Let me give you a hint on how to handle it. It's all bad. No matter what political side anyone is on. It's all bad. Feeling conflicted it normal when it's someone you thought you knew what they were like, but that shouldn't be a politically based decision.
This morning the news was all about Trump saying he asked Putin again about the election interference and Putin said he didn't do it. Trump believes him. Believes him over our own intelligence community. Believes him because he says that he didn't do it and really we need to have good relations with Russia. That would be a good thing, not a bad one. And I watch the party of "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall," sink further in to BUILD A WALL and PUTIN ROCKS! It's insane to me.
He believes a former KGB agent over our own intelligence agencies. And you still don't think there is anything there. It's a nothingburger story and let's talk about Uranium One instead. Wait, if Russia is our friend why do we even care if they own a stake in a company here? Or is it that they aren't our friends but our enemies and we should be really fucking concerned about their fingers in our elections as well as our uranium? (set aside that the Uranium One deal story has been debunked, repeatedly and the Trump campaign connections keep coming thick and fast).
And you know what, I get it. I get the feeling of wanting to retreat to your circle and poke at everyone who isn't like you. I mean it's so much easier when everyone around you agrees. It's so hard to understand people who think Thoughts and Prayers is an actual answer to Guns and Ammo. It's so difficult to find common ground with people marching in Pink Hats when you just got a pink slip. Both sides don't see each other anymore. We just don't. And I am as guilty as the next person. My liberal progressive hard shell is firming up more and more. My distaste for talking point responses and whataboutism has led to more than one curse filled rant. And not the fun kind.
I don't have answers. I never have had answers. But I keep talking. I keep trying. I keep striving. It's all we can do, right?
But don't tell me how I need to understand you when you won't do the same for me.
Don't lie to yourself that smoke is thick without any fire.
Don't whatabout at me.
Just don't.
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