I've been watching the right wingers for a long time. A very, very long time.
One of my earliest political memories is being 9 years old, and standing in front of the Goldwater Campaign HQ on Elm Street in Manchester NH after getting out of grade school, having an animated discussion with my fellow hooligan, Benjy. I played the deapan and serious type as my partner in crime raised the important question of the day. Trying to establish [rather loudly] if candidate Goldwater's name really did resemble 'toilet water' was the stated goal if I recall correctly, until we were quickly invited to leave by an agitated person from inside the Goldwater HQ.
"Get out of there, you kids!" seems to come to mind.
Later, I argued with my HS US History teacher about McCarthy [both McCarthys, actually]; she was an adamant "anti-communist", who was dangerously poisoning minds. I did my best to reject her extremism, back then.
So yeah, I've been watching, observing, having moments of recognition of overarching themes through the years. I've fought back when I could, tried to make sense out of the senseless nonsense rammed down our throats as our political system became increasingly perverted with corporatism.
A parade of paranoid, delusional and obnoxious so called conservative leaders have tried to appeal to rank and base things like greed, xenophobia, racism, religious extremism, anti- and pseudo-science, and anti-democratic beliefs, all in the name of furthering corporate power. They've had a level of success convincing people to vote for them which is truly frightening. But as some of you probably have already surmised by now, the title of my diary is not about right wingers, tea-baggers, Pauliites, Dominionists or Palinistas. They have their own perverse sickness, their agenda and motivations which obscure reality.
Those of you who have read my other postings probably see my bona fides as a leftist and don't feel they are in question; but I am realist before I'm a leftist.
And this is where I must break from what I've been witnessing - this increasingly self-destructive behavior from the left has over and over has helped to snatch defeat from the jaws of what should be victory. Truly we are here today because of what happened in 2000. No discussion of today's reality is complete without understanding what happened then. I've watched in horror, as some aspects of what I thought was a mistake we'd never make again come back to life with vicious vengeance. What should be reality based discussions about policy and issues too often devolve into the massive navel gazing, self-defeatism, hysteria and self-destructive asshattery. Ominously, almost with a slight sigh of relief by some, the circular firing squad assembles.
I'm not the only one who predicted much of this before the primaries, that the left would be fracturing somewhat as unrealistic expectations will necessarily drive the narrative. Hillary or Barack, there would be this fracturing; neither of these people are leftists, they are simply moderate liberals.
So many people pinned their hopes on Obama, and yes it was perhaps in part because of the very effective rhetoric of change, people really believed it, sort of like prefabricated Instant Karma.
Realists like Lennon knew change doesn't happen this way.
I expected some fallout from pushback, but what I've seen is like nothing I could have imagined these last few months. The nearly violent rhetoric of rejection approaches the same levels of poisoning I've seen from the right. It's remarkably narrow minded, and it's not what I can accept.
There are a number of people in this community, activists and people who know and admire should know better who are being taken off track. I'm asking those who are willing to listen to step back from the edge and reflect before making yet more outrageous comments, pronouncements, summary judgments and oaths they may yet regret later.
I'm stayed focused on issues, and I welcome anyone else who wants to do the same.
PS: an afterthought about those who threaten to 'quit'; I say this as a democratic socialist, not as a Democrat. Check out Sarah Palin, and tell me how well you think that 'quitting thing' is working out.
Get back to me with your results.