"Extremism in the pursuit of good is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of a fair shake for regular White folk is no virtue. "

The Democrats need to stand for something.

Running against the extremism of the GOP might be a successful strategy *after* the Republicans take control of Congress.

See, first the Republicans will eliminate all the mushy moderates in the party, and then they will sweep the midterms and regain control of Congress!

That's the plan, and they're sticking to it.

At age 58, I'm glad that my time left on this planet is limited. I truly feel for the younger generations behind me. I may even consider throwing myself under a bus should the crazies actually succeed.

First they came for the brown people, but I said nothing because I am not a brown person.

Then they came for the gays, and I said nothing because I am not gay.

Then they came for the non-Christians, and I said nothing because I am not a non-Christian.

Then they came for the union members, and I said nothing because I am not a union member.

Then they came for the Democrats, and I said nothing because I am not a Democrat.

Yes, the teabaggers have the beginning of a right idea when they compare what's happening in this country to 1930s Germany. Unfortunately, they're pointing their fingers in the wrong direction.

In your guts, you know they're nuts.

as per George George
It's the Underpants gnomes Theron of governance.

1. Make party smaller
2. ???????
3. Win Elections

Dem talking points should use "radical right" instead of "far right." It's much more melodic. Zippy. Scarier.

Republicans had decades of luck pushing the meme (albeit in a SLIGHTLY more subtle tone than my paraphrase) that Democrats are a bunch of pussy faggots who want to take the hard-earned money of REAL Murkans and hand it over to welfare queens who will roll up in Caddies to trade food stamps for crack, or spend it on liberal arts trannies working on art projects where the baby jesus is forced to eat Ki Jong Il's poo. Playing on their fears, and convincing them that they're RIGHT to feel these fears, your way of life IS being jeopardized, and your money IS being stolen by These Others.

As far as I'm concerned, the time has come. Let the Dems start calling the modern GOP for what it really is, a party of rich white guys who don't care who they eff over as long as the estate tax is repealed, and will poison everyone as long as they can afford bottled water, and who will impoverish every federal agency except the ones that bring pork to their state. They don't embrace the values they espouse. They don't represent real American ideals. They take and take and accuse you of being in bed with the terrorists if you don't willingly give and give - your money, your freedoms, your mind.

I wish Dems would start pushing it, make it real in American's minds. But no, the Powers That Be Ridiculous are too busy being bipartisan with GOP pols to actually do anything for Americans.

karen marie, you nailed it.

The teabaggers are just the kind of beer hall crazies Hitler found so useful. Somehow nobody in the MSM ever manages to make the connection that actual American Nazis, Klansmen, most closely identify with Republicans and the vast majority of the lunatic fringe in this country is right wing. Even during the 60s, real crazies of the left were a minuscule minority.

Given what Steve says is true, and all sane people would, all the more reason to fight them harder and smarter right now. I for one refuse to see the country fall into the hands of these wackos. Stop argueing about the pace of change liberals. Stop voting for marginal candidates like Ralph nader. Get out and vote. It's important. Don't be quiet when the ravers shout the loudest. The results of just letting them go on their merry way without fighting will be apocalyptic.

They are the Party of Fail:

Failure of Democrats, Failure of Republicans, Failure of the Economy, Failure of Foreign Policy, Failure of Infrastructure, Failure of Counterterrorism, Failure to even recognize that they're failing, etc.

As usual, the Reich Wing Taliban is hell bent on having their kristallnacht. Beards, burkas, and public hangings in the soccer stadium. (sorry 'bout that mixed metaphor)

They'd be laughable, if I didn't fear there's a George Lincoln Rockwell in their future. . .

They always get offended when we refer to them as "Know-Nothings" but aggressive ignorance--the "la-la-la, I'm not listening" with fingers in ear kind--is an important feature of their brand of crazy.

I like what slappy magoo said, "Let the Dems start calling the modern GOP for what it really is, a party of rich white guys who don't care who they eff over as long as the estate tax is repealed," though it is only partially true. It doesn't capture the tea-bagger movement except for the white part. That authoritarian fringe is more like "financially stressed and really frightened white people who are too paranoid to comprehend the social forces that are actually causing their distress."

I also like what Stephen Daugherty just wrote, that the GOP is the Party of Fail.

Good statement by Kaine, except for the word "purify." I'd rather see "crazify" or "radicalize", because pure things are sometimes good things. Don't you want pure water, pure food, and so on?

The problem for Democrats this next year is that lots of people are pissed, but thanks to our braindead media and talk radio, they don't even really know why. So the party that just offers to help stoke that frustration gets a response. Pissing people off is a lot easier than reasoning with them. I talk to people all the time who are apoplectic about how the Senate HRC is a complete socialist takeover of the whole health system and are stunned when I inform them that 1. There's no "government controlled health care" in it (trust me, I say, I've lived in Scandinavia) 2. it reduces the deficit over the long term and 3. makes it so tens of millions of people can get insurance coverage and we all pay less. "That's not so bad," they say after sort of scratching their heads. "But on Fox this morning they were talking about how...." And then I go and drink.

PTate in MN, thanks for the shout-out, but I suppose I should be make myself more clear. I'm not talking about the teabaggers. I'm talking about GOP politicians, the lifers, the ones who can play the teabaggers like fiddles, just like they've played the religious fundies for decades, convincing them that they're all rooting for the same things, then turn around and stab that base in the back by cutting funding for federal programs they use, giving themselves those tax breaks, destroying the economy and sending their kids off to die in a war for oil. AND making them totally cool with it at the same time.

If the "extreme left" - which is virtually nonexistent - was doing this, every pundit in the country would be screaming bloody murder that a national emergency need be declared. Let the wannabe goose-steppers, fascists, racists and reactionaries do it and it's business as usual.

Trouble with calling people crazy is it doesn't help at all to persuade the waverers to come back to reason. They get defensive instead and call you names, too. If this were a little easier, Obama would have come up with the right 2 or 3 words. Face it, it's very hard to deal with crazy people. Kaine calls them "extreme" without a lot of content in that word.

The Democrats need to stand for something.

That's the PROBLEM Carl. The Democrats DO stand for something...several somethings. The problem is ARTICULATING those somethings. And for you to make a comment like that proves how easy it is to sit back and take potshots and say 'oh those Democrats!' That's why the GOP has such success with their lies. They stick together, find a talking point (or lie) and repeat it over and over and over.

What scares me more than anything else is their eagerness to deny civil rights for no good reason. The administration announces they are going after the Detroit airplane terrorist with the criminal justice system. The next thing we hear are crazy radical righties claiming that administration is soft on terrorists because they didn't take him out and summarily shoot him in the back of the head. While I agree that the SOB doesn't deserve a fair trial, I used to be fairly sure that everybody would get a fair trial. That was the only way I could be sure I would get one if some politician ever falsely accused me. Once the government strips one guy of his civil rights, what is to stop the government from stripping everybody else of theirs?

"Party of Crazy" is not bad. The important thing is to equate the GOP and all its members with its most extreme, teabagging wing. "The delusional party" or something such. If you paint all Republicans as crazies, it will force relatively moderate GOP candidates (i.e., those who actually have a chance of winning) to disclaim the crazies: "No, I'm not crazy like those folks -- I don't believe all of that crazy stuff." Which will hurt them with the teabag base.

major national outlets largely ignored the developments in Florida.
The Villagers have a vested interest in most Americans not knowing how crazy Republicans have become.

Demo(nstratively) Dung, @22:06,

"Human lampreys"??? As in "willowy of figure" (eel-like) and "electric of personality"? Honey, I'll take that description, any time!

Wow, who let the talking excrement in here? Just FYI to DD, while I personally don't own guns and do support reasonable gun control measures, I don't want to ban gun ownership or even make it significantly more difficult for most sane, non-criminal and minimally competent citizens. Of course, I suspect those caveats would disqualify you.

Of more relevance, the issue is pretty much dead except in the minds of idiots like yourself. Despite the paranoia being preached by the NRA and its Republican allies, there is no serious likelihood of major new gun control initiatives passing at the Federal level or for that matter, in most states.

And if you ever decide to proceed to action on your disgusting eliminationist rhetoric, be forwarned that my choice not to own guns is not necessarily typical among liberals, many of them are in fact quite heavily armed and you could find yourself starting something you can't finish.

As someone with real mental disorders, I don't want to be associated with the Republicans. It's okay if you call me crazy, just don't call me a Republican.

Three words for you, DemoDung - Bring it, Bitch. Just one thing to remember, Bub. You see me on the battlefield, it's too late. You're a dead man at that point, and you get to die with my smirking face the last thing you see, tough guy. My dad didn't take deferments and I didn't wait to be drafted. Like I said. Bring it. Bitch.

Unfortunately, the times they are a-changing, and what is only a fringe group now has a fair chance of actually becoming a strong force in our country. Remember when Reagan ran for president and didn't win the Republican primary? He was the "party of crazy." And four years later, he won the White House. We're going through a similar transitional phase now. Check out my website, http://www.PredictingHistory.com for more on my reasons.

Don't call them crazy. Just put together a minute's worth of clips: Sarah Palin making no sense, Orly Taitz yammering about the birth certificate, Hoekstra wanting Obama to use the word "terrorism" more, that idiot who said the other day that Democrats are a bigger threat than terrorists and the countless others who have made lunatic statements and ask at the end: Do you really want these people running your government?

Just for the record - this chestbeater commenting as "Armed Liberal" isn't me - the blogger Armed Liberal.

Marc

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