Tag Archives: GOP

Death of a legacy

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I enjoy talking politics and history.  Whether separate or combined, there are always some interesting stories to be learned.  Watching the brouhaha over the NFL protests has led to quite a few different discussions online, at home, and at work.  After watching an online conversation where I saw a few conservatives trying to school blacks on the issue of slavery, I had a moment of clarity that made me realize how much things have changed.

The Republican Party, or the Party of Lincoln, has always advertised itself as the Party of Civil Rights.  There’s no stopping any Republican or conservative when they decide to preen on their laurels of yesteryear.  Even Black Republicans love to talk about how the Democratic Party is the home of racism and racists while they’re the Civil Rights party.

While indeed that is the history of the GOP, the legacy that began by the founders has died.  I’m not saying that it is dying.  I am suggesting that it is dead, not coming back like Jason Voorhees dead.  How did I come to that realization you ask?  The reaction to Colin Kaepernick and the NFL.

See, the parties have become more ideologically pure over the past century.  Right after the Civil War, there were liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats.  In those days, it was the liberal wing of the Republican Party that pushed much of the progressive issues forward.  As time moved forward, progressives migrated towards the Democratic Party and conservatives towards the GOP.  Now, the parties have completely switched when it comes to civil rights.

Now that the parties are so ideologically different, there are very few Republicans left to take up the mantle of Civil Rights.  That’s why you have state GOP parties enacting voter laws that adversely impact minority and poor voters.  You have a GOP president who is barking orders to the NFL as though he’s a dictator as opposed to someone who would advance equality under the law.  You have a GOP Attorney General who is backing away from consent decrees with police departments who have shown themselves to be less than upstanding when it comes to the civil rights of minorities they have sworn to protect.  And finally, you have an entire conservative movement that is so out of touch with civil rights that they’re angry that NFL players are allegedly disrespecting the flag, the military, and the national anthem, when the players are actually protesting for the respecting of civil rights of Americans who lack the platform to protest on a national level.

Indeed, the “Party of Civil Rights” is actively and aggressively trying to fight a protest that is actually seeking equal civil rights for all citizens of this country.  If you don’t believe me, ask any conservative about why the NFL players are taking a knee or sitting during the anthem.  I will put money that 90-95% will come with some response about disrespecting the country, flag, anthem, or military.  Very few, if any at all, will mention anything about civil rights or police brutality.

On the other hand, ask any liberal or progressive about the protest, and you’re more likely to hear them mention police brutality or civil rights.  That’s not even to suggest that the left overwhelmingly supports the protests.  There are many on the left who disagree with the protests, but they will also acknowledge the right to protest as being American.  They also realize the protest is not done to demean the service of our military personnel or to disrespect any part of this nation.

When these two guys get what the protest is about and can participate, why can’t the rest of America catch on?  When the Party of Civil Rights cannot take the mantle of pushing for civil rights when the issue is being served up on a silver platter, then that party’s legacy is dead.  It died and those who rest on those laurels have yet to acknowledge it.  I guess it’s better to live in a glorious past than to address a bleak present and future.  As sad as it is, I am glad to see the liberals pick up the mantle and carry on with the challenge of pushing for equality.

 

The revolution has been televised

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I’m not referring to the revolution that Gil Scott Heron warned us about.  I’m talking about a more recent revolution that has been taking place on American soil.  From the looks of it, we may be heading into the final stages of that revolution where things start to get messy.

The revolution that I’m referring to has been called the Reagan Revolution, but I see it more as an attempt to push this country far right, and it’s been quite successful so far.  Starting in 1980, Reagan started the movement right with the defection of the “Reagan Democrats” from the Democratic Party.  This pulled a lot of working class Whites from the Left and gave the Right more support.  In the South, you had party realignment going on where Southern Democrats were either shifting to the GOP or getting out of politics.  As a result, you end up with a second rightward lurch with the Gingrich Revolution.

Under the Gingrich era, the GOP moved even further to the right.  Trying to keep up, the Democratic Party moved rightward as well, especially under the presidency of Bill Clinton.  The continued movement to the right led to those farthest on the right gaining even more power and clout which led to them demanding more and wanting more control of the party direction.  As a result, it was full steam ahead to the right.

Under GWB, we saw people voluntarily giving up constitutionally protected rights for “freedom” with the Patriot Act.  It was explained away as the price to fight terrorism to keep us safe.  I’m not going to say whether that’s correct or not because I really don’t know.  However, it’s telling that people who support the “Party of Freedom”, or the GOP, are willing to give up their rights under the Constitution and demagogue the left for trying to protect those rights.

Under President Obama, we’ve seen further rightward movement by the Dems attempting to keep pace with the GOP.  Several times, Obama threw his own party, especially the liberal wing, under the bus while attempting to get agreement and acceptance from the GOP.  Never mind the fact that the GOP wouldn’t agree to anything that Obama suggested or even hinted that he liked.  I think that opposition was so complete that some Republicans would have probably stopped breathing* if Obama came out in favor of breathing oxygen.  All Obama ended up doing was push the Democratic Party further to the left just as President Clinton had done before him.

Ultimately, we’ve entered the final stage, otherwise known as the Age of Trump.  We have a candidate for president openly suggesting that people should be beaten up, and nobody blinks an eye.  He says that he will cover the costs of anyone arrested, and then backtracks and the media gives him a pass for lying through his teeth.  What other candidate has ever said the following and was still in the running to lead this country?

  • “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,”
  • “I don’t think you can say that we don’t get it automatically. I think you’d have riots. I think you’d have riots. I’m representing many, many millions of people.”
  • “Maybe he should have been roughed up because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing.”

I can’t answer for anyone else, but my idea of the leader of the US is someone who wouldn’t openly condone violence, bigotry, or discrimination.  Regardless of our race, religion, or sex, ALL Americans have rights that are guaranteed and protected by the Constitution.

I say the Revolution was televised because we’ve all seen this play out before our very eyes whether we were aware of it or not.  The media has been a great sidekick in helping this happen.  Under the guise of being impartial, they have abdicated the responsibility of truthful reporting.  Those who try to call out the extremism get accused of being biased, yet nobody calls out the bias of those who are complicit in actively pushing this country to the right.

Where is the media when we have politicians openly and purposefully passing legislation to discriminate against people?  Where is the media when citizens are openly having their protected rights trampled?  They’re all circling around in the feeding frenzy of the one that has started the last and messy phase of the revolution.  If you don’t believe me, notice that whatever happens locally or worldwide will be reported but not given any coverage when compared to the Daily Trump Report.

I honestly don’t know if this was the plan all along or if it’s just something that came to pass.  I do feel that the GOP brought this on themselves by constantly feeding red meat to the fringe of their party, promising them more and more without ever being honest or truthful with them.  With great power comes great responsibility, and the GOP used their power while completely ignoring their responsibility.

If you think I place this all on the GOP, then you’re wrong.  It takes two to tango, and the Dems have danced the dance all along the way.  At no point did they have to lurch to the right, but there were those who chose to do so.  Instead of cowering to the right-wing media machine, the Dems could have stayed true to their base and called the rightward movement for what it was.  So many ifs and buts, but none of that can be changed at this point.  All we can do is see the impending train wreck coming and try to slam on the brakes to avoid catastrophe.

See what I see or something different?  Let me know your view…

*Stopped breathing only until they would have literally had to gasp for air.

THIS is why I loathe the current GOP

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What’s that term that conservatives use to accuse liberals of stoking racial animus to gain the Black vote?  Playing the Race Card!!  What did this video show within the first 10 seconds using terms “herded to the polls” and “overseers”?  Play the Race Card!!

I watched this video a few times to see what message I was supposed to get.  He says that nearly 30% of Black people in Georgia live below the poverty line.  Does that not also suggest that more than 70% live above the poverty line?  So, am I supposed to be angry or cheerful?  Should I celebrate or frown upon Atlanta boasting a much higher average of Black owned business when compared to the national average?

What this video does remind me is that charlatans come in all shapes, sizes, and races.  I don’t need any Democrat OR Republican pandering to my race to get my vote.  If you want my vote, then tell me why it’s important that I vote for you.  Scare tactics don’t work with me.  I know American history and how Black Americans fit into the narrative.  I know who has looked out for my community, and I know who pissed on my community.

I had to go and search who Elbert Guillory was, and I was not impressed at all with what I found.  He is a Republican-Democrat-Republican politician, meaning he was a Republican who turned Democrat to get elected, and then he turned back Republican once he got into office.  I guess he’s a darling of the Right since he obviously plays the role of attack dog to try to avoid Republicans being referred to as racist.  If that was a White man saying those things, most people would say it is indeed racist.  Having a Black man say it does not change the meaning behind the words.  It’s still racist even though the person uttering that crap is Black.

As for the Free At Last PAC, I found this information when using the good Google to see where it came from.

Only two months after he switched back to the Republican Party, Elbert Guillory has become a spokesman (an “honorary chair”) of a political action committee called Free At Last PAC. And if you visit their website or watch their two online commercials, you’ll likely be under the impression (among other things) that Guillory himself launched this PAC in order to encourage African-Americans to run for office as Republicans. (I have some serious problems with what Guillory says in these online commercials, but I’ll get to that in a second). FoxNews, the Weekly Standard, the Christian Post, and others erroneously reported that Elbert Guillory was the principal of Free at Last PAC.

The truth is, Free At Last PAC (which was obviously named after a famous Negro spiritual) appears to have been created and is now managed by a white conservative political activist and Louisiana Family Forum Vice Chairman, a guy named Derek Babcock. If you closely follow Louisiana politics, you may remember Mr. Babcock. He ran a stupidly mean-spirited (and losing) campaign for State Senate a couple of years ago, and fortunately, his website is still online:

Source: CenLamar.com

I’m at the point where I don’t think I’d flinch if Black people decided to boycott the national parties altogether.  Elbert Guillory is an idiot along with anyone who thinks that video above is the way to reach Black Americans.  Not only did this PAC run an ad in Georgia, they also ran ads in Arkansas, Alaska, North Carolina, and Louisiana.

When you go to the Free At Last PAC website, there’s less information there than what we know about CIA operations.  The website reeks of a sham or front to peddle money.  There is no about page where you can read what the PAC is about.  There is no statement of a mission or goals.  There’s no list of issues.  All we have is a place to donate money or sign up as followers.  The photo of Dr. King doesn’t help either.   Simply posting a photo of Dr. King doesn’t automatically make Black people follow you.  We’re not ignorant or children, jackasses.

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Ferguson, MO: GOP wasted opportunity for minority outreach

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I honestly don’t know what to say or type at this point.  The statements coming out of the state of Missouri is downright depressing.  I don’t know whether I’m reading too much into what’s being said or whether these politicians are just being outright honest about their views on people who look like me.

First, there’s Matt Wills who is currently the Executive Director for Missouri’s RNC.  In an interview with Breitbart News, he made the following comments about voter registration drives being held in Ferguson, Missouri…

“If that’s not fanning the political flames, I don’t know what is,” Wills said, “I think it’s not only disgusting but completely inappropriate.”

Wills explained that the shooting death of Michael Brown was a tragedy for everyone.

“This is not just a tragedy for the African American community this is a tragedy for the Missouri community as well as the community of what we call America,” he said. “Injecting race into this conversation and into this tragedy, not only is not helpful, but it doesn’t help a continued conversation of justice and peace.”

How and when did registering voters become injecting race into a situation?  When you look at the underlying stories of this incident, Ferguson, Missouri should have been Ground Zero for the GOP to reach out to minorities.  Instead of focusing on their hatred for all things Al Sharpton, the GOP should have been there helping Ferguson residents clean up their streets in the morning after the nightly protests and riots.  At night when the Ferguson residents were standing guard trying to keep looters out of the stores, the GOP could have been standing there with them shoulder to shoulder instead of labeling them all trouble makers because of the actions of a few.  The people of Ferguson have shown they have the “pull yourself up by your bootstrap” mentality that the GOP always talks about.  This would have been the opportune time for the GOP to step in and help them find their bootstraps.

There’s also the Lt. Governor of Missouri, Peter Kinder (R).  In an interview on MSNBC with Ronan Farrow, he actually pinpointed what I just said above.  During the course of the interview, he actually said, ” I am saying, the people of Ferguson, the people of the state of Missouri are crying out for leadership.”  They are indeed crying out for leadership, but instead of stepping in to provide that leadership, Kinder kept talking and ended up sounding tone-deaf to that cry for leadership.

“We do not do justice in America in the streets though,” he argued. “We have legal processes that are set in motion, that are designed after centuries of Anglo-American jurisprudence tradition, they’re designed to protect the rights and liberties of everyone involved.”

“That includes the Brown family, for justice for them and for the community. It also includes the officer who has not yet been charged,” he added. “Our constitutional and our Bill of Rights protections have to be followed here, and we do not do justice in the streets.”

“That’s one of the great advances of Anglo-American civilization, is that that we do not have politicized trials. We let the justice system work it out.”

The last thing that someone should want to discuss or say with Black people upset about the treatment they’re getting from Anglo-Americans is a speech on how Anglo-American civilization is the best thing in the whole wide world.  The problems of Ferguson are because of friction with that Anglo-American civilization and how it operates there.  The last thing a group that’s looking for leadership to help with problems stemming from their bad interactions with some Anglo-Americans want to hear from a potential leader is how great Anglo-American society has been for everyone.  Lt. Governor, you’re not going to get that 3am leadership request phone call, and I’m assuming it’s because you appear to have no idea of what the problems are with the community that is seeking help and leadership.  That’s just a hunch.

Then, there’s the mayor of Ferguson, James Knowles.  In an interview with Tamron Hall, also on MSNBC, he basically pulled an ostrich act.  When Hall asked him about racial division in his city, his response probably fooled no one but himself.

“I don’t believe that’s the case, still. There’s not a racial divide in the city of Ferguson,” the mayor said.

“According to whom?” Hall responded. “Is that your perspective, or do you believe that is the perspective of African-Americans in your community?”

“That is the perspective of all residents in our city, absolutely,” Knowles said.

Really?  No racial divide in Ferguson, Missouri?  The perspective of all residents?  Something tells me that, if NFL Primetime were already showing, the mayor would start off Week #1’s edition of C’Mon Man!

It’s really a shame to see such a golden opportunity squandered by the party that has members who talk about liberating Blacks from the Democratic plantation.  You had your opportunity served up to you on a silver platter, and you whiffed harder than those little leaguers from Tennessee that had to face Mo’ne Davis.

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House panel votes to sue Obama

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From Business Insider:

A key House panel voted on Thursday to authorize Speaker John Boehner to sue President Barack Obama for failing to faithfully implement Obamacare.

The House Rules Committee vote was 7 in favor, 4 against. All the Republicans voted for it; all the Democrats voted against it. It brings the resolution closer to full House vote, expected next week before Congress adjourns for a five-week summer recess.

“The president has repeated encroached on Congress’s power to write the laws,” said Rules Committee Chair Pete Sessions (R-TX). “Laws are not a mere list of suggestions from which a president can pick and choose.”

The lawsuit is aimed at the president’s unilateral decision to delay some deadlines under Obamacare. Although House Republicans said they intend to target the employer mandate delay, they’ve broadened the language in the legislation to give them room to legally challenge other tweaks to the law. The new language also leaves room for them to determine what remedy to seek.

If I understand this correctly, the GOP wants to sue Obama for delaying the very law they’ve spent 50 plus votes trying to get rid of.  Either this is some serious eleventh dimension chess, or our elected officials have officially graduated beyond “stuck on stupid”.

I don’t recall either party acting with such jackassery when Medicare Part D had its disastrous roll out and implementation was delayed time and time again to help straighten out the issues.  If the GOP is supposed to be so concerned with our fiscal health, why in the hell are they wasting taxpayer money with such an obvious political stunt?  Many people with experience in legal proceedings have basically said that a snowball has a better chance of surviving hell compared to the chances of this lawsuit.

It seems as though many in Congress fail to remember that implementation of laws is a direct responsibility of the Executive Branch.  Delaying implementation is not changing a law unless that delay is a permanent delay.  You would think that, as much as the GOP hates this law, they would be ecstatic at Obama delaying it as much as possible.  The delays give them more time to hold frivolous votes to repeal.  I guess the GOP has forgotten about the old saying to never look a gift horse in the mouth.

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