Explaining Liberal Condescension
“Obama gave a stay-the-course State of the Union address (a) pledging not to walk away from health-care reform, (b) seeking to turn college education increasingly into a federal entitlement, and (c) asking again for cap-and-trade energy legislation. Plus, of course, another stimulus package, this time renamed a “jobs bill.”
This being a democracy, don’t the Democrats see that clinging to this agenda will march them over a cliff? Don’t they understand Massachusetts?
Well, they understand it through a prism of two cherished axioms: (1) The people are stupid, and (2) Republicans are bad. Result? The dim, led by the malicious, vote incorrectly.
Liberal expressions of disdain for the intelligence and emotional maturity of the electorate have been, post-Massachusetts, remarkably unguarded. New York Times columnist Charles Blow chided Obama for not understanding the necessity of speaking “in the plain words of plain folks,” because the people are “suspicious of complexity.” Counseled Blow: “The next time he gives a speech, someone should tap him on the ankle and say, ‘Mr. President, we’re down here.’”
A Time magazine blogger was even more blunt about the ankle-dwelling mob, explaining that we are “a nation of dodos” that is “too dumb to thrive.”
Obama joined the parade in the State of the Union address when, with supercilious modesty, he chided himself “for not explaining it [health care] more clearly to the American people.” The subject, he noted, was “complex.” The subject, it might also be noted, was one to which the master of complexity had devoted 29 speeches. Perhaps he did not speak slowly enough.
…
For liberals, the observation that “the peasants are revolting” is a pun. For conservatives, it is cause for uncharacteristic optimism.”
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February 5th, 2010 at 9:04 am
I love Kraut!
February 5th, 2010 at 9:22 am
” This being a democracy, don’t the Democrats see that clinging to this agenda will march them over a cliff? Don’t they understand Massachusetts?”
Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and the progressives that are in control of the Dem party are a modern day version of “Thelma and Louise” … clinging to the bitter end to their sisterhood/agenda. Wonder if BH0 will change his tune at next January’s State of the Union address after his Senate and House majorities are gone … will he get the message from the American people by then, or will he still defiantly press on with his progressive agenda, thinking his charm and rhetoric will be able to make the newly minted members of Congress swoon to do his bidding.
February 5th, 2010 at 11:07 am
Liberalism is a mental disorder, hence they cannot “see” reality ,as it is filtered through their doctrinaire socialist bravo sierra, which they refuse to surrender.
(we are a republic not a democracy)
February 5th, 2010 at 11:25 am
“Liberalism is a mental disorder, hence they cannot “see” reality”
I’ve read this comment here so many times that I now understand it is an entrenched part of the Wingnut Doctrine.
My only response to this is that it is a far more revealing indication of mental function (or dysfunction as the case may be) to continue to assert and, apparently, honestly believe something as utterly idiotic and non-sensical as this.
And this has not just come from loons like ATILLA either…
February 5th, 2010 at 11:41 am
So what are republicans saying the message is? That the American people want to go back to budget busting tax breaks for multi-millionaires and coorporations (without cuts in spending), and endless wars (without funding them), payouts to big pharma (without paying for them), and more deregulation of the financial industry so we can have more economic meltdowns? I ask because that’s all the republicans are offering. Read their plan – it’s like 2003 all over again.
The fool Krauthammer wants to ignore healthcare costs and the rising tide of uninsured. Fine – maybe Fox will keep paying for his insurance, so it doesn’t matter. Hey, he’s got his, screw everybody else.
He wants the government to continue funding preditary lending practices for school loans by giving lending institutions breaks on the money, while they rob students. Hey, he’s got his, screw everybody else.
And forget about trying to get off the fossil fuel tit – Fox drives him to work. Hey, he’s got his, screw everybody else.
And forget about putting money into the hands of small businesses so they can generate business and hire people – Fox already pays him money to spew stupidity. Hey, he’s got his, screw everybody else.
Not only does he not understand MA, he doesn’t even know we live in a republic and not a democracy.
February 5th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Plus, no one condescends like Krauthammer or his fellow arrogant warmongering NeoCons. He evidently thinks that everyone he is yapping at is so stupid as to believe his obvious lies.
“New York Times columnist Charles Blow chided Obama for not understanding the necessity of speaking “in the plain words of plain folks,” because the people are “suspicious of complexity.” Counseled Blow: “The next time he gives a speech, someone should tap him on the ankle and say, ‘Mr. President, we’re down here.’””
You mean talking more like….BUSH? Wow, what a deluded fool.
This is a stupid gambit to inject yet another Tool for Distraction into the narrative. When you have NO new ideas and you want to keep people ignorant of those you do have (because they will be harmful to the average American) AND want to make sure everyone forgets what happened the last time you governed, then you raise such arguments. So who’s being condescending here, really?
What does “not condescending” look like? It looks like confronting people honestly about issues, not about obfuscation and fabrication and lies. Not to say that Obama is pure and honest about everything (there’s much I don’t like), but to even suggest that electing Republicans is the antidote to this alleged problem is insulting to a very high degree.
February 5th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
As Einstein noted, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. The elctorate may be “dodos”, but the progressives(nee liberals) are insane. I guess the elctorate wishes to be governed by dodos as oppposed to insane ideologues. LOL
February 5th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Not to say that Obama is pure and honest about everything…
I see he’s not completely insane.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
MikeyW – “And forget about putting money into the hands of small businesses so they can generate business and hire people – Fox already pays him money to spew stupidity. Hey, he’s got his, screw everybody else.”
As a small business owner (from 3 to 15 employees in the last 4 years), the Democratic Party offers me nothing. The only fig leaf was some bogus 3,000 tax credit for hiring someone, while at the same time, they will be raising my taxes from 33% to 40%. So don’t give me that “we care about small business” bullshit. 77% of small business owners vote GOP for a reason. Nice talking points, though.
February 5th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
- “As a small business owner (from 3 to 15 employees in the last 4 years), the Democratic Party offers me nothing. ” – Well, you aren’t going to get anything now, since the repubs plan to kill O’s plan to put the TARP funds back out for small business.
“… they will be raising my taxes from 33% to 40%” – Does your business net more than $250K like Joe the Plumber’s?
February 5th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Lovin’ me some demo disarray!!!
Franken Fumes [Daniel Foster]
“Sen. Al Franken apparently read David Axelrod the Riot Act at a closed-door meeting between Senate Democrats and party strategists. Franken had a heated exchange with the top Obama adviser, blaming the White House’s lack of engagement for the current predicament of the Democrats’ health-care reform efforts.”
h/t The Corner
Sic Semper Liberalis Loseris Tyrannis!!
O YEAH!! A bad day for Barry 0 = good day for the United States of America
February 5th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
“Not to say that Obama is pure and honest about everything (there’s much I don’t like), but to even suggest that electing Republicans is the antidote to this alleged problem is insulting to a very high degree.”
[smirk!] Yeah, and keeping unchecked liberals in office is the right thing to do.
Yeah, whatever….The country sees your kind in full bloom and they have delivered the verdict….
LOSERS!!!!
And there’s more payback comin’….
LOSERS!!!!
Thank your cardboard messiah Barry 0!!!
February 5th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
And you got ol’ Mikey W with her panties in a wad talking to herself in a corner who actually believes her NY Times Daily Kos talking points.
Yep. Keep on talkig to yourself. No one believes you but you. But HEY!
Keep talking to yourself if it makes you feel better….
LOSER!!
February 5th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
- “And you got ol’ Mikey W with her panties in a wad talking to herself in a corner who actually believes her NY Times Daily Kos talking points.” – Ok, so what can you look forward to with the repubs in charge? Check their plan at their website. They want to privatize Social Security (been there before right? Imagine if that dog of a plan had passed – a lot of people would be screaming for some heads right now. Don’t know why that’s being retreadded out). They want to gut Medicare (imagine that? After derriding the dems all summer for wanting to get rid of Medicare Advantage). They want the usual tax cuts, but not much on the order of spending cuts, more sabre-rattling, and their fix for health care reform is tort reform. More deregulation – that sure was great last year. You can probably bet more meltdowns are ahead with that plan… So what’s really new?
February 5th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
Need more understanding? Google up “cloward-piven strategy”.
They are following a deliberate course to destroy our capitalist economy.
The fact is that they want us to fail. They want to have us all on our knees begging for a handful of grain, with no place to go except the government. They want to replace God with Government.
Obama tells us not to question his faith or his patriotism. But frankly, we don’t need to. They are as evident as the trainwreck he’s making of the economy.
You want an answer? Read 2 Chronicles 7:14.
It’s not just elections, we need to return to the faith that allowed America to survive and become great.
We need to be on our knees in front of the Lord, not worshiping money or human philosophies, or other people.
February 5th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
They want to privatize Social Security (been there before right? Imagine if that dog of a plan had passed – a lot of people would be screaming for some heads right now
Yeh, Soc Sec is doing fine, that’s why it needs a bailout.
Even Hufpo sees it for what it is. Outrageous, But Legal: Social Security Ponzi Scheme Needs a Bailout
February 6th, 2010 at 7:14 am
“Yeah, whatever….The country sees your kind in full bloom and they have delivered the verdict….”
Not really sure what world you’ve been living in. Last election was a historic reproach to Republicans, and even if there is a clear anti-incumbent fever (promoted by the GOP and their mindless footsoldier Teabaggers) Dems are still in control of the whole ball of wax. A reversal of this is highly unlikely. Don’t forget, there are Republican incumbents too losing out to Dems. It’s just that your right wing media sources have chosen not to inform you of this.
February 6th, 2010 at 8:04 am
)))McRock(((,
a href=”http://polipundit.com/?p=21063#comment-39571
“>
You must be orgasmic with that many Tea Party people in one place at once. [LINK]
February 6th, 2010 at 8:04 am
- “They are following a deliberate course to destroy our capitalist economy.” – Truly, you are blind. Unbridled capitalism destroyed itself with greed. As you saw last year, when it fails, the great captains of industry come begging to very people they despise to save them. They almost brought us all down with them! And when we do save them do they train their efforts back towards the public good? Hell, no – they simply enrich themselves with million dollar bonuses. And zombies like you cheer them on!
- “They are as evident as the trainwreck he’s making of the economy.” – Fool, he brought us back from the brink. You repubs deregulated everything, then let the financial markets run wild. And here we are. If the repubs were in charge, we’d be in the middle of another Great Depression with their Hoover policies. But the rich sure would be richer, and that’s all that matters!
- “Yeh, Soc Sec is doing fine, that’s why it needs a bailout.” – It doesn’t need a bailout. It needs only two things: 1) for Congress to stop raiding it every year; and 2) for the Government to pay back all the money it took out. GWB and the republicans had the chance to do that when we ran a surplus, but no – they squandered it on tax cuts for the rich. Do you blame your 401K for not having any money when you continuously take out from it before it can produce dividends, then never put it back? Yeah, someone like you probably would.
February 6th, 2010 at 8:11 am
Motorbiker MikeyW and “friend”
February 6th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
And here we go again….
Oh, joy! Sky King (the nonveteran poster/poseur formerly known as MikeyW) has joined us. As a tribute to him, I’d like to present the following:
“Lt Bush is an exceptionally fine young officer and pilot. After completing the F102 all weather interceptor school in November 1969, he came in this unit as a highly qualified fighter interceptor pilot. Lt Bush possesses sound judgment and is mature beyond his age and experience level…Lt Bush performed in an outstanding manner…He continually flies intercept missions with the unit to increase his proficiency even further. Lt Bush is a natural leader but he is also a good follower of military discipline. Lt Bush has outstanding growth potential and should be promoted well ahead of his contemporaries.”
Now Sky King (MikeyW) was never able to serve his country (severe arthritis in his dominant hand traced to compulsive masturbation), but here are some comments made by his supervisors at the portapotty repair center in Compton.
1. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
2. Got into the gene pool while the lifeguard wasn’t watching.
3. A room temperature IQ.
4. Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it all together.
5. A gross ignoramus–144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus.
6. A photographic memory but with the lens cover glued on.
7. A prime candidate for natural deselection.
8. Bright as Alaska in December.
9. One-celled organisms out score him in IQ tests.
10. Donated his body to science before he was done using it.
11. Fell out of the family tree.
12. Gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn’t coming.
13. Has two brains; one is lost and the other is out looking for it.
14. He is so dense, light bends around him.
15. If brains were taxed, he’d get a rebate.
16. If he were any more stupid, he’d have to be watered twice a week.
17. If you give him a penny for his thoughts, you’d get change.
18. If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean.
19. It’s hard to believe that he beat out 1,000,000 other sperm.
20. One neuron short of a synapse.
21. Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he only gargled.
22. Takes him 2 hours to watch 60 minutes.
23. Wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead.
1 through 23 above also apply to McRock (rhymes with “Suck my c—”) and Warner (German slang for “douchebag”).
February 6th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
“Dems are still in control of the whole ball of wax. A reversal of this is highly unlikely.”
[smirk!] You’re right….I mean, we convservatives could never take a place like, oh say….Massachusetts (or “Massachusettes” in honor of your krazy kandidate…)
Oh, wait! That’s right…
YOU LOST!!! which makes you and your kind… [drum roll, please....]
LOSERS!!!!!
Hey, we’ve got a secret weapon…your very on plastic manchild prezydent!! He’s done for us what he could never do for you…help us win!!
Lots of luck to you and your kind, Mcidgit…well, not really.
February 7th, 2010 at 6:01 am
Hey MikeyW, how’s that hopey, changey thing working out for you?
February 9th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
An Open Letter to Iran’s Grand Poobah
The 22nd of Bahman may not ring many American bells but it’s shaping up as an eventful day for Iranians, and for the Great Satan if they follow through with their sinister plans.
It isn’t an official Iranian or Islamic holiday but it sure is time for celebration, as per Iran’s top “holy” cleric, commander in chief, chief bottle washer, and beard shampooer, ”Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Sorry to sound disrespectful to a religious leader but what he said on Monday wasn’t very religious: ”Iran is set to deliver a ‘punch’ that will stun world powers during this week’s 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution.”
That threat doesn’t command or invite any respect so Ali gets none.
The Iranian revolution was effectively launched when Iran’s air force signed up for revolt by throwing its support to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini thereby giving him the gonads to order the seizure of the American embassy in Tehran in 1979.
Khomeini’s heir, Grand Poobah Ali Khamenei, went on to be somewhat more specific saying, “The Iranian nation, with its unity and God’s grace, will punch the arrogance (Western powers) on the 22nd of Bahman in a way that will leave them stunned,” according to an AFP report: http://bit.ly/dnFZEb
Big doings must indeed be in the Iranian playbook for the near horizon since Iran’s less-than-holy President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has chimed in with threats against the West to commemorate that mass kidnapping of Americans.
Those threats coincide with a new Usama bin Laden tape so something must truly be afoot.
I feel an open letter to the ayatollah is in order. This should be the prerogative of America’s President Barack Hussein Obama but I’m not certain he’s up to the task. It therefore falls to me, Joe Citizen, to compensate for America’s ineffectual leadership.
Tuesday, February 9th (Bahman the 20th)
Dear Ali,
I hope no offense is taken to my use of your given name since no offense is intended.
I feel this is a friendly, personal missive and I’d like us to be on a first name basis, sort of like when Barack had his beer summit here with Sgt. Crowley and that prof Henry Gates last July.
If and when you respond, you can call me Joe, ok, or Mr. C. if you insist on formality, and feel free to share the contents of this communication with Mahmoud and the other Muslim gutless maniac, Usama.
Now here’s the straight poop, as we say in the States.
First of all, Ali, we Americans don’t take kindly to threats. I might paraphrase the motto of our great state of Texas: “Don’t threat on me!”
That means, Don’t mess with us, okay?
We’ve been tolerating Iran’s nutty warnings for over 30 years now and I have to tell you, we’ve had enough, they’ve gotten very old.
If you want to come at us, then come at us, but cut the baloney. We’ve been tolerating Iran’s silly saber-rattling and, recently, missile-rattling for much too long.
I’m not saying to bring it on because Americans really don’t want any more war. However, if you choose to bring it on, starting on the 20th of Bahman or whenever, rest assured that you won’t get away with it.
You’re guaranteed to receive far more than you bring on.
You may be thinking that you have an easy mark with Obama in our White House but keep in mind it’s America’s White House, not his. The Obama clan are very temporary residents.
With your nascent nuclear program, you may be thinking differently than you were after 9/11/2001. Remember? When Iranians were scared, if I can be indelicate, sh*tless, at the thought Iran would be blamed and that Tehran could be reduced to a molten puddle by September 12th.
You may recall that time when the toothless chants of “Death to America” were suspended for a while in your mosques as you wondered if the Great Satan would take out the Great Persian Charade.
It didn’t happen then but it could be in your future should your Bahman 22nd threats not be just the usual bluster.
There’s an eye of newt spoiling your hummus if you think Americans will let any president get away with minimal retaliation if you guys do something very stupid.
Trust me, if you do something dumb by attacking us or our Western allies, either Obama will order a massive strike against your country or some disobedient officer will level Tehran and accept the consequences. He will then become an American hero.
Either way, your sorry excuse for a country will be returned to the 7th century.
The good news is that then you could personally ask Muhammed where you went wrong.
Mind you, Ali, this is not comparable to one of your warnings. As we say here, it’s not a threat but a promise and America follows through on its promises.
I know it’s late in the game but you made the rules and set the schedule.
The 22nd of Bahman is just two days away. I seriously suggest you call off any plans in progress, call off your terrorist goons, or else both you and we will regret it.
And trust me again, Ali, Iran and Islam will regret it far more.
I know Mahmoud believes the end is near as whackos on our street corners have been preaching for years and you may share that theory.
Whether that theory comes to fruition, whether Iran succeeds in delivering its “punching” and “stunning,” know that Iran will have precipitated it, which may be what you wish to accomplish.
However, as our Boy Scouts say, Be prepared. Be prepared with an alternative in case you merely succeed in wounding this sleeping tiger or our allies. One alternative might be to evacuate Tehran posthaste.
I realize that the new Islamic terrorist battle cry ”Allahu Akbar” is Arabic and not Farsi but do keep in mind that our pledge of retaliation is delivered with our own version of “God is great.” It goes, ”So help me, God,” which has the same effect. In spades.
Sincerely,
(Mr.) Joe Citizen