Maureen Dowd, columnist for the New York Times, whether you agree with her or not, is probably one of the most talented opinion writers in America today. She had the following to say in her April 8, 2014 column entitled “Jeb in the Vortex:” (nytimes.com)
Some of those close to Jeb say he’s serious about running and bringing back a civil tone to Republican politics. Others say he needs to act as though he’s running to keep his speaking fees high and options open. Rush Limbaugh thinks Jeb’s “act of love” comment was a gambit to tick off the Tea Party and “get the conservative backlash to him out of the way.”
Jeb thinks Republicans have lost their way. He may soon learn that a lot of conservatives think they have found their way — and it’s not the joyful, loving, government-can-be-a-force-for-good way. It’s the mean, cruel, gut-the-government way.
When this crowd thinks of a Thousand Points of Light, they’re thinking of torches as they march toward the Capitol.
Is Jeb right and have Republicans lost their way? It appears that many have done exactly that. The Republicans of yore were kinder, gentler and didn’t carry torches and pitchforks, as a rule.
Dowd’s last sentence there about the thousand points of light as torches was inspired.
Agreed!
I think that’s the part that really caught my eye.
Is it more important (according to our high school English teachers) to start off great or end great?
Sorry Moon, I started to choke over the line that Dowd ” is probably one of the most talented opinion writers in America today.” Rather, she is, in fact, one of the most self-absorbed, elitist and most constently wrong editorial writers in American today – a beacon for going the other way.
Now, I agree with you and Jeb that Republicans have lost their way, but the only ones who are intolerant of any option that does not result in more government and more tax money and who are, in fact, carrying the pitchforks of racism, disception, and disregard for the constitution are the democrats. To make the argument that Republicans were kinder, gentler and didn’t carry torches and pitchforks, as a rule, only when they agreed with Democrats – as Bush 1, Bush II and now Jeb would is not the solution.
I think you are rather myopic and binary, Blue. Do you think that there are just two points of view, Republican and Democratic? I see all sorts of degrees in between uber Republican and uber Democrat.
As for Dowd, I believe I said whether you agree with her or not. I don’t agree with her a lot of the time. That is not to say she isn’t a talented writer. I don’t particularly care about her personality. I was merely commenting on her command of her craft. But you knew that because I said that.
What are the pitchforks of racism, deception and disregard for the Constitution?
Where in the Constitution does it say that corporations are people? Where does it say that corporations can have religion? I just have missed it in civics class. I was probably passing notes or looking at boys.
I think I have seen quite enough of fringe Republicans to last a lifetime. Sarah Palin, Ted Cruz, Michele Bachmann and 9-9-9 Cain jump out at me when I say that.
@Blue,
I am not endorsing Bush, btw. I am saying I agree with what he said. There are about 200 other things I stridently disagree with him over.
I am not an all or nothing person.
BTW, do you think that racism doesn’t exist in this country today? Do you think that would be a good topic for a thread?
@Moon-howler
Corporations are made up of people. Those people have values. You do not lose your rights because you are commercially organized.
Corporations are sometimes made up of stockholders also.
I think that reasoning has more crap than a Christmas turkey. Corporations are legal entities acting as one unit. Of course they are made up of people. Dogs and cats can’t form corporations. However, being made up of a species doesn’t negate that a corporation is just a legal entity.
I think Bush can still win the nomination. All he has to do is convince Iowa and New Hampshire voters that he can defeat Hillary. For most low information republican voters, that will suffice because their hatred of Hillary will override any disagreements over policy.
I see hope in the return of the blue dog democrats, but for now, the party has been taken over by the crazy urban progressives – and Dowd is one of them regardless of whether you like her english composition or not.
To answer your question, no, we cannot have a real conversation about racism or religious bigotry because it is now a built in and a closely held held article of faith – and the irony is that it is still being exploited and vocalized – as it was historically – by Democrats not Republicans. We lost that chance and Obama is responsible for that and so many other lost opportunities. We could – maybe- talk about the existance of structural/legal discrimination, but that too is made much more difficult by the democrats minority base that continues to simply seek transfers of success and wealth and the fact that progressives have no respect for a moral code upon which to base that legal structure.
Blue, I don’t think that we can have a religious bigotry discussion along with a racism discussion. They are both very different.
For starters, some of the people that you would probably consider shareholders of the progressive urban mentality are also some of the most religious in this nation.
Secondly, Obama didn’t invent racism. He certainly has not promoted it. One time he screwed up verbally, in the instance over Professor Brooks (?). He apologized for what he said. We have all said things we should not have said.
I think racism is very much alive in this country, and it goes both ways.
@Moon-howler
Moon,
You may be right, but how is racism different from religous or ethnic bigotry? As an Irish decendent, I tell Irish jokes that make fun of the stereotype, but when the subject starts to head toward Irish nationalism and Irish terrorism, it gets way too serious very quickly. All the old wounds get replayed and its why Ireland has not been able to re-unite. Racism in America, same thing. Jewish – Pallistinian – neat word anti-semetism – same thing; and how about the low information uniformed bigotry we hear about Mormanism- same thing. Holding on to injustices and percieved injustices – and restitution – is an important part of both.
Its better and getting better. We don’t see the whites only or Irish need not apply signs. Go into harlem or parts of any American city and see how you fare.
No, Obama did not invent racism, but he has consitently used it, stoked and profited from it -and demeaned the Office in the process.
Obama has not used racism.
@blue
Blue,
How has Obama stoked racism and profited from it? I have not seen that. I have even been on the look out for it. I have not seen it. I agree with Starry.
Racism is just different because of America’s situation. I have seen and heard racism out of all sorts of people who would swear to you they weren’t racist. Same as Irish/English bigotry is unique in Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. You just aren’t going to find that here.
My husband is eligible to become an Irish citizen through his grandmother. Neither he nor I understand the complexities of the Irish/English conflict past the basics.
The Jewish Palestinean conflict goes back thousands of years. however, the major problem today is over land and dominance.
I haven’t heard any bigotry over Mormons other than jokes about the missionaries. I do know that some denominations do not consider Mormons to be Christian and why. It’s the trinity thing. I learned that from my Mormon neighbors. I don’t think that is bigotry as much as I think it is making Christianity far too exclusive based on the wrong reasons.
If any religious group has been stereotyped and discriminated against, I would have to say that Jews have received the brunt of it. I think they still get it. How many people say that they “jewed” someone down and not even think about what they are saying?
When I was a young adult, Jews weren’t invited to join country clubs. They had their own. That’s pretty recent history.
The name “Holy Roller” isn’t said as a name of respect. It is pretty much a term of derision.
Fundamentalist Christians can also be far too exclusive. I had someone once email me and demand to know by whose authority I called myself a Christian. She just went after me like a mad dog. I hadn’t even said anything to this person. I always thought people go to determine what religion they were, if they met the requirements of their denomination.
Maybe I am half agreeing with you.
@Moon-howler
I can go with a half agreement. Ok, so can we also agree that that the blue-states believe that racism is deeply interwoven with conservatism, and the red-states believe that Democrats consistently and increasingly use race to delegitimize conservative ideas. And more, that Obama, for his opwn purposes, has helped to widen this divide. Indeed, can we agree that his New Yorker interview line that opposiiton to Obamacare is fundementally about him being black is as nutty as it gets?