Democracy on the critical list: How do we escape this toxic political cycle? (Round the bend)

Salon ^ | November 8, 2014 | Andrew O'Hehir

[Sherman Logan]

Pretty stupid article, in general, but this pat is spot on.

Almost everyone in our society professes loyalty to the vague symbolic idea of “America,” but the contradictions embedded within that idea have become ever more prominent, and it no longer functions as a unifying concept.

I believe most Americans are indeed loyal to this symbolic idea, but we differ on what it symbolizes. That is the root and core of our conflict. The last time we had such a core conflict over what "America" means, around 750,000 Americans died.

[marktwain]

“If Republicans are less popular than Democrats, then why did Republicans do so well in these elections?”

Because, to a leftist, if reality disagrees with his beliefs, then it is reality that is wrong.

[driftless2]

"this writer"

You have to understand the mindsets of ideologues like O"Hehir. According to them, the U.S. for almost two hundred years was an evil country.

It was only until socialism was introduced during FDR's admin was there the start of a "just" society. Obama's admin was supposed to be a major "fundamental" transformation from the evil, free-market, meritocratic where all the illegal loot owned by the evil, rich white people would finally be confiscated and distributed to the poor and oppressed.

That scenario didn't occur, despite Obama's best efforts, and now people like O'Hehir are upset.

[DB]

What the moron doesn’t understand is conservatives are really pissed off at the establishment Republicans but will vote to throw out the Democrats who we despise even more. They read the polls entirely wrong.

[Old North State]

Does anybody understand the point this pile of words is trying to make? In a republic, the people put representatives into power and turn them out, ad infinitum. Unless your goal is a one-party system, that's the way it is supposed to work. The implied theorem seems to be that the people are getting in the way of the enlightened elite who should be making all the decisions. Is that it?

[Know et al]

Do these people not know the difference between a democracy and a republic?

Sheesh!!!

[JennysCool]

The leftist rabble begs you to stop using logic! It's not fair and it hurts their feelings!

[Dick Bachert]

Not to be the skunk at the picnic, but...

I PRAY that Dr. North is wrong but, as a keen student of our history, he’s seen all this before — many times. And I’m old enough to have also seen it before. If you believe America took a hard turn back to the Founders’ vision for their creation and the Constitution, this essay may make you angry. Please withhold your flames until around June, 2015 then let’s discuss it again!

I’m sure I’m not the only American who has observed that the bulk of those who get elected to public office are the very people who should NEVER be allowed anywhere near the levers of power. The quintessential poster boy for the type is Douglas C. Niedermeyer of “Animal House” infamy.
I’m dating myself but it was Jimmy Durante who famously opined that “Everybody should leave everybody else the hell alone!”
Sadly, they aren’t — and WON’T until WE MAKE THEM!

http://teapartyeconomist.com/…/mitch-mcconnell-makes-offic…/

[rockinqsranch]

“Democracy on the critical list: How do we escape this toxic political cycle?”

Very simple, and it doesn’t take a lifetime of reading as is this article to get the point across.

Democracy isn’t on the critical list as we aren’t a Democracy. We are a Constitutional Republic, and we just proved how to escape.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

And Mussolini made the trains run on time! *SMIRK*

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“This is not a ‘seismic shift’ in favor of the Republicans or the so-called conservative agenda...”

Map: http://www.270towin.com/2014-house-election/

Not a smidgeon of seismic shift! :)

[eclecticEel]

Since the author is a believer in climate apocalypticism, doesn’t he ‘know’ how the toxic political cycle will end?

[Hugin]

And I didn’t hear anybody predicting that Republicans would win their largest House majority since 1930, or that Republican governors would be elected in Illinois, Maryland and Massachusetts, three of the bluest states in the country.

Hugh Hewitt did, but then Hugh always predicts a Pub landslide.

[Steve_Seattle]

“I know what the Republicans are against – they’re against Obamacare and immigration and taxes and environmental regulations and gay marriage and abortion. Broadly speaking, they’re against women and gays and black people and Muslims and Mexicans, all of whom are plotting to spread Ebola, but they have learned by trial and error to speak about those things in modulated tones, and with asterisks.”

1. Against Obamacare - Yes, as is more than half of the public. And they HAVE proposed alternatives and modifications to Obamacare.

2. Against immigration - Against illegal immigration, and angry that our educational system has fallen so low that we now must import skilled workers from other countries. Huge majorities of the population are against illegal immigration. Liberal Oregon just voted 70-30 against giving driver's licenses to illegals.

3.Environmental regulations - Being against some environmental regulations is not the same as being against ALL environmental regulations. Hyperbole.

4. Gay marriage - Not all Republicans oppose gay marriage, and those who do are taking the same position as Obama did in 2008. Half the country opposes it.

5. Abortion - Yes, we oppose killing the unborn. No apologies.

6. Against women - Pure blather. Does not even deserve a reply. Tell it to Sarah Palin or Ann Coulter or Michelle Malkin or Megyn Kelly or anyone of a number of other prominent conservative women.

7. Against gays - We do not "celebrate" sexual DISorientation. On the other hand, we generally oppose discrimination against gays in areas other than gay marriage, or when employed by a religious institution which opposes homosexuality.

8. Against black people - More blather. We oppose a decadent, self-destructive black subculture based on rap music and self-cultivated ignorance and insolence. We support efforts to give concerned black parents alternatives to public schools in which black achievement is allowed to lag through the bigotry of low expectations.

9. Against Muslims - Against radical Muslims.

10. Against Mexicans - Against Mexicans who enter the country illegally. Conservative heroes include Ted Cruz and Susana Martinez, and Marco Rubio - although disliked by some conservatives for his stance on immigration - is a rising Republican.

[wiggen]

Initially he sounded intelligent but then he let his hate go. He chides dems but goes out of his way to insult the right. He must have had the same stupid look on his face as results rolled in like Chris Matthews did. That statement about ‘intelligent’ people.
Screw this clown and i can’t wait for the day he wakes up and realizes the left isn’t so smart after all.

[Eccl 10:2]

Also necessary for a functional government:

Voter ID

Term limits

[Dan in Wichita]

Nice response, though FYI, Marco Rubio is Cuban-American.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Nice response, though FYI, Marco Rubio is Cuban-American."

Correct. I took the author's reference to "Mexicans" as a catch-all for "Hispanics," which may or may not have been his intent.

[JSDude1]

Mr. O’Hehir is going to be crying even more loudly in January of 2017.

It was hard for me to read his dibble in an effort to understand the (now I know much messed up) thinking of the other side.

[TalBlack]

“How do we escape this toxic political cycle?”

Historically?

War.