The sign post is no longer "up ahead"; we're there: The Twilight Zone.

[Atticus]

Sarah Palin.

Michelle Bachman.

Mike Pence.

Rand Paul.

Sharon Angle.

The Tea Party haters.

Not so long ago, any one of these would have been an aberration; a political embarrassment for the staid and traditionally conservative Republican party. They would have been the focus of knee-slapping jokes and incredulity. The mere mention of their names would have brought sighs, shakes of the head and waves of the hand that, taken together, would have amounted to: "There's no use trying to understand some people. They're just nuts!"

Today, however, in the Twilight Zone we inhabit, these people ARE the Republican Party. They are treated with respect, even deference, by so-called political analysts and commentators. And, Orwell be damned, ignorance IS knowledge; arrogance IS humility; and, mendacity IS truth.

Cue the theme music.

[elleng]

1. DA DA DA DA . . .

but they are NOT the repug party, they are the WRECK of the repug party!

[Orsino]

9. They are the rusty muffler hanging from underneath the gigantic GOP gas-guzzler.

They are the cloud of exhaust. They are the puddle of oily antifreeze left behind it. They are the TrukNutz dangling from the hitch.

The GOP is a business. These clowns are just the ugliest and most visible accessories.

[SpiralHawk]

2. "You can thank the Republicons for this ugly twist in the time-space continuum." - Rod Serling

[DJ13]

3. They would still be an aberration if we had a responsible MSM

Palin farts and its a 24 hour news cycle.

[Turbineguy]

4. Well,

where can a conservative go for the truth?

[FiveGoodMen]

11. "where can a conservative go for the truth?"

To the other side, of course.

[Bigmack]

5. That whole group together...

reminds me of the bar scene from the first Star Wars movie...you know...the one with all the weird/vicious creatures. Obiwan says: “Mos Eisley spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.”

(I can't believe I'm quoting a fucking Star Wars movie!)

[Curmudgeoness]

6. Hey, I'm a Tea Party hater, why am I in that list? Oh, never mind.

Very good point. How in the hell did these people become "the people" to listen to and to emulate. They should be an embarrassment.

[Warren DeMontague]

7. Oh, come on. Pat Buchanan? Dan Quayle? Spiro Agnew?

These folks have ALWAYS been nuts.

[daleo]

8. But at one time they weren't all crazy

Well, there was Ike in the 50's anyway. Plus Lincoln in the (18)60's.

[depakid]

10. "They are treated with respect, even deference" ...by the President of the United States