"There’s a deep strain of madness running through Republican politics in 2011..."

[babylonsister]

Posted with permission.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_09/the_candidates_werent_the_only032157.php

The candidates weren’t the only ones on display

By Steve Benen


The point of presidential candidate debates is to offer the public a chance to scrutinize and evaluate those seeking national office. Occasionally, though, voters get the chance to scrutinize and evaluate those in the audience, which is nearly as interesting.

The candidates seeking the Republican presidential nomination are a pretty scary bunch — remember, one of them stands a reasonably good chance of becoming the leader of the free world in about 17 months — and the two-hour display on CNN last night was a depressing reminder of what’s become of the GOP in the 21st century. That said, maybe it’s just me, but I’m starting to find the audiences for these debates even more disconcerting.

Wolf Blitzer posed a hypothetical scenario to Ron Paul, asking about a young man who makes a good living, but decides to forgo health insurance. Then, tragedy strikes and he needs care. Paul stuck to the libertarian line. “But congressman,” the moderator said, “are you saying that society should just let him die?”

And at that point, some in the audience shouted, “Yeah,” and applauded.

Video @ link~

Earlier in the debate, Blitzer asked Rick Perry about his attacks on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. “I said that, if you are allowing the Federal Reserve to be used for political purposes, that it would be almost treasonous,” Perry said. “I think that is a very clear statement of fact.”

The audience loved this, too.

What’s more, note that in last week’s debate, the mere observation that Perry has signed off on the executions of 234 people in Texas, more than any other governor in modern times, was enough to generate applause from a different GOP audience.

Taken together, over the last five days, we’ve learned that the way to impress Republican voters, at least the ones who show up for events like these, is to support letting the insured die, accusing the Fed of treason for trying to improve the economy, and executing lots of people.

There’s a deep strain of madness running through Republican politics in 2011, and it appears to be getting worse. Those wondering why the GOP presidential field appears weak, insipid, and shallow need look no further than the voters they were choose to pander to.

[liberal N proud]

1. If these freaks don't wake up the voters, nothing ever will.

[Cosmocat]

5. Compliant media ...

Problem is the fourth estate - they give SO much more latitude to republican's than democrats, and they legitimize the lunacy by passing it off as the sport of politics, while standing line with the Rs piling on to dems when the Rs are attacking the dems.

Unless we see a change with the people who carry on the public discussion in the media, it is only going to get worse. Not sure we are going to see it change.

[Ineeda]

2. RE: letting the hypothetical uninsured comatose man die...

sure. No problem. But not a fetus. Never a fetus. No matter the circumstances.

[Carolina]

14. never a WHITE fetus

[tanyev]

3. The madness has been there for quite some time.

It's just that there's hardly anything else left to obscure it anymore.

[Cosmocat]

6. it is increasing as an exponetial rate ...

Rs just keep getting further and further out there.

[Blue_Tires]

13. I first noticed it in '94...First time I ever voted

I agree it has gone to a much darker place since then

[tularetom]

4. Um, the Fed has been "used for political purposes" for the past 25 years at least

Is Perry accusing Ayn Rand disciple Alan Greenspan of treason also?

It's so easy to rebut this crap and yet our media just let it go unchallenged.

[rhett o rick]

7. Fascism is nearer than you might want to think. nm

[hue]

8. Indeed it is a sociopathic/antisocial group/mob mentality...

This is the reason the Ayn Rand pseudo philosophy appeals to them or is their basis for their modus operandi.
They are mentally, emotionally and humanisticlly sick/warped people. Animals do not treat their own kind the way
some humans do. But like Ayn Rand when it is their turn to be sick and suffer they do an about face with no shame.

When Rand was undergoing treatment for lung cancer (she was a heavy smoker) she collected her SS and Medicare to help
pay for her bills, although all her life she railed against those "entitlements".

[Ian David]

9. Typo in the last sentence. n/t

[randr]

10. I bet Perry is having second thoughts on switching parties.

[BR_Parkway]

11. Wonder how many in the audience gave up their Medicare/SS checks?

Looking at the video, sure seems as though many of them would qualify for it

[eShirl]

12. I think we need to retire the phrase "leader of the free world" at some point.

It's been a couple decades since the end of the Cold war. That's enough time to begin letting go of memes that don't really apply anymore.

[FiveGoodMen]

15. "Puppet of the world's greatest oppressors" would fit better at the moment.