Josephine's Notebook

The party that started out fearing death panels has become one!

I have an alternate theory, that goes back to the “I want my country back” slogan. Ever since Nixon, Republicans have run, in one way or another, on the grounds that they’re the party of Real Americans, in opposition to those hippies/queers/welfare queens/multiculturalists/feminazis/fill in your scare word. And they’ve been unbelievably successful with this. There isn’t an election since then that they couldn’t rationalize, often correctly, is proof that they have the controlling majority of the country. Carter was a fluke, both because of Watergate and because he managed to capture the evangelical vote before it settled comfortably into its rather permanent Republican home. Clinton won—-twice—-because Ross Perot split the wingnut vote. But each subsequent election, the demographics of this country shifted—-growing numbers of non-white voters, single women, and urban white liberals meant this stranglehold on the majority could quite likely disappear.

And frankly, it did in 2000. Gore actually won the popular vote in 2000, fair and square, even while being perceived as a stiff. And the reaction you got was threats of violence, chaos, and a ridiculous Supreme Court decision that amounted to blatant theft. Perhaps we’ve forgotten because it’s too painful to remember. But I believe that’s what’s coming back, only this time it wasn’t subdued by a close call that could be handed unfairly to the Republican. This time, it was a blow out. And all the wingnut fears about losing “their” country have come to pass.

That’s what’s pissing them off. Economic woes are just one of the bats they’re using to beat us with.

I give up. I fucking give up.

When I first started hearing right-wingers claim that separation of church and state is a liberal myth, I wondered why no one sat them down, shoved the document in their face, and made them read those three lines out loud. Now I see that it doesn’t matter.

Something like 30% of the country has gone mad. That’s the only explanation I can think of. This is not an exaggeration. They are literally standing there pointing at the sky and saying “the sky is red” and when you try to convince them that it’s blue and bring them a color chart and other blue things for comparison they stare at you blankly for a few seconds and then go back to repeating “the sky is red”. And even if you convince them for a moment that it is indeed blue, you were being condescending while you did it. So you’re an elitist. And therefore you’re wrong. The sky is red.

No, I’m done with the appeals to bipartisanship, the platitudes that we all share a common dream, that people are just frustrated with government. A country where this kind of thing constitutes mainstream political debate is not worth fighting for. I’ll stay on the coast where it is relatively safe, but I’ll be ready to jump ship at any moment. I suggest anyone with half a brain do the same.

We are in the era of Republican Mean Girls, grown-up versions of those teenage tormentors who would steal your boyfriend, spray-paint your locker and, just for good measure, spread rumors that you were pregnant.

These women — Jan, Meg, Carly, Sharron, Linda, Michele, Queen Bee Sarah and sweet wannabe Christine — have co-opted and ratcheted up the disgust with the status quo that originally buoyed Barack Obama. Whether they’re mistreating the help or belittling the president’s manhood, making snide comments about a rival’s hair or ripping an opponent for spending money on a men’s fashion show, the Mean Girls have replaced Hope with Spite and Cool with Cold. They are the ideal nihilistic cheerleaders for an angry electorate.

A hall full of elderly white people in Medicare-paid scooters, railing against government spending and imagining themselves revolutionaries as they cheer on the vice-presidential puppet hand-picked by the GOP establishment. If there exists a better snapshot of everything the Tea Party represents, I can’t imagine it.