Nail, Head, as they say.

It’s all about resentment of the “undeserving” (read: blacks and other non-“Real Americans”) getting theirs, which of course, in the math of American politics, means there will be less for the “hardworking Americans, white Americans.”

Remember how upset people got at Obama for talking about clinging to guns, God, bitterness? Well, the only mistake he made was saying it out loud. There are swaths of people in this country who have been screwed by corporations for years, but they’re not mad at the corporations. Or rather, they think that the corporations would be fine if the government wasn’t forcing the corporations to hire blacks and “illegals” because of “affirmative action.” These are the people who go to bed every night thanking god that, though things are bad, “at least God didn’t make me black—or a goddamn faggot.”

And now—a black guy is in charge of the nation, and they are losing their shit. They never cared about deficits when it was for fighting wars against the sand niggers, after all. (And sorry for the epithet, but it’s lingua franca in that crowd—I’m related to some of them.)

And the heads-up-ass crowd on the Trendy Left, who would rather talk Parlor Pink theories about “populism” in their little online enclaves, think the Teabaggers (astroturfed or not) somehow represent a real “grassroots” opportunity for the disaffected WATB Poutrage Club to form “common cause.” It’s as hilarious as the Weather Underground talking about organizing among “revolutionary white working-class youth.”

Which isn’t to say that such organizing can’t be done. But Hollywood elites really aren’t the ones to carry that water. It has to come from within the community itself.

Oblomova, maybe I’m just reading the wrong stuff and watching the wrong programs, but I almost never see this point made, and it drives me nuts. It’s not just the Firebag dilettantes either—I see the “teabaggers have hijacked populism” meme from analysts whose opinions I generally respect too.

It strikes me as one of those self-fulfilling prophesy situations, unfortunately.

I do think that Obama can make more headway by actually following up the tough talk with actual punitive action against banks. The speech earlier this week was a start, and the new fees are also a start. We’ll see how it plays out. But though I don’t think it’s ALL about race, it’s a lot more about race than the Firebaggers want to admit. Of course, the woman who put Lieberman in blackface might not be the most perspicacious when it comes to understanding these things.

Glenn Greenwald was pushing the idea that the teabaggers were just misunderstood populists ripe for an alliance with the left months ago.  He was the first that I saw float that balloon and now Hamquist and friends are on board.  It’s all so obviously stupid that you’d have to be either the most naive motherfucker on the planet to advocate or have some undisclosed motive for pushing it.  And I don’t think naivete is the answer in this case so I’m left to wonder what the fuck is going on here.

Thank-you Betty. Thank-you Oblomova. Thank-you Rumproast for being a voice of sanity. I was a fan of the Young Turks but I haven’t been able to listen without cringing the last month or so. Cenk’s editorial on FDL was the last straw for me, I’ll wait for the madness to pass (if it ever does)  before I go back to either of those places.

Rich goes on to make the point that the teabaggers are basically being exploited for financial gain by Steele and Palin not to mention the organizers of all these events:

Hustlers like Steele and Palin take the money and run. All their followers get in exchange is a lousy tea party T-shirt. Or a ghost-written self-promotional book.

And I don’t think naivete is the answer in this case so I’m left to wonder what the fuck is going on here.

Maybe they’re looking for a piece of the action too?

The main message I’m getting out of the current political atmosphere is that the young people came out and voted for Obama and other (D)s because it was the hip thing to do.  One year later, they pretty much are back to not giving a shit about anything beyond Facebook, Twilight, and their iPhone.

I fear that the next decade or two is going to be all about a perpetual cycle of incumbents getting voted out of office.  This will completely gridlock Washington and lead to even more power ceding to increasingly bloated and amalgamated corporate entities that can routinely manhandle state and local governments.

This great experiment known as the United States of America may be coming to an end.

This great experiment known as the United States of America may be coming to an end.
Comment by jeffinfremont on 01/18/10 at 11:49 AM

I wouldn’t go quite that far.

My feeling is that the ‘baggers will burn themselves out - at least under that name because its starting to be damaged goods.  The rightie rageaholics will again come together under some other banner soon after 2010, if not before.  And don’t forget the lead-up to 2012 will be bifer 2.0.

This is not a threat to our country, but it will show how far politicians are willing to go to pander to the right or throw each other under the bus.

Oh, and to note, I’d love to see Greenwald, Hamsher and other firebaggers to sit in a room full of those who consider themselves grassroots ‘baggers - complete with unsure hygiene, less then optimal toothage and language skills, under a huge Stars and Bars…

Gimme, exactly right! In addition to the good point others have made elsewhere about “Where were the tea parties on the left?” (i.e., people turning out in huge demonstrations supporting the public option or single-payer)—just when the hell have any of these online pundits broken out of their echo chambers to TALK to these people they think they can reach?

Oh, and Accountability Now, the PAC started by Hamsher and Greenwald, apparently did give money to a Ron Paul-allied organization. Whether that was for a onetime thing or represents the actual subtext (Jane loves her some anti-government Norquist now, after all), remains to be seen.

gimme, hamquist and glenzilla’s hygiene may be woefully lax, but I’m sure the ‘baggers will be willing to overlook it.

I would love to be a fly on the wall, but there might not be room.

We are so screwed.

“Where were the tea parties on the left?”

We saw hundreds of thousands rally against the Iraq War to no avail.  We saw hundreds of thousands rally for LBGT rights to no avail.  We saw hundreds of thousands rally for health care reform…and it may turn out to no avail.

The ‘baggers may have yet to flame out, but the progressive left largely already has.

I greatly admire President Obama and still think he’s the best man for the job, but I fear it has come too late.  The last thirty-some years of incredibly partisan politics have put a wedge in this system that I’m starting to believe is insurmountable.  You’ve got about forty percent of the US Congress that refuses to participate and actively obstructs any action, and the other sixty percent cannot achieve even a modicum of unity on any major issue.

If Brown wins this Senate seat tomorrow in the DARK BLUE state of Massachusetts tomorrow, that’s it.

The merits of the Cascadia secession movement aside, I wouldn’t read too much into it if Coakley loses tomorrow. Not that it wouldn’t be a horrid thing, but given 10%+ unemployment, etc., is it really so surprising that there’s an anti-incumbent mood out there?

I know Coakley didn’t hold the seat, but she’s the establishment candidate of the party in power, and from what I’ve read, she ran an almost comically lame-ass campaign—actually taking the holidays off and counting on her name recognition and Dem establishment status to coast to victory.

Whereas Brown, while he might be a gay-hatin’ Cosmo boy, has harnessed discontent effectively by running as a man of the people in a beat-up truck when that sort of message resonates.

I don’t really know dick about local politics in any state except Florida—and Massachusetts, a little. I lived up there for a few years—it’s the only state I’ve ever spent any significant amount of time in BESIDES Florida. Granted it was a long time ago, but my read was / is that while the state is certainly more blue than red, it’s not as pinko as folks assume. Remember, it was Massachusetts that gave us Governor Mittens!

Anyway, I really hope Coakley surprises everyone and beats the pants off [heh] phony populist Brown. But even if he wins, I guess I don’t see it as the death knell of democracy that you do. Maybe I’m just an incurable optimist. But I’ve rarely been accused of that.

SAT prep time!

Glenn Greenwald + Jane Hamsher: Tea Party Patriots:: John McCain: _______.

A. PUMAPac
B. Just Say No Deal
C. Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild
D. Bill Kristol
E. all of the above

The answer?

E. all of the above

The relationship of the first item to the second is as follows: the first item, misled by the heat and volume of the second, believes it has identified an alliance that will lead to victory, and the decision has devastating impact on the first’s career.

Well played, Allan!

And I too would put a defeat by Coakley more in the anti-incumbent/we’ve got ours in MA with healthcare camp than the death knell of America. But hey, I’m all in favor of a tea party movement that allows blue states to get back an equal share of the tax dollars they send to the feds, rather than subsidizing those Big Gummint-hatin’ red states in the South and the West who suckle more government-funding titty than they provide. Those are the real “welfare queens” we should be talking about, IMO.

But even if he wins, I guess I don’t see it as the death knell of democracy that you do. Maybe I’m just an incurable optimist. But I’ve rarely been accused of that.

It’s not the death knell of democracy, but it is the beginning of the end of our current federal system.  There is a reason why virtually every other democracy in the world has all but abolished their upper legislative houses.  The Senate is no longer a check and/or balance; it is merely a means for the elite in this country to prevent anything from happening.

I could possibly get behind a movement to abolish the Senate, but I will brazenly state that I see Cascadia secession as a much more likely scenario.