Gas Pains
Tom grew up in Milwaukee, bartended in Wauwatosa in the '70s and moved here in 1984.
Commentary, observations and musings about the outdoors, life in general and maybe Tosa politics and personalities will be the order of the day. He savors a lively debate as much as terrific cooking.
The Spineless Middle
There has been an interesting discussion going-on over at the Tosa Town Square. It's basically a critique of David Letterman's tasteless joking about the Palin family.
Anyway, as the discussion ensued I was referred-to as a member of the spineless middle which inspired me to offload about some stuff that has been rolling around and cluttering my normally well-ordered mind.
Republican politics to be exact.
Last month I noticed over on the home page of the Tosa GOP that they had hosted a social hour. The invitation said that “disaffected Republicans were especially welcome.”
Nosing about the various posts I stumbled across this comment:
I totally agree- There are so many things happening in the Obama administration- the liberals in the House and Senate stripping away at our Freedoms every time you turn around. It makes my head spin! It makes me so angry when you contact your representatives and they send back a response that is so inane and Unbelievable! It’s obvious that they don’t care at all what their constituents think they are just pushing their own agendas.
But, the more they try to ignore us- the more it makes me fight back!
Now that sounds like a disaffected Republican.
I never fail to get a chuckle out of this contrived outrage.
On the topic of those missing freedoms I want my readers to know that I still have my blogs so it would appear that the First Amendment is alive and well.
I did a quick check of all of my firearms. Yep - all present and accounted-for. I've even augmented my inventory recently so it looks to me that nobody's snatched-away the Second Amendment while I wasn't looking.
And if I had to guess - the probability of me being wire-tapped is less likely today than a couple of years ago.
So how about the rest of you? Anybody else get that freedom shake-down?
This comment strikes me as something that is symptomatic of what the GOP has morphed-into.
Has anybody besides me noticed what's happened to the Republican Party recently?
They are on an inexorable slide to becoming irrelevant.
Ironically this was self-inflicted – with the resulting consequence that they have also become more than cranky.
They have become shrill.
In their quest for some sort of ideological purity the GOP’s lurch to the radical right has resulted in a rejection of one of Ronald Reagan’s core principles.
Yep - no more big tent.
They may have a pup tent - but it would be very small and exclusive.
I wonder if there might be room for someone like me who believes in science-based resource management?
Nah. In Wisconsin Republican politicians only listen to whiny barstool biologists.
How about someone that believes in evolution?
Nope. We told you science makes our heads hurt.
OK. What about same-sex couples that desire the same rights as the rest of us married folks?
Are you out of your mind?
How about dissent?
Criticism of the Governor from Alaska is verboten! We all must sing from the same hymnal.
OK. How about immigration, reproductive rights, Habeas Corpus, union members, stem cell research, public education, or taxes?
No, no, no, no, no, no and NO!
Moderates and independents?
RINOS!
Believe it or not I think the GOP is gloating over finally succeeding in purging the last vestige of college-educated, upper-income individuals from their ranks. To which they would shout…
Elitists!
Even poor Levi Johnston has been abandoned. His political usefulness lasting only as long as the half-life of his former future mother-in-law’s election campaign.
That’s family values for you.
There's something else I've noticed.
The GOP has begun to devolve into just-plain silliness.
Casting-about for leadership after having their ass handed to them in the last election you'd think they'd wise-up to selecting maybe a sharp and thoughtful individual for direction. Or perhaps even an average but articulate individual.
You're probably thinking - Hey, you must mean Rush Limbaugh. I read about that in the news.
Nope.
Not when you can follow a plumber named Joe. He's all the rage now. If you get more than a handful of the grumpy base together at one of their right wing gatherings they'll be falling all over themselves to meet the guy with the butt crack and get his autograph on that ghost-written book of his.
Does ridiculous caricature come to mind?
In keeping with the Monty Python playbook of party governance there are now Tea Parties.
And not your grand mum’s tea party. You know - with scones and polite conversation.
We're talking about people with signs and bullhorns. People raging about how their taxes have gone up, their liberties crushed and socialists hiding in their woodsheds.
Hurriedly, I checked with my CPA and he confirmed that the tax law didn't change in the last three months. I quickly ran to check the woodshed and believe it or not found - kittens! That's sure scarier than Bolsheviks. And I covered the liberty matter already.
These tea parties remind me of bread and circuses.
You know - a delightful blend of fun and distraction choreographed to keep everyone’s mind off of the orgy of spending that happened under the last eight years of Republican rule.
Geez – Tom – you’re talking like a heretic. You are making trouble.
You know me I don't want any trouble.
However, I would like to know how you sweep under the rug the cost of underwriting a couple of wars and Medicare Part D. Or that nagging little problem of a sorely wounded economy accompanied by the implosion of the financial markets. Or the TARP funds allocated to atone for those sins. Not to mention the garden-variety across-the-board deficit spending.
Alas, the GOP will tell you – None of that counts anymore - ignore that man behind the curtain.
You see - tea parties are a great way to distract the people from almost a decade of bad behavior and a current dearth of ideas.
Listen-up folks, it is Obama's fault. He's a Marxist you know. A Muslim Marxist too. He did the terrorist fist bump. It was on the internet.
Sometimes I think that it is a blessing Ronald Reagan did not live to see what it has all sunk to.
So for whatever it is worth I want to step-up upon my soap box and say this-
Yoo hoo. GOP.
It's me, Tom.
Yeah, me. I'm over here.
Here In this big crowd. Over here in the big fat middle. Remember us?
I have a piece of advice for you. Free advice too.
Knock it off with the nonsense.
And stop insulting us like we are part of your narrow-minded and dwindling base.
When you finally hit bottom and come to your senses look us up.
Remember you need our RINO votes.
Until then - I and my compatriots bid you a hearty adieu on your journey through the desert.
There. I feel better already. More venting over at the other blog too - different subject but more silly people.
This site uses Facebook comments to make it easier for you to contribute. If you see a comment you would like to flag for spam or abuse, click the "x" in the upper right of it. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use.