The Wingnut Singularity

[Qlumez]

The wingnuts will probably drive everyone else out to the point even the GOP bigwigs that rile them up for votes will start finding them inconvenient.

[MaziChino]

I think the end of the right wing will be when they move so far to the right that the people can no longer tolerate the craziness. However I do not see this happening any time soon.

Right now they are just trying to out bat-shit each other. A lot will depend on how the next election goes. If all of the crazy wingnuts such as the tea party and the ones that are even farther right than them, if that is truly possible, lose and these types keep losing then the party will have to either come back to the center or die.

We know that that will not happen until the tea party is just a memory because they are the driving force behind a lot of the crazy shit.

[Kaeshar]

The wingnuts will probably drive everyone else out to the point even the GOP bigwigs that rile them up for votes will start finding them inconvenient.

Unless the bigwigs ARE wingnuts as well.

[Ashmoria]

In other words, the Republican party is going to self destruct, whether it will go out with a bang or a whimper remains to be seen.

Personally, I'm not old enough to really know much about the rise of the wingnuts in the Republican party, but for me, the crazyness became completely obvious with the 2010 elections, and possibly the beginnings of that earlier. However, while the OP is right about it getting kicked into overdrive with 2008, heck, the 2008 election gave hints of the overdrive to come with Palin. Seriously, the candidates in 2008 (except for Ron Paul, who I caught contradicting himself once in a debate back then) seemed normal compared to what we have now.

Still, in hindsight, the republican party was already degrading during the Bush years, even if it wasn't outright crazy then.

welp it used to be that the worst ideas were kept under wraps and only talked about in public through very subtle dog whistles.

back when bill buckley kept the john birch society out ofthe mainstream of the republican party.

then, in response to nominating john mccain, under the theory that he was too establishment and too moderate to win, (as if any republican had a chance in '08) the party under the leadership of michael steele decided to open up the process and give more power to the base in the primaries.

it turns out that the base is crazy and ought not be allowed to choose candidates. well at least the under $100k/year base who have no real reason to BE republicans except for their insanely right social issues. the over $100k crowd has voted overwhelmingly for mitt romney--the sanest candidate, the most establishment candidate and the candidate who will do the most for the over $100k voters. the under $100k crowd prefers rick santorum or newt gingrich. they also chose all the amazingly stupid tea partiers in congress today.

giving crazy people more power makes the party crazier. whoda thunk it?

[Imsogone]

In other words, the Republican party is going to self destruct, whether it will go out with a bang or a whimper remains to be seen.

Personally, I'm not old enough to really know much about the rise of the wingnuts in the Republican party, but for me, the crazyness became completely obvious with the 2010 elections, and possibly the beginnings of that earlier. However, while the OP is right about it getting kicked into overdrive with 2008, heck, the 2008 election gave hints of the overdrive to come with Palin. Seriously, the candidates in 2008 (except for Ron Paul, who I caught contradicting himself once in a debate back then) seemed normal compared to what we have now.

Still, in hindsight, the republican party was already degrading during the Bush years, even if it wasn't outright crazy then.

welp it used to be that the worst ideas were kept under wraps and only talked about in public through very subtle dog whistles.

back when bill buckley kept the john birch society out ofthe mainstream of the republican party.

then, in response to nominating john mccain, under the theory that he was too establishment and too moderate to win, (as if any republican had a chance in '08) the party under the leadership of michael steele decided to open up the process and give more power to the base in the primaries.

it turns out that the base is crazy and ought not be allowed to choose candidates. well at least the under $100k/year base who have no real reason to BE republicans except for their insanely right social issues. the over $100k crowd has voted overwhelmingly for mitt romney--the sanest candidate, the most establishment candidate and the candidate who will do the most for the over $100k voters. the under $100k crowd prefers rick santorum or newt gingrich. they also chose all the amazingly stupid tea partiers in congress today.

giving crazy people more power makes the party crazier. whoda thunk it?

My son is one the crazy ones. It really makes me heartsick. My daughter, who's in the military, cringes when she hears the name Gingrich and outright cries in fear when she hears the name Santorum. You'd think she'd be the crazy one because she's Air Force and commissioned. But, no, it's my son. I've tried talking to him, invoking critical thinking, but he just cites Fox News. Kill me now.

[Kaeshar]

In other words, the Republican party is going to self destruct, whether it will go out with a bang or a whimper remains to be seen.

Personally, I'm not old enough to really know much about the rise of the wingnuts in the Republican party, but for me, the crazyness became completely obvious with the 2010 elections, and possibly the beginnings of that earlier. However, while the OP is right about it getting kicked into overdrive with 2008, heck, the 2008 election gave hints of the overdrive to come with Palin. Seriously, the candidates in 2008 (except for Ron Paul, who I caught contradicting himself once in a debate back then) seemed normal compared to what we have now.

Still, in hindsight, the republican party was already degrading during the Bush years, even if it wasn't outright crazy then.

welp it used to be that the worst ideas were kept under wraps and only talked about in public through very subtle dog whistles.

back when bill buckley kept the john birch society out ofthe mainstream of the republican party.

then, in response to nominating john mccain, under the theory that he was too establishment and too moderate to win, (as if any republican had a chance in '08) the party under the leadership of michael steele decided to open up the process and give more power to the base in the primaries.

it turns out that the base is crazy and ought not be allowed to choose candidates. well at least the under $100k/year base who have no real reason to BE republicans except for their insanely right social issues. the over $100k crowd has voted overwhelmingly for mitt romney--the sanest candidate, the most establishment candidate and the candidate who will do the most for the over $100k voters. the under $100k crowd prefers rick santorum or newt gingrich. they also chose all the amazingly stupid tea partiers in congress today.

giving crazy people more power makes the party crazier. whoda thunk it?

Seems like as quoted below, seriously fixing up our education system would help 'cure' this problem, so I suppouse this whole wingnut stuff is more incentive to massively reform education (and bring down college costs).

Their support has to come from somewhere.

Mostly from the uneducated. Someone in another thread posted a map of the the country filled in with levels of college education. The higher levels all voted more towards the left in the last presidential election, and generally do. This is why we see attitudes coming from the right about child labor and how its snobbery to want everyone to get a college education. An actual educated critical thinker most likely wouldn't fall for all the lies and misdirection. For someone able to actually judge the facts of an issue, there is almost always no black and white. No rule covers every situation... but for someone untrained in critical thinking, it saves them a hellofalot of time to have one rule and enforce... no matter what the consequences.

[Kaeshar]

welp it used to be that the worst ideas were kept under wraps and only talked about in public through very subtle dog whistles.

back when bill buckley kept the john birch society out ofthe mainstream of the republican party.

then, in response to nominating john mccain, under the theory that he was too establishment and too moderate to win, (as if any republican had a chance in '08) the party under the leadership of michael steele decided to open up the process and give more power to the base in the primaries.

it turns out that the base is crazy and ought not be allowed to choose candidates. well at least the under $100k/year base who have no real reason to BE republicans except for their insanely right social issues. the over $100k crowd has voted overwhelmingly for mitt romney--the sanest candidate, the most establishment candidate and the candidate who will do the most for the over $100k voters. the under $100k crowd prefers rick santorum or newt gingrich. they also chose all the amazingly stupid tea partiers in congress today.

giving crazy people more power makes the party crazier. whoda thunk it?

My son is one the crazy ones. It really makes me heartsick. My daughter, who's in the military, cringes when she hears the name Gingrich and outright cries in fear when she hears the name Santorum. You'd think she'd be the crazy one because she's Air Force and commissioned. But, no, it's my son. I've tried talking to him, invoking critical thinking, but he just cites Fox News. Kill me now.

Its Fox News that needs to be killed

Also, what do you mean she outright cries in fear about Santorum? I know his ideas and plans are horrible, but still, just wondering what her thoughts are, if you don't mind me asking.

[Ashmoria]

welp it used to be that the worst ideas were kept under wraps and only talked about in public through very subtle dog whistles.

back when bill buckley kept the john birch society out ofthe mainstream of the republican party.

then, in response to nominating john mccain, under the theory that he was too establishment and too moderate to win, (as if any republican had a chance in '08) the party under the leadership of michael steele decided to open up the process and give more power to the base in the primaries.

it turns out that the base is crazy and ought not be allowed to choose candidates. well at least the under $100k/year base who have no real reason to BE republicans except for their insanely right social issues. the over $100k crowd has voted overwhelmingly for mitt romney--the sanest candidate, the most establishment candidate and the candidate who will do the most for the over $100k voters. the under $100k crowd prefers rick santorum or newt gingrich. they also chose all the amazingly stupid tea partiers in congress today.

giving crazy people more power makes the party crazier. whoda thunk it?

My son is one the crazy ones. It really makes me heartsick. My daughter, who's in the military, cringes when she hears the name Gingrich and outright cries in fear when she hears the name Santorum. You'd think she'd be the crazy one because she's Air Force and commissioned. But, no, it's my son. I've tried talking to him, invoking critical thinking, but he just cites Fox News. Kill me now.

how does that even happen? god ought to rethink that whole free will thing.

[Imsogone]

My son is one the crazy ones. It really makes me heartsick. My daughter, who's in the military, cringes when she hears the name Gingrich and outright cries in fear when she hears the name Santorum. You'd think she'd be the crazy one because she's Air Force and commissioned. But, no, it's my son. I've tried talking to him, invoking critical thinking, but he just cites Fox News. Kill me now.

Its Fox News that needs to be killed

Also, what do you mean she outright cries in fear about Santorum? I know his ideas and plans are horrible, but still, just wondering what her thoughts are, if you don't mind me asking.

Slight overstatement. She says that she's afraid of what Santorum stands for and what he'll do if he gets in office. Understand, she has a Master's in Public Health (spec. epidemiology) and thinks that he may actually be hazardous to the physical health of this country, but then she thinks that of all the Republican front runners.

[Kaeshar]

I did watch both CNN and Fox a while back to get both views, but Fox News's arrogance among other things turned me off from that.

[Kaeshar]

Its Fox News that needs to be killed

Also, what do you mean she outright cries in fear about Santorum? I know his ideas and plans are horrible, but still, just wondering what her thoughts are, if you don't mind me asking.

Slight overstatement. She says that she's afraid of what Santorum stands for and what he'll do when he gets in office. Understand, she has a Master's in Public Health (spec. epidemiology) and thinks that he may actually be hazardous to the physical health of this country, but then she thinks that of all the Republican front runners.

Heh, I'm sure you've read the santorum thread and the republican election thread, most of us (including me) think he would plunge the country off the cliff and doing things that would shock our allies. At least Romney is sane, but he'll likely ruin the economy like Bush did. However, he isn't stupid like Bush, so there is a chance, if slim, that we'll be fine with a Romney presidency, but I wouldn't really bet on it.

[Imsogone]

Slight overstatement. She says that she's afraid of what Santorum stands for and what he'll do when he gets in office. Understand, she has a Master's in Public Health (spec. epidemiology) and thinks that he may actually be hazardous to the physical health of this country, but then she thinks that of all the Republican front runners.

Heh, I'm sure you've read the santorum thread and the republican election thread, most of us (including me) think he would plunge the country off the cliff and doing things that would shock our allies. At least Romney is sane, but he'll likely ruin the economy like Bush did. However, he isn't stupid like Bush, so there is a chance, if slim, that we'll be fine with a Romney presidency, but I wouldn't really bet on it.

I'm a registered Republican (my not-so-secret shame). I'm one of an endangered specie - the moderate/centrist Republican (with slight left leanings with certain issues like women's rights and health care). I'll vote for Romney in the primary just because he's the least unpleasant option. My son calls him a RINO (Republican in Name Only) which tells you how bad the party's become. I guess, by my son's estimation, that I'm a RINO as well, because I believe that Barry Goldwater was the last Republican that made any sense.

[Free Soviets]

In other words, the Republican party is going to self destruct, whether it will go out with a bang or a whimper remains to be seen.

Personally, I'm not old enough to really know much about the rise of the wingnuts in the Republican party, but for me, the crazyness became completely obvious with the 2010 elections, and possibly the beginnings of that earlier. However, while the OP is right about it getting kicked into overdrive with 2008, heck, the 2008 election gave hints of the overdrive to come with Palin. Seriously, the candidates in 2008 (except for Ron Paul, who I caught contradicting himself once in a debate back then) seemed normal compared to what we have now.

Still, in hindsight, the republican party was already degrading during the Bush years, even if it wasn't outright crazy then.

i dunno, the 2008 elections offered more than just hints. erick son of erick of RedState.com - now a paid political commentator for CNN - spent 2008 writing things like this:

The National Enquirer now suggests Barack Obama had an underage, gay affair with a pedophile. Yup. That Frank Marshall Davis guy Barry says was his good friend? Turns out he was a perv of the first order and liked young boys.

This post is not intended to spread that rumor. Frankly, if Obama wins, we’ll have our hands full around here making sure folks don’t develop Obama Derangement Syndrome.

they spaced it out and it wasn't quite so hard for people to keep up with the sheer volume of insanity. but the rot was definitely already set in.

[New Conglomerate]

The problem with the wingnut singularity is that really won't stop until something huge happens. I don't know what that thing will be, but it will seriously hurt people.

The whole contraception debate has only proven to me that the right cannot stop itself anymore. There is literally nothing containing them. Not money, not politics, not elections, not even goddamn reality.

[Simon Cowell of the RR]

Heh, I'm sure you've read the santorum thread and the republican election thread, most of us (including me) think he would plunge the country off the cliff and doing things that would shock our allies. At least Romney is sane, but he'll likely ruin the economy like Bush did. However, he isn't stupid like Bush, so there is a chance, if slim, that we'll be fine with a Romney presidency, but I wouldn't really bet on it.

I'm a registered Republican (my not-so-secret shame). I'm one of an endangered specie - the moderate/centrist Republican (with slight left leanings with certain issues like women's rights and health care). I'll vote for Romney in the primary just because he's the least unpleasant option. My son calls him a RINO (Republican in Name Only) which tells you how bad the party's become. I guess, by my son's estimation, that I'm a RINO as well, because I believe that Barry Goldwater was the last Republican that made any sense.

Exactly. I am a Democrat, which is another way of saying an Eisenhower-era conservative.

[Sulfar]

Bush Jr. will probably be a liberal in the eyes of the next generation of Republicans. Mark my words

[Imsogone]

Bush Jr. will probably be a liberal in the eyes of the next generation of Republicans. Mark my words

Already happening. My son tells me that Bush is a closet socialist.

At first, when my son told me that he no longer supported Bush, I was delighted. Then he dropped the above on me.

[New Conglomerate]

Bush Jr. will probably be a liberal in the eyes of the next generation of Republicans. Mark my words

Already happening. My son tells me that Bush is a closet socialist.

At first, when my son told me that he no longer supported Bush, I was delighted. Then he dropped the above on me.

My fucking god.

It's even worse than I thought...

[Tekania]

Bush Jr. will probably be a liberal in the eyes of the next generation of Republicans. Mark my words

Already happening. My son tells me that Bush is a closet socialist.

At first, when my son told me that he no longer supported Bush, I was delighted. Then he dropped the above on me.

As they say, be careful what you wish for, you may get it.

[Vousielle]

Everyone needs to calm the hell down. You are overlooking the obvious silver-lining. We have achieved singularity. If we can figure out a way to harness the power of crazy we will have free unlimited energy forever!!

[Sulfar]

Your son needs some NSG therapy (dear God..), if I might say

[Azakhia]

The issue is all the damn mega-right wing talking heads that are convincing people to hand the reigns of the party over to increasingly reactionary leadership. What was a center-right party fairly attractive to moderates is becoming something more akin to the British National Party, marginalizing and disowning anyone who isn't a crazy maniac.

I actually hope for serious losses this election year, perhaps it might convince the party I once identified myself with to return to a form that can actually move forward in the modern world.

Naturally for that to happen we'll have to take commentators like Rush Limbaugh out behind the shed and do what has to be done.

From a former Republican that used to listen to Limbaugh, and to Glen Beck when he was with CNN...

You are so correct. The party of the moderates has been taken over by the lunatic fringe of the old guard. They are not going to allow anyone that is not a member in standing with the old guard to run.

I was very disappointed with the party during the Bush/Clinton campaign. While Clinton had figured out a way to motivate the younger voters, the Republican party decided to remain loyal to the older members of the party. I guess that the old guard has not figured out that the old members of the court are dying off, and that they need to look at the younger voters.

During Dubya's two terms, they also failed to win over the younger voters. Not only that, but they also have failed to keep up with the times. How many of you remember the Republican Party returning all the donations back to the Young Republican Homosexuals? Another example of the party failing to keep up with the times and the younger voter base.

For the younger ones of you, go back to Sara Palin. She was selected by McCain as the running mate, not the party. That pissed the party so much, that they actually went into overdrive mode to sabotage her and make her look like a total fool. It did not matter how much she motivated the younger voter base, it was the fact that she was not a member of the old guard, and there was no way they would tolerate an outsider into the election. They were willing to loose the Presidential election rather than let a non-member of the guard be in office.

During the last mid-term elections, the Tea Party made a lot of gains. However, the national Republican Party publicly stated that they would not support any Tea Party primary winners with money. Another act of suicide by the old guard.

And lately, the party that calls for individual freedoms wants to make same sex marriage illegal, and even wants to pass a defense of marriage act. So much for individual freedoms.

Then there is Herman Cain. Another person that was motivating the younger undecided Republican voter base. Of course, he was not a politician, and definitively not a member of the old guard, so he had to go by any means available.

And most recently, abortion. The lunatic fringe old guard has decided that in addition to no homos, we must not have an abortions. So we must pass as many laws as we can to make abortion as impossible as can be made without breaking the current law.

The have not changed their overall attitude, and the old guard is still in charge of the party elite. How else can you explain Newt still being in the race?

As for being a former listener of Limbaugh and Beck ( I started watching him when he was on CNN), that will wait for another post.

[Ashmoria]

Your son needs some NSG therapy (dear God..), if I might say

its not a joke.

i look at redstate.com and those people post lies with no one allowed to call them on it. sometimes the same kind of thing happens at dailykos--they get all upset about <whatever> and there is no one there to talk them down.

but HERE when you post some stupid lie of the right or of the left there is almost always someone who posts the TRUTH. ... there are those who counter with their own lies and those who try to distract with a "so and so does it too" comment but sooner or later someone comes in with the TRUTH and its hard to keep up your own delusion.

its invaluable.

[Wikkiwallana]

The issue is all the damn mega-right wing talking heads that are convincing people to hand the reigns of the party over to increasingly reactionary leadership. What was a center-right party fairly attractive to moderates is becoming something more akin to the British National Party, marginalizing and disowning anyone who isn't a crazy maniac.

I actually hope for serious losses this election year, perhaps it might convince the party I once identified myself with to return to a form that can actually move forward in the modern world.

Naturally for that to happen we'll have to take commentators like Rush Limbaugh out behind the shed and do what has to be done.

From a former Republican that used to listen to Limbaugh, and to Glen Beck when he was with CNN...

You are so correct. The party of the moderates has been taken over by the lunatic fringe of the old guard. They are not going to allow anyone that is not a member in standing with the old guard to run.

I was very disappointed with the party during the Bush/Clinton campaign. While Clinton had figured out a way to motivate the younger voters, the Republican party decided to remain loyal to the older members of the party. I guess that the old guard has not figured out that the old members of the court are dying off, and that they need to look at the younger voters.

During Dubya's two terms, they also failed to win over the younger voters. Not only that, but they also have failed to keep up with the times. How many of you remember the Republican Party returning all the donations back to the Young Republican Homosexuals? Another example of the party failing to keep up with the times and the younger voter base.

For the younger ones of you, go back to Sara Palin. She was selected by McCain as the running mate, not the party. That pissed the party so much, that they actually went into overdrive mode to sabotage her and make her look like a total fool. It did not matter how much she motivated the younger voter base, it was the fact that she was not a member of the old guard, and there was no way they would tolerate an outsider into the election. They were willing to loose the Presidential election rather than let a non-member of the guard be in office.

During the last mid-term elections, the Tea Party made a lot of gains. However, the national Republican Party publicly stated that they would not support any Tea Party primary winners with money. Another act of suicide by the old guard.

And lately, the party that calls for individual freedoms wants to make same sex marriage illegal, and even wants to pass a defense of marriage act. So much for individual freedoms.

Then there is Herman Cain. Another person that was motivating the younger undecided Republican voter base. Of course, he was not a politician, and definitively not a member of the old guard, so he had to go by any means available.

And most recently, abortion. The lunatic fringe old guard has decided that in addition to no homos, we must not have an abortions. So we must pass as many laws as we can to make abortion as impossible as can be made without breaking the current law.

The have not changed their overall attitude, and the old guard is still in charge of the party elite. How else can you explain Newt still being in the race?

As for being a former listener of Limbaugh and Beck ( I started watching him when he was on CNN), that will wait for another post.

To be fair, Palin and Cain were their own undoing. All that had to be done to make them look like idiots was let them speak on camera and not edit the footage.

[Imsogone]

Your son needs some NSG therapy (dear God..), if I might say

its not a joke.

i look at redstate.com and those people post lies with no one allowed to call them on it. sometimes the same kind of thing happens at dailykos--they get all upset about <whatever> and there is no one there to talk them down.

but HERE when you post some stupid lie of the right or of the left there is almost always someone who posts the TRUTH. ... there are those who counter with their own lies and those who try to distract with a "so and so does it too" comment but sooner or later someone comes in with the TRUTH and its hard to keep up your own delusion.

its invaluable.

For the rational and reasonable, it works. My son, as much as I love him, is neither. I think it's something genetic or chemical, because critical thinking just doesn't work for these people. They round up their talking points and their Fox News citations and say, "don't confuse me with facts, I've made up my mind". They lock themselves into logic-tight compartments and only allow in the information that supports their delusions. NS wouldn't help with him and his fellow-travelers, they'd take offense, call names and leave. He's even resurrected the racist language of the '50s only he applies it to liberals - "some of my best friends are liberals".