Crossposted from MY LEFT WING
This Is the Face of the Republican Party:
For the last few days, the same group of indistinguishable sweaty white people who gathered in New York in 2004 — and plastered purple bandaids on themselves to mock the military service of John Kerry and the wounds that merited his three Purple Heart medals — have spent their time in St. Paul at their 2008 convention alternately worshipping their own war hero (who languished, lamentably, tortured in a POW camp, while Kerry fought in that war, earning those Purple Hearts in combat) — and jeering the candidacy and accomplishments of Barack Obama and his millions of Democratic followers.
On the face of it, the Grand Old Party looks to be having a good old time in St. Paul. A grand old party, in fact. Laughter, after all, is the best medicine, right? Sure is… And god knows, we’re all in need of some sort of a cure.
But the contrast between the two political conventions held this summer could not be more stark, and while there will always be a substantial segment of the population ready to fall for the re-constituted manure these folks have packaged and are handing out in their pitifully tiny venue in St. Paul — their medicine won’t work. Laughing at someone is never as powerful as laughing with someone. And we all know it.
They’ve been up to their old tricks: thinly veiled racism in the form of dismissing “community organisers” as little more than do-nothing welfare cheerleaders; howling “Zero” while lying through their teeth about Obama’s career record; claiming Washington is broken while ignoring the fact that they’ve been in charge for the past 16 years; calling Washington “liberal,” of all things, while ignoring the fact that they’ve been in charge for the past 16 years; bizarrely chanting slogans better suited to Nuremberg rallies (ironic, considering the mock concerns whispered about just such imagery at the DNC convention by Peggy Noonan, whose true opinions were recently exposed by her inability to shut up with an open mike on her collar)…
Oh, the list goes on and on, my friends…
The Democratic convention, by contrast, was a veritable paint-by-numbers portrait in positivity. By no means did Senator Obama or any of the featured speakers shirk their duties: they were there to do three things — rally the Democratic base, make the case for Barack Obama to the American people and make the case against John McCain. Check, check and checkmate.
Now, to those of us more rabidly partisan among the “ANGRY LEFT,” the myriad acknowledgements of the laudable and honourable service of John McCain to his country were like icepicks to our lizard brains. “NOOOOOO! Kick him in the NUTS!!!” I could almost hear my fellow frothing left wingers in their respective living rooms screaming it with me.
But that’s not what most liberals and Democrats are about, you see. UNLIKE most “conservatives” and Republicans, liberals and Democrats do not thrive on nasty, hate-filled, jeering mockery and snide dismissal of our opponents and their beliefs. Liberals and Democrats actually BELIEVE in the Constitution and in the principles on which this country was founded: that the better angels of our nature must be our guides as we strive to progress in our development and maturing as a nation, as a people. And that this demands cooperation, civility and compromise — even as we struggle against each other in our ideological battles.
The contrast could not be clearer as we watch the last throes of this truly pitiable display of Republican “pride.” Their laughter truly does ring hollow, coming as it does at the expense of good men and women; in their cries of “Country first” you can hear an almost audible echo of “But not for YOU, you stinking liberal Democrats!” Sneering faces, hateful screeds against anything new or different, anything that challenges a way of life not their own — these people could easily have been transported to St. Paul from any time and place in mid-20th century America… as long as it was Whites Only. Even the younger attendees look just like the youth of mid-fifties white America. They might as well be wearing their pledge pins.
Their time is coming to an end, and they can feel it; you can see the sweat pouring down their faces. They’re terrified. Fear brings out the ugliness in people of weak character. Fear turns to hatred.
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A 25 year-old diarist at dkos, bless him, was absolutely shocked by what he called “the most hateful display” he’s ever seen. Obviously not quite paying attention during Pat Buchanan’s 1992 speech, the one that apparently inspired Ms. Palin to become a Republican (and that tells us all we need to know about her).
In his desire to shake off any residual bad juju left from this hateful display, the diarist (Muzikal203) created an impressive and inspiring, appropriately 21st century version of a photo album of the uplifting and positive Democratic convention for people to enjoy. I’m positive he will not mind a bit that I’m passing it on to you all:
(I guess the format here doesn’t allow it — see the MLW version?)
