Feb 16 2012

Wut?

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Can someone please explain to me how it can possibly make sense for Mitt Romney to run in motherfucken Michigan–whose economy was undeniably flat-out saved by George W. Bush’s decision to bail out the automobile companies–on a platform of “that was a socialist terrible idea”? I mean is this some kind of Lee Atwater “nigger, nigger, nigger” thing that I’m not understanding?

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1

F

February 16, 2012 at 5:52 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment

In the mindset of some sizable fraction of the U.S. population, socialism does not include, variously: economic protectionism, tax breaks, cheap resource rights, overpriced contracts, subsidies, favorable regulations, and bailouts for corporations; the military, and Medicare.

Frequently, short attention span and memories, and cognitive dissonance are relied upon, as well as the lack of critical thinking.

Shorter: You only have to appeal to the Freudian id of the proper bit of the political spectrum, you aren’t required to actually make any sense.
2

Anonymous

February 16, 2012 at 6:37 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment

Michigan–whose economy was undeniably flat-out saved

Is that the same Michigan of which parts are basically governed by the fucking liquidators now?

(Not arguing against your broader point though. And yeah, yeah, RT, I know — it’s all propaganda these days sonny; pick your poison.)
3

sailor1031

February 16, 2012 at 7:28 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment

What intrigues me is that Romney is blaming Obama for the bailout that occurred before he even became president. Yes I know Obama added to it. But it is simple mendacity to blame Obama and not even mention that this was a republican idea in the first place. Not that I expect anything but lies from Romney – geez what a slime ball!
4

noastronomer

February 16, 2012 at 12:06 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment

My spin on F’s comment:

In the US socialism is when the government gives money to other people. Capitalism is when the government gives you money.

Mike.
5

reasonbeing

February 16, 2012 at 2:43 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment

Best answer: just turn off your brain. After all, it is the Republican strategy. Critical Thinking is clearly not encouraged.
6

Spiny Norman

February 16, 2012 at 4:53 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment

The allele appeared and spread through the population long ago, so the phenotype is a common one:

“Major Major’s father was a sober God-fearing man whose idea of a good joke was to lie about his age. He was a long-limbed farmer, a God-fearing, freedom-loving, law-abiding rugged individualist who held that federal aid to anyone but farmers was creeping socialism. He advocated thrift and hard work and disapproved of loose women who turned him down…

Major Major’s father was an outspoken champion of economy in government, provided it did not interfere with the sacred duty of government to pay farmers as much as they could get for all the alfalfa they produced that no one else wanted or for not producing any alfalfa at all. He was a proud and independent man who was opposed to unemployment insurance and never hesitated to whine, whimper, wheedle, and extort for as much as he could get from whomever he could. He was a devout man whose pulpit was everywhere…

Major Major’s father had a Calvinist’s faith in predestination and could perceive distinctly how everyone’s misfortunes but his own were expressions of God’s will.

http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/pdocs/heller_major.pdf
7

otrame

February 16, 2012 at 6:58 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment

Reminds me of an NPR reporter (might have been Charlayne Hunter-Gault, but I am not sure) who was talking to a farmer about all of his tax money that went to welfare recipients and how that was just wrong and they should stand up on their own two feet and quit sucking on the government teat.

She then said, “Tell me, sir, how much do you get in farm subsidies every year?”

After a long silence, and then some hemming and hawing, he admitted “$26,000″. At the time I believe the poverty level was considered to be about 19 or 20K.
8

blindrobin

February 17, 2012 at 6:35 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment

You will only drive yourself mad trying to grasp the intricate reasoning of cabbages.
9

PalMD

February 17, 2012 at 6:57 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment

As a Michigander, yes, it’s all about race. Once you cross 8 mile road, everything changes. A portion of SE Michigan is heavily minority-influenced and generally liberal. The west part of the state is bible belt white as snow. The counties ringing detroit are 2nd generation white-flighters.
10

DLC

February 18, 2012 at 4:02 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment

Romney is appealing to those of the GOP who are not members of the UAW, or unions in general. He’s going after the white collar types who damn the government while planning on or actively collecting social security retirement benefits.
It’s a prestige issue with Romney. he has to do well in Michigan, which he has called his home state. Politics is an insane, alice-in-wonderland business.
11

physioprof

February 18, 2012 at 2:39 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment

test
12

StevoR

February 19, 2012 at 6:37 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment

Can someone please explain to me how it can possibly make sense for Mitt Romney to run in motherfucken Michigan–whose economy was undeniably flat-out saved by George W. Bush’s decision to bail out the automobile companies–on a platform of “that was a socialist terrible idea?

Maybe somebody can but if so, it ain’t me.
13

StevoR

February 19, 2012 at 6:42 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment

@11. physioprof – February 18, 2012 at 2:39 pm :

test

Ok.

What am I beng tested on?

My knowledge of astronomy, fire away.

My knowledge of say, botany, please give me time to swot up.

Sirius~ly, I can see that so I’m guessing it worked – didn’t it?
14

StevoR

February 19, 2012 at 6:43 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment

No! Not my typing ability.

Noo-oooo! Please no! Anything but that!

Durnit! I always fail dat. *Sigh*
15

skeptifem

February 21, 2012 at 1:51 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment

it is as good as an idea as strapping a dog kennel to the top of a car for a 12 hour drive, isn’t it?
16

nemothederv

February 22, 2012 at 6:30 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment

Of all the wingnut batshit behavior we’ve seen during the primary this is the part that bothers you most?
Now there’s no way I’m voting for any of these red state freaks but Mitt, scary he may be, isn’t 1/3 as frightening as ~~some~~ any of his competitors.
17

nemothederv

February 22, 2012 at 6:32 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment

Meant to add.

The thought of santorum coming anywhere near the presidency makes me cry and sweat blood.
18

Chebag

February 22, 2012 at 9:14 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment

Just like a whiny liberal, nemoderv. Santorum gives you a pants load because you know he’d straighten out all you soft deluded self indulgent morals free libertines in a trice. Keep shivering, Rick will run the table on your Muslim pretend Savior.
19

skeptifem

February 22, 2012 at 10:39 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment

nemo- I dunno if you know what mormons believe and how they operate, but mitt’s trying to look normal act is something every church member is taught early on. It is to attract newcomers and hope they don’t question the weird bullshit going on their cult.

First off, there is a mormon prophecy that a mormon will save the constitution, when it is “hanging by a thread”. Second, the book of mormon says black skin a curse from god, a sign of a person being sinful in the pre-existence. Combine that with the fact that obama is a black man and understand that mitt romney is equally fucking crazy. His mormon constituents, including the million-dollar corporate arms of the LDS church, think that heavenly father sent him to rescue america from an evil lamanite who will destroy the constitution. Mitt has secret rituals in the temple that he can never talk about outside of the room, a secret handshake that gets him into heaven, and a belief that living righteously will let him be god of his own planet in the next life, etc. Things that go on here are “incidental” because the next life is where the real action is, see. Mormons are fucking scary, as scary as any other fundie weirdo. Look at how Utah runs politically and be afraid, very afraid.
20

G.Shelley

February 27, 2012 at 6:59 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment

Well, someone has to run.
Did any of the candidates actually approve of the auto bail out? I’m pretty sure Santorum was against it, or at least retrospectively, he wasn’t enough of a public figure at the time for anyone to care what he thought back then