Random Political Musings

[Markalot]

Interesting story.  It doesn't make much sense unless you believe all but a few politicians are scum, then it makes perfect sense.  I suppose we'll find out soon that Cantor has had a few affairs ...

[Zafer Kaya]

Cantor appears to have gone completely insane, so nothing he does would surprise me at this point. 

But from a purely political perspective (which is all Cantor seemingly cares about these days) divorcing his liberal Jewish wife who believes in same-sex marriage can only help his cause.

[Markalot]

Republicans are self destructing, it just takes a while for a party to crash. This is especially true in a 2 party system where the other party is so damn bad.  Political self destruction, personal self destruction, it all goes hand in hand.  Most of these guys have nothing left. 

[Zafer Kaya]

I can honestly say I've never seen anything as bad/crazy as what is going on in this General Assembly session in Virginia.  And I know plenty of people on both sides of the aisle who have worked more closely with the GA for even longer than I have who would say the same thing.  People are actually kind of in shock right now. 

Yesterday I saw a female lobbyist for a relatively non-partisan issue who'd been on the Hill for 25 years nearly reduced to tears.  Really for no reason.  They called her to come in to talk so she did.  And it was a BRIEFING.  It wasn't even an important bill or anything the lobbyist or delegates involved had a big stake in.  And then some new junior staffer who I didn't know just decided to see how big of a douche he could be.  Like she got two sentences out and the guy told her to shut up.  In those exact words.  She gathered herself, tried to apologize and then he said "No one cares."  Ridiculous.  Then he gave a five minute speech about how he was sick and tired of the way things were done around Richmond and how liberals were going to have to watch themselves now that he was in charge.  He almost ended up getting into a fist fight with another guy... they were both Republicans.
 
Today I saw one of the prominent local Tea Party organizers/demonstrator having a polite chat with one of the Occupy Richmond organizers. 

Madness.

[Buzzstein]

Is it just me or have there been an abnormal amount of suicides in the news lately?

[Zafer Kaya]

There was kind of a landmark ruling yesterday in California.  A Federal Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional.  It involved an employee (oddly enough, a Ninth Circuit Court employee) who was denied insurance benefits for her same-sex spouse.  The Court ruled that it was a violation of Due Process.

So I started reading the case, which is Golinski v. United States Office of Personnel Management.  Golinski is the plaintiff who had the insurance policy and was denied spousal benefits.  Her spouse's name is
Amy Cunninghis. 

Don't tell me you didn't read that last name twice and laugh.

[Dan]

There was kind of a landmark ruling yesterday in California.  A Federal Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional.  It involved an employee (oddly enough, a Ninth Circuit Court employee) who was denied insurance benefits for her same-sex spouse.  The Court ruled that it was a violation of Due Process.

So I started reading the case, which is Golinski v. United States Office of Personnel Management.  Golinski is the plaintiff who had the insurance policy and was denied spousal benefits.  Her spouse's name is
Amy Cunninghis. 

Don't tell me you didn't read that last name twice and laugh.

 

[twentyshots]

now peter is pissed!

Peter Gabriel Pulls Music From 'Rush Limbaugh Show'



By Rolling Stone
March 5, 2012 2:25 PM ET



Peter Gabriel has demanded that his music be pulled from Rush Limbaugh's radio show after learning that his 1986 hit "Sledgehammer" was played while the host launched into a tirade against Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke on Wednesday.

"Peter was appalled to learn that his music was linked to Rush Limbaugh's extraordinary attack on Sandra Fluke," says a statement on Gabriel's Facebook page. "It is obvious from anyone that knows Peter's work that he would never approve such a use. He has asked his representatives to make sure his music is withdrawn and especially from these unfair aggressive and ignorant comments."

Limbaugh has come under fire for calling Fluke, who testified at a Congressional hearing on contraception, a "slut" and a "prostitute." The program has lost eight sponsors in the wake of Limbaugh's attack.

[juggles]

RUSH LIMBAUGH'S LAST SHRED OF DIGNITY SPOTTED HITCHHIKING

[Kwyjibo]

Limbaugh has been using Peter Gabriel's music for years, he also uses The Pretenders' My City was Gone as bumper music, and has since the Clinton administration.  I'm sure he's said countless repugnant things with those two pieces of music playing the background, why is PG suddenly up in arms about it?  It was okay that he was getting paid by a conservative wingnut for the use of his music as long as he didn't cause controversy while it was being played?

I personally do not understand why people still pay attention to that windbag.  How many times does his lunacy have to be proven before people quit listening?

[Markalot]

George Abraham, an 81-year-old retiree and tea party supporter, said he voted for Wenstrup, in part because he was annoyed by Schmidt’s schmoozing with President Barack Obama at the State of the Union speech.

“Anyone that goes up there and gives Mr. Obama a hug can’t get my vote, I’m sorry,” Abraham said Tuesday, after casting his ballot at St. Rose Church on Eastern Ave.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120306/NEWS0106/303060121/Wenstrup-stuns-Schmidt?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

But it's not about race old man ....

[luisterpaul]

I personally do not understand why people still pay attention to that windbag.  How many times does his lunacy have to be proven before people quit listening?

The problem is Rush isn't the only lunatic out there.

[Kwyjibo]

He isn't but he's probably most emblematic of the problems with his ilk.  He's been caught philandering, abusing prescription drugs, makes blatantly ignorant and inflammatory comments like this on a fairly regular basis and is really not that hard to pin down as a hypocrite.  I know he's not the only shock jock who's done any or all of those things but generally when you get to his level of awfulness even their followers get sick of it and the person fades out.  Some how Rush carries on.

[Markalot]

If only 15% of the country likes Rush but they are all rabid listeners then he's in a great position and advertisers interested in that market will still do business with him.  Those same 15% are also rabid primary voters, so it puts republicans in a real bind.

[Zafer Kaya]

It does and it doesn't.  I kinda feel like Republicans put themselves in a bind.  Same thing with some Repubs going crazy over Breitbart's death.

I really feel like Rush and Breitbart and many Republican talkingheads are fairly expendable.  I don't see them as particularly clever or convincing.  Pre-2000, Rush was the one guy you could listen to who agreed with you and that was a large part of why people listened to him.  Now there are 10,000 guys on Fox News who do the same thing.  There's no real reason to stick with Rush when in fact there are others who can make better arguments for the same policies and make you feel like you're smarter.

There's a limit to how much you can tap into shared anger.  And when it comes to that, I feel like Glenn Beck just has that magical ability to capture paranoia.  Probably because he really is that paranoid himself.  With Rush, it's a schtick, and it feels like a schtick.  That's how come he can be a total hypocrite as far as his personal life and get away with it. 

Rush is really more Howard Stern than political force.  I think the average listener is probably a conservative who thinks he is funny because it's true.  But they are still more focused on the funny part. 

It's really the more inside GOP semi-power players who foolishly and voluntarily back him and let him call the shots that give him any political presence.  And if they stopped everyone would be better off.  Rush would still have his listeners and would simply be another shock jock who doesn't have to apologize as much.  The GOP would be perceived as less clownish.  And angry conservatives will still vote conservative.  Even if they don't vote mainstream conservative, they're still voting conservative which is better than losing to liberals because the conservative vote gets stupidly split.

Never waste resources on people that are already going to vote for you.  You need to acknowledge their contributions and value, but don't let them drive the ship.