Maybe you were just stupid as hell the whole time...

[Playinghardball]

[liberal N proud]

1. K&R

[randome]

2. Nice sentiment for the home crowd.

But calling them stupid is often counterproductive. It could have been phrased better. Something like: "Maybe you were...wrong?"

We don't win minds and influence hearts by insulting anyone, even those who deserve it most.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]All things in moderation, including moderation.[/center][/font][hr]

[louis-t]

4. Some of them are lost for good.

Actually, most of them are lost for good. They will never admit they were wrong. Never. They still think they're right. Facts mean nothing. Logic means nothing. Science means nothing. Rules don't apply to them. Laws don't apply to them. Morals don't apply, ethics don't apply. You cannot win an argument with them. They ARE stupid. Deliberately misinformed and willfully ignorant.

[randome]

6. I do not disagree with you at all that they're stupid.

The only thing that occurs, however, when we resort to insulting language (even as mildly insulting as this) is that we sound just like them.

And the people who need to hear the truth -the middle-of-the-roaders- will tune out.

I think that's something to keep in mind: the message in the OP should not be aimed at the hopelessly stupid. Because where's the point in that? It should be aimed at those who might be swayed into thinking more about the real world.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"If you're bored then you're boring." -Harvey Danger[/center][/font][hr]

[jeff47]

7. And Al Gore claimed he invented the Internet.

Sometimes it's a good idea to appeal to better angels, as you propose.

Sometimes it's better to whack them repeatedly with a 2x4.

The "birth certificate" and similar nonsense has been repeated endlessly. A quiet little correction is going to get as much play as people accurately quoting Gore - virtually none.

Instead, we need to break out the lumber.

[Half-Century Man]

24. The English language is a wonderful tool box of communication.

And like all good tool boxes, a wide variety of tools are at your disposal. Whether to use a scalpel or a twelve pound maul is your choice.

And blunt force trauma can be very instructive (verbally).

[snooper2]

33. It's okay, it's only like 32.8% of the population we are talking about here

If we don't make fun of them, who will?

[Electric Monk]

5. You're right, in a sense. It belongs on freerepublic and thehighroad et al. nt

[Bandit]

9. Maybe "we" don't but Republicans thrive on it.

Calling people names is their stock in trade. It is what their minions love. The "in your face" rudeness and crassness is what made Rush limbaugh a multi-millionaire. Democrats have class and don't often sink to such levels but Republicans have no class, no soul, or no heart. They just Hate and their followers love it.

[Glorfindel]

13. Sad but true. And they VOTE - nothing keeps them from the polls

It's wonderful to have class, but now and then I wish we'd give 'em a little hell.

[LanternWaste]

10. I don't think that anyone who believed President Obama was going to take their guns would be recepti

I don't think that anyone who believed President Obama was going to take their guns would be receptive to anyideas contrary to their own... regardless of how polite or civil those ideas may be presented to them.

[Richard D]

26. Stupid doesn't work for me either

Gullible as hell does.

[PADemD]

28. Or maybe you were "lied to?"

Might make some of them reconsider their source of information.

[randome]

31. Even better.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Everything is a satellite to some other thing.[/center][/font][hr]

[JaneyVee]

3. And he hasn't announced his plan to

ban elections and continue his reign for 8 more years.

[hfojvt]

8. well watch Ditka, just watch Ditka.

In December 2008 and January 2009 there were DUers who were sure, or afraid, that Bush was not gonna leave power.

In September or October of 2008 there was a (now former) DUer who asked the number #1 question for candidate Obama, which was "Should Bush be impeached?" Many DUers were upset because that question was not allowed to be asked at the online townhall.

Just like some are STILL demanding that Bush be prosecuted for war crimes, in 2018 some may still be demanding to see Obama's birth certificate or talking about Benghazi or the IRS. Some people, after all, are still talking about Monica.

[lastlib]

25. Well, Monica was all about Bill Clinton's pe--........you know.......

Of course they're still talking about it....

[MNBrewer]

34. "Just like"?

[Enthusiast]

11. President Obama is going to be very busy if he is going

to get all that bad stuff done before the election. We need many big trucks to load up all those guns when we confiscate them.

[HubertHeaver]

12. Not big trucks

Just the portable smelters, nuke powered of course, to melt them down at the collection point.

[zeemike]

14. Don't think that this will influence them for a moment.

They will still say it even though they know it is all bullshit...that is how they play the game.

I listen to C-span every morning and every morning someone will call in and say Obama is a Marxist communist or some other thing they heard on Fox or Limpballs...and they know it is not true...not even close to being true...and they will tell you the ACA is socialism even thought it is run by the insurance companies.

You can't win against them with the truth or the facts...because they are angry, and angry people are by nature irrational and vicious.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

16. It'll influence their hangers-on & wavering types. Shaming like that is more effective than

Shaming like that is more effective than you think.

Besides, for some people, it was cool to be anti-Kenyan ("Standing up for the Constitution, doncha know&quot , anti-death panels ("kinda obvious, hunh?&quot , etc.

Now it all looks so stupid, even to the near fringes of the right wing. Nobody likes to be stupid. Stupid is not cool.

A graphic like this points out how uncool all that crap is.

The hardcore won't change. But the near fringes will stop sending money to the more radical groups and the Koch megabucks will be less effective. The near fringes won't suddenly vote liberal, but they will be less motivated to go out and vote, less motivated to campaign, less persuasive of their moderate right friends.

It's a big pond and these ripples spread wide.

You can't win with absolute cynicism.

[zeemike]

17. I don't think you can win with graphics and shaming.

If you could they will win hands down because they produce them by the tons and distribute them far and wide.

What will win is a leader that speaks to the voters concerns in a way they can believe and about things that really matter to them...then they will vote for something not just against something.
And telling them they now can buy health insurance, gay people can get married, and immigrants will be allowed to stay in this country will not mean anything to the people you are trying to reach because their concerns are far more basic than that...they are worried about having a job and being able to pay the bills...and about their declining living standards.

And people are mad as hell about it, and sometimes mad people just push the destruct button just for spite and because they have no hope at all of any real change with ether party...that is the real danger we face.

[pragmatic_dem]

20. +1, celebrating the margins while pretending the core isn't rotting from

the inside out, isn't going to work. We need relief, not more bulllshit trade agreements that will further punish working families.

Median wage has barely budged since 1970s while the rich have seen their earnings go up by hundreds of percent.

Yet we are asked to accept more and more corporate control over government - as if wealth entitles one to rule.

Seriously - it is out of control. History predicts, without exception, that this is not going to end well.

[zeemike]

22. And it is even worse than it appears.

In the 70s one worker could support a family,,,now most families have two working and they are just getting by...so that is a hounded percent drop no matter what the numbers say.

But celebrating the margins is a good way to put it.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. Image saved. Thanks!

[JoeyT]

18. We're going to have to give it some more time.

He could be a very subtle anti-Christ.

Even if they don't call it that, a few of the ultra-red states are working towards Sharia law. Does that count?

I'm still waiting on my ossmodula implant. Wait, is that supposed to be a bad thing?

[Iliyah]

19. K & R

No matter what the facts are, majority of the GOP base truly believe Pres O is the anti-Christ here to take your guns, free speech, general freedom and yes he wants to kill everybody off, especially fetuses and your grandparents while he refuses healthcare to you.

[Boom Sound 416]

21. Thanks Obama!

[onecaliberal]

23. Not just ignorant

But willfully ignorant. Celebrating stupidity taking pride in their lack of intellectual curiosity.

[Jasana]

27. Ohhh! That's a confirmed "save image as" and pass around...

to the morans who send me tea party crap!

[stonecutter357]

29. K&R

[INdemo]

30. I asked this looney Teabagger

if any Government official had knocked on his door wanting his guns and he replied, after his long speal about how Obama was going to take all our guns, and he replied, no and they better not either.
Now this is the same guy that told me (and this is a new one) that Obama had 108,000 Russian troops here in the US to assist him in his total take over of the USA and convert it to a Muslim state..
So what will these Loonies have to say about our next Democratic President?

[certainot]

32. did milkshake really say that? good on him

[kpete]

35. it is

a thing of beauty,
thanks Playinghardball,


and peace,
kp

[Zorra]

36. To be fair, they were all stupid as hell long before Obama became POTUS.

The republican party is the party of, by, and for, Teh Stupid.