after 20 years of hate radio...

[DeadElephant_ORG]

The blatant hostility and contempt that John McCain displayed for his opponent in all three debates - and the rapid movement away from McCain in the polls afterwords – reveal a sea-change in our political culture. After listening to 20 years of non-stop rage and hate on the radio, it has suddenly become clear that Republicans can no longer recognize the intensity of their own anger. More significantly, Republicans can no longer gauge how their over-boiling fury is experienced by fellow citizens who have not inured themselves to hate speech. They no longer appreciate that hate is socially inappropriate.

As with a growing addiction to porn or drugs, the effect of listening to milder forms of outrage wear off, and the addict craves ever-stronger doses of hate to “get off”. Predictably, eventually, the hate addict becomes inured to all but the most violent rhetoric.

20 years of Rush, and Hannity, and Savage have brought us to the point that when a nut-case at a McCain/Palin rally boils over and bellows “TERRORIST!” or “KILL HIM!”, many of the Republicans around that nut-case cheer and chant “USA! USA! USA!” And John McCain himself can’t see the connection between claiming that the his opponent “pals around with terrorists”, and the lynch-mob mentality that such statements have unleashed.

Just look at his face in this picture from the 3rd debate.



What would be said about Barack Obama if he ever allowed such a look to cross his face?

For decades Democrats and independents have been codependents to our hate-radio-addicted fellow citizens. But in these last weeks before the election our denial has at last broken. Americans are turning away from McCain, and his hate-filled ilk, in revulsion.

[chelsea0011]

1. He was his nastiest talking about school vouchers. I thought he was about to implode.

[DeadElephant_ORG]

3. I don't remember that. What did he say?

[chelsea0011]

14. For some reason he started sneering at Obama when he started

talking about the Washington DC education woes and how they are trying to use vouchers. If you get a chance you should see the look on McCain's face.

[AspenRose]

2. Poster boy for the "angry white man"

Yeppers

[faithfulcitizen]

4. Your post is spot on. One of the things I loved about Clark is that he went right after them.

Obama is like the antidote. :)

[asdjrocky]

5. Good job putting everything together here. nt

[CitizenPatriot]

6. GREAT post. thank you.

I feel the change coming....I feel the sun shining on the mold which has become the GOP. I feel the release, finally, of years of liberal "shame" and repression.

As my mother said to me today, "I feel clean for the first time in 8 years. Like we will have a real leader, a country whose actions we can be proud of."

BTW, mom lives in another state- but has been awarded Humanitarian of the Year Awards for her Peace Camps and Cultural Awareness groups. Mom was on her way to Obama HQ to volunteer. I am so lucky and so proud of my mother! And so glad that this country is finally going to live up to its potential instead of wallowing in the disgusting filth and stench of the hate-filled right.

Your post was so well written and insightful. Thanks.

[DeadElephant_ORG]

12. yes, I feel it coming too. I'm so excited.

[OneGrassRoot]

7. Limbaugh Republicans....

I feel like I'm in the middle of the Twilight Zone or something.

Earlier this week I was specifically immersed in confronting racist relatives in the now infamous Western PA area, after they send one of the typical "Obama's anti-America...won't say the pledge" nonsense hysterical emails.

And I know that, especially in the 40-60 age group, the Limbaugh, Hannity crowd has been very influential in making these people DESPISE the mere words "liberal" and "democrat." Most people no longer know WHY they hate those words, but they do. Their propaganda and brainwashing has been very, very effective.

Part of my email response, which I made into an open letter and posted to my blog (link below) is this, addressing how the Limbaughs have exploited them:

"An easy target, that's what most people need. So focusing on 'he's a muslim terrorist/he's black!!!' is much easier. It's a black-and-white issue...pun intended. Much less effort has to go into that approach. Life is easier when it's like a game: we need a solid opponent, someone to be against, a clearcut enemy, a bogeyman. The right-wing aspect of the Republican Party is brilliant at producing that target and focusing attention on this, in order to divert attention away from issues.

Bottom line, that's what the Obama smear is about -- racism and bigotry -- and there are people from both parties (yep, there are racist Democrats, too, though I don't believe nearly as many) who won't vote for someone based on race or them having a scary name. If they'd just admit that, instead of spewing stupid lies, maybe we could get somewhere. No sense denying it's racism. Look again at the subject line of the one email going around: ...and the BOY wants to be President!!!"


Oy. After my tirade and them silenting stewing about me calling them out as racists (even though many of them have long been PROUD to be racist, mind you), and then Murtha saying it nationally...they're having fits up there.



:rofl:

[DeadElephant_ORG]

11. there really is a "culture war", and like the civil war, it's tearing families apart.

It's really sad.

[BornBlue]

8. Great Post!

But what is the antidote for a person filled with that much hate? Is there any?

I think we should get them all stinkin' drunk, lock 'em in a room full of kittens and puppies and play "Let the Sunshine" overandoverandover until they completely lose the ability to even dislike, or die from all the positive vibes.

[DeadElephant_ORG]

13. electing a person that the haters hate, and who is remarkably cool-headed, will help a lot.

[LonelyLRLiberal]

9. "What would be said about Barack Obama if he ever allowed such a look to cross his face?"

You can be it would be racist if the comment came from a McKKKain supporter.

[creeksneakers2]

10. The media is just starting to mention the lies and hatred

Like you said, its been going on for 20 years. Those nuts were in control of the country and set the agenda and the media pretended they didn't exist. I've yet to see anybody in the MSM point out that we've been controlled by propagandists. They never mention how many times a day someone on the radio says libs want everybody to be poor, libs hate God, libs want US troops dead, liberal are only happy when others are suffering, etc. If libs did 1% of what the right wing does the whole country would rise in condemnation.

I'm very glad that at least some of what's going on is getting noticed now.