Well now.
You know how they say that folks who don’t study history are condemned to repeat it? Well, today I learned that it really doesn’t take all that long! In fact, we may very well witness history repeating itself again!
Huh?
OK. I read that just recently, <i>¿Jeb! [last name unknown] said the following in response to Donald Trump’s fearmongering:
Jeb Bush on Trump: ‘A Republican will never win by striking fear in people’s hearts’
Ummm, ¿Jeb! ? Where’ve you been all my life? Or all of yours!
Perhaps some introductions are in order!
And from your very own Daddy-O, H.W. and his hatchet man,, Lee Attwater:
Oooh, ooh! Don’t forget St. Ronnie!
Ain’t it hilarious that he started his campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi? You know — Where those three civil rights workers were murdered for the crime of registering black voters?
And, of course, that architect of “The Southern Strategy,” Tricky Dick!
(For the young ‘uns, Wikipedia describes it this way:
The Southern strategy refers to a Republican Party strategy in the late 20th century of gaining political support for presidential candidates in the Southern United States by appealing to regional racial tensions and history of segregation.)
But you’re probably right, ¿Jeb! Republicans never get elected by appealing to fear.
Well, not too often, anyway.
I’m fairly certain that striking fear into people’s hearts is the *only* way republicans get elected.
(Yes, I intentionally left the “r” in republicans lowercase. It’s a weird thing with me, but a capital letter indicates importance … and republicans have lost whatever “importance” they might once have had. Now they’re just a group of fear- and war-mongering, narrow-minded people who think that their beliefs and rights trump everything else — and, I’m trying to decide if the ‘trump’ is an intentional or accidental pun ….)
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Yes, I think that is very true. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. And they supply the boogeyman each and every election cycle! Because, why hope?
I’m assuming that “trump” is an intentional pun. Perhaps unintentionally intentional. I am just fascinated by how he has turned over the rock and displayed the realities of what drives the GOP. Hate. Racism. Fear. The Trifecta!
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And he just took a page out of Romney’s playbook with his statement about working people just have to work longer and harder if they want to get ahead. Back to the Takers and the Magic Makers…
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I am tempted to say that he was, in fact, taken out of context. And he was, because what he meant was true — that people need more full time work.
But then I realize that being Prez is very much about communication. About explaining important stuff to us peons. Then you need to do so clearly and effectively.
¿Jeb! failed. So he doesn’t get off the hook. In fact, let’s reel him in!
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You’re right. He could have said what you said, not what he said. 🙂
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Obviously Jeb Bush has forgotten his history. The very founder of the modern Republican party tried to strike fear in American’s hearts with such quotes as: “We must free the slaves or be ourselves subdued.” – Abraham Lincoln.
Personally, I’m not interested in history repeating itself with candidates from tired, political dynasties from EITHER side of the aisle. We need a change.
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Ah, but the GOP distanced themselves from Lincoln and the Dems picked up that mantle in the 60s.
But I will agree Bush v Clinton? Gimme a break. From BOTH!
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Yeah! Why aren’t we hearing more about Bernie?
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I’m liking Bernie a lot, Lorna. I don’t think he is electable, though. And I’m afraid that will mean Scott Walker becomes Prez ,,,
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I hear British Columbia, Canada is quite lovely…
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Seeing a photo of Lucifer/Cheney first thing in the morning is really the scariest of all. The fear rate in this county is ridiculous!! We are becoming a nation of “cats” afraid of our own shadows!
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Sorry, Tops. I guess I should have put a warning out.
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Yes you should have … he makes me crazy.
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Is there one of them who doesn’t?
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It’s all just yucky.
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Yup. Suck, don’t it.
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I’m not too familiar with the American political landscape but somehow your post made me smile and chuckle as pictures of various political villains who enjoy an international reputation or is that notoriety appeared as I scrolled down the post.
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I would call it notoriety. Yup. Because I’d get in huge trouble if I called it “criminal.” HUGE!
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Don’t no one want to talk about the neocons anymore???? How sad. Poor Paul Wolfowitz. Not even bloggers mention him these days. 😉
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He wasn’t elected (then again, neither was Rummy)
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One could argue “W” wasn’t either (at least the first time).
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Or the second time if you believe that Rove stole #2!
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oh man… I had almost forgotten about Dick Cheney… and now you reminded me…
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It’s been a while …
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too long
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Nobody needs to strike fear in Republican hearts. The paranoia that resides there ensures that fear never dies. A good recent example is Texas governor Rick Perry’s reaction to U.S. armed forces exercise Jade Helm. Not to mention the hair-on-fire reaction to the (gasp) use of diplomacy to deny Iran the Bomb. All that will satisfy them is moreshock and awe.
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War IS the answer for them, isn’t it. After all, war is good business.
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I fear Donald Trump’s hair. Does that count?
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It may be the most frightening thing of all!
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Wasn’t it a Democrat who said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself?” Maybe FDR was on to the Republican game.
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A man of vision. But a very different vision!
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Then there is the current president wanting to reform the justice system, you know freeing all those junkies. Red meat mama.
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True. But then they’ve been using his own face (and race) to try to frighten us all along!
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Weekend prison passes… nuff said. I guess. I suppose this means that someone will shortly be ringing the alarm bells about the impending Canadian invasion… now that’s an epic rallying cry if I ever heard one. Go Republicans go!
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You guys are a terrifying bunch!
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You did mean ‘terrific’ didn’t you???
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Eh?
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Oh stop flattering my Canadian sensibilities… I blush, I blush.
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Get ready! We almost have our tank ready and the plane can go on short notice – prepare to be whooped!
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Umm, it is part of a new strategy that says that stating the blatantly incorrect over and over, will make it correct. Like guns reduce crime. Or trickle down economics, or Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, or we care about the people.
It’s becoming a very popular republican philosophy – say it enough times and it becomes true.
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Doesn’t it just make your heart song?
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*shakes his head at all of the haters*
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Ummmm, Timiny? That’s exactly how they get elected.
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Saying biased, one-sided things about Republicans enough times apparently also makes you any better than them. You’re sticking to your blog’s theme, though, so I can’t criticize that.
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It is interesting that you haven’t rebutted the comment in the post — and my charge of hypocrisy. That the GOP has in fact been elected by evoking fear and hate.
I am a Democrat. A liberal. A progressive. I have said many times on this blog that if the GOP of today had folks of the caliber that the GOP that I personally watched when I was a legislative assistant, well then I would probably be a Republican. Seriously. (Here is one of those posts: https://fiftyfourandahalf.com/2015/03/03/one-good-thing-i-can-say/)
But I began this blog to poke fun at the hypocrisy of the GOP’s programs. It is my blog. If I want to do that, I will. And it has been a while since I have seen such a flagrant bit of hypocrisy by a GOP candidate than the son of the man who brought us Willie Horton.
Reading my blog is not mandatory.
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Maybe not in presidential elections because it’s too hard to re-draw the state borders to put all Democratic voters in a few tiny weirdly shaped districts. But wherever they can gerrymander, and where the elections are close, they can do pretty well by appealing to fear.
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You’re really gonna get me started on this one …
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