Political Theatre category archive

Via BartCop.

Via TPM.

Charles A. Gallagher muses on the myth of a colorblind (post-racial?) society.

Honestly, anyone who thinks race or ethnic background is not still a significant factor in the day-to-day life of almost every American is not colorblind.

He or she is just plain blind.

Here’s a bit of the column:

If color blindness is taken to be a fact, raising the question of racial inequality is bound to invite resistance or denial, because many believe such inequality no longer exists. With color-blindness as the accepted racial frame, any race-conscious remedies by the government will be construed as discrimination toward whites, who will see themselves as the target and victims of reverse racism.

I have witnessed such pushback, almost exclusively from my white students, when discussing racial inequality in the university classroom. Students challenge any talk about institutional racism with the “What about Obama?” retort, which implies we are beyond race because there is a black man in the White House. This is a fair question from 18-year-old college students, many of whom were raised in almost exclusively white, middle-class suburbs. But we must realize that for many whites of all ages, “What about Obama?” is now the default answer to questions about racial equality in the United States.

Afterthought:

“What about Obama?” indeed. The wingnut rhetoric against him reeks racism.

I’m a Southern boy. I know the code.

From Hanlon:

Liberals and conservatives argue about whether it’s government or corporations that are evil as though there were an inherent difference in the kind of human beings that run either of them.

. . . seems to be where Republicans wish to be.

Keep them out.

From Atrios:

. . . I think it’s safe to say that the Village believes that “morality” is about women not having sex or abortions, and people not being gay, and that’s basically it.

He was commenting about this, but it also could preface this:

Starving them into submission:

As we speak, Gov. Scott Walker & the Senate R’s are literally having the windows of the capital welded shut to keep people from passing food into the building to the people inside.

Classy.

Via Atrios.

Via BartBlog.

Via Balloon Juice.

An open letter from the Republican Party. Read it all the way through.

In these tough economic times, we need everyone to make a sacrifice. We need everyone to share the pain. We are all in this together, and everyone must be willing to suffer for the greater good. So we are going to make some cuts-

Poor people, we are going to cut food stamps, Medicaid, family services (including Planned parenthood), HEAP, and many if not all other programs that you use.

Teachers, social workers, Police, firemen – we will be cutting your numbers, pay and benefits.

Students (and parents of students), we will be cutting financial aid (and of course the above mentioned teachers).

Veterans, we will be cutting veteran services, health care and mental health assistance.

Disabled people, we will be cutting support services and staff used to provide those services.

Senior citizens, we will be cutting social security and Medicare, along with assisted living support and the above mentioned HEAP.

And finally, for the wealthy, we will be cutting your taxes. Everyone has to give up something in these trying times.

Signed, The GOP

P.S. for our corporate friends, we will not just cut your taxes, but also cut many of those rules and regulations also. We appreciate your sacrifice.

Thoreau foretells the future for the Middle East.

Here’s the more light-hearted prediction:

Saudi Arabia will not face a revolt. At the rate that things are going, very soon a majority of the Saudi population will consist of deposed dictators and their families.

Newscaster introducing guest:

In keeping with our station’s “Fairness Model,” let’s hear from a bigot . . . .

Harley Schwadron in the March Playboy.

Sign the petition.

I alluded to this when it first came out.

Little Ricky Santorum said some remarks that Sarah Palin found offensive regarding her refusal to leave her Ice Palace and meet the public.

She responded by backhandedly calling him a “Neanderthal.”

Dick Polman reports that Little Ricky has knelt, vanquished, before the wrath of the Ice Queen and her acolytes (shall we call the Icicles?).

Still, Santorum should get points for his core argument. He essentially said that anyone who wants to be taken seriously as a national political figure should have to prove his or her credentials, in public and under scrutiny. No exceptions. Let us praise his political courage-

But wait. Within 24 hours, Santorum felt compelled to walk it back. On Fox News, he declared: “I like Sarah Palin. My wife and I both like Sarah Palin.” He said he loved Palin’s reality show. He said he was a dutiful dad; in fact, “I changed three diapers today.”

I feel bad for the guy. He tried to commit candor, but apparently the heat from the Palinites got too intense.

Here.