Political Theatre category archive

Alabama’s fear of persons who look different is playing out with unintended (by Alabama), but not unexpected (except by Alabama) consequences:

The Booman assesses Alabama’s attempt once again to enshrine bigotry in law.

More about the video here.

I have finally figured out the current fascination with zombies.

It was preparation for the Republican face for the nomination.

Via Raw Story.

In the Chicago Trib, Steve Chapman considers the ascendency of Newt Gingrich. Mr. Chapman does not believe that Newtmentum has staying power.

A nugget:

Still, it’s hard to believe his campaign will survive extended scrutiny. One reason is his know-it-all personality. George W. Bush was the guy you’d like to have a beer with. Gingrich is the guy you wouldn’t want to be stuck next to on a long flight.

Aside from style, there is the problem of substance. Some Republicans are turning to him out of aversion to Romney’s notorious flip-flopping, forgetting Gingrich’s own amazing flexibility.

At Kiko’s Place, Shaun Mullen quotes John McWhorter (my emphasis; follow the link and read the entire piece):

“Gingrich’s patterns of speech are largely analytically acute, and sometimes aesthetically interesting, but substantively, they are very often lacking. Language is supposed to be a package that carries substance, but Gingrich is sometimes so pleased with his uninterrupted stream of words, that he mistakes it for an actual flow of ideas.“

And, now, a blast from the past:

Thoreau:

The law, in its majesty, bars the individual and the corporation alike from camping out while assembling for redress of grievances.

The law, in its majesty, allows the individual and the corporation alike to spend money on political ads.

From the description (emphasis added):

Since parts of Alabama’s anti-immigrant law, H.B. 56, took effect, many families have been fleeing the state in fear.

Cineo Gonzales, an Alabama resident and a father of two, talks here about those who left in a hurry, including families with children who are American citizens.

“Their children are U.S. citizens and they are running away in their own country,” said Gonzales, a taxi driver who has been receiving calls from many panicked families.

Via Raw Story.

The Republican Party: the party of “I’ve got mine.”

More here.

Peter Bergman:

I’ll believe corporations are people when Texas executes one.

Shaun Mullen dissects the Republican Party’s continuing allegiance to its odious “Southern strategy.”

It’s a must-read. (If you don’t have time to read it, the pictures tell the story.)

A nugget:

Anyone hoping that the election of the first African-American president in 2008 would usher in a post-racial era, putting our sordid racial past behind us once and for all, is bound to be bitterly disappointed. I happen to have known better, but it still is jarring when you consider how race is playing such a large role in the comical, ugly and tragic scrum known as the sprint to the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way, but when the Republican Party effectively abandoned its outreach to blacks and extended a beefy hand to Southern whites who once had reliably voted Democratic, the die was cast.

There’s no there, there, not anywhere.

Via C&L.

Ask Dr. Gerry Mander, the Therapist the Stars Trust.

Dear Dr Mander

I’m the governor of Texas, running to be the Republican candidate in next year’s presidential election and I’ve got myself three problems.

First, I forgot one of my key policies in a live TV debate. Second, I’m now the laughing stock of the internet. Third… now what was it? Nope, sorry, it’s gone.

Rick Perry

Dear Governor Perry

So you’re an inarticulate, rightwing Texan with no grasp of policy who liberals sneer at – and you want to be US president. Something tells me you’ll be just fine.

Mike Littwin:

The other thing that came out of the news conference was that Cain said he would take a lie detector test — but only if, he said, “I have a good reason.” Could there be a good reason for a presidential candidate to sit down with a lie detector?

Kay at Balloon Juice speaks sense (emphasis added):

I don’t know if this nonsense is sentimentality or nostalgia or what, but can we please stop pretending there’s something called “The Republican Party”, a theory, that is different than the actual Republican Party that exists?

There’s one Republican Party, just like there’s one Democratic Party. I don’t run around pretending there’s another, alternate Democratic Party that is much, much better than the group that currently exists. I’d sometimes like to do that, but I don’t, because that’s purely aspirational on my part. It’s not reality.

Like all organizations, the GOP is a group of people. It’s a sum of parts. This fantasy mainstream “Republican Party” exists only in the memories of newspaper editorial writers. There are no activist members or leaders of the imaginary GOP. An organization like that no longer exists. This is what they are. Deal with it.

Remember that on the next election day. What you see is what you will get.

Sam Seder discusses contemporary American racism in the light of President Obama’s campaign and election with Professor Randall Kennedy.

Warning: Mild Language

H/T Pandora.

The Republican garden of hate starts to bloom.

Peter Bergman unveils the new Herman Cain ad. It starts about 13 minutes in.