The Contrarian

11 Comments For This Post

1. BenMac Says:
   November 23rd, 2009 at 4:09 pm

   I imagine a world without Borders.

   And you forgot the “batshitinsane” tag.

2. JUDI Says:
   November 23rd, 2009 at 4:28 pm

   Please forgive them: they’re from Ohio, land of John Boehner and Voinovich.
   Oh, we live here now, but are moving soon…..

3. Jack Says:
   November 23rd, 2009 at 4:42 pm

   This group of people is a perfect example of why we are no longer the shining example to the world.
   I also suggest the “batshitcrazy” tag.

   I really need to get my passport renewed.

4. Aleanathem Says:
   November 23rd, 2009 at 4:43 pm

   Thanks for the stereotypical post. I laugh every time Obama or any democrat tries to defend any thing they’ve done this term. And the tags you’ve given could easily describe yourself or anyone else. Ignorance must be bliss.

5. Paul Says:
   November 23rd, 2009 at 5:17 pm

   It goes without saying that these people are clueless and grossly misinformed (though most are not informed at all). What’s frightening is that they’re wandering about, rallying behind a person who is only marginally more coherent than they are. It’s both sad and scary that they have no direction. They’re against policies that they don’t even know the definition of. If these are “Real Americans” then we need to pray they are the new minority.

6. spittingoutteeth Says:
   November 23rd, 2009 at 11:51 pm

   “If these are “Real Americans” then we need to pray they are the new minority.”

   Sadly they’re not. The majority of Americans are either too busy or too stupid to familiarize themselves with the issues. It’s easier to feel empowered and informed by appropriating rhetorical talking points, which is what the right is ingenious at.

   The fact that the people in this video can regurgitate an approximation of whatever Limbaugh or Beck just screamed about on their last show = complete success for the right. Their voter base isn’t expected to think about the issues, just fill in the little circle on the ballot next to the word “Republican”.

   The left needs to find a way to appeal to this segment of the voter base, and in way that doesn’t seem condescending or pandering. As much as we wish they would, the mouth-breathers of America aren’t going away any time soon. The longer the left alienates them, the harder it will be to win elections.

   And it shouldn’t be that hard to do really. They respond to fear, and there’s a LOT about Republican policies they should be afraid of. The left just needs to develop a simplistic message to spread the fear, with catchy talking points to get the virus more contagious.

7. Casey Rae-Hunter Says:
   November 24th, 2009 at 10:35 am

   I’m in 100 percent agreement.

8. mfk Says:
   November 24th, 2009 at 11:15 am

   Oh I don’t know if I feel very good about the left espousing the bullshit fear tactics of the right. The whole point is to rise above that shit. To be sure, the dumbfucks and mouthbreathers are not going away, so if the left was smart, they’d dump as much money into education as possible. Creating an informed populace is easily the best way to combat this willful anti-intellect movement (yes, intellect, not intellectualism).

9. spittingoutteeth Says:
   November 24th, 2009 at 11:25 am

   Education is definitely what is needed, but it’s much more of a long-term strategy. And seeing as administrations go in cycles, no matter what the Dems do to increase funding for education or improve its quality, once Republicans are back in office it’s more “No Child Left Behind” or some other educational policy designed to turn children into working drones with no concept of independent thought.

   I don’t think fear is always a bad thing, as long as it’s rational. Fearing a rabid dog or a guy chasing after you with a knife is a healthy instinct. Fear based on misinformation, such as thinking healthcare reform is socialism and believing that every Muslim on the planet is out to kill you, is not.

   All I propose is that the left find ways of simply informing the lower classes of what the Republican party is all about. There is a lot of truth to be feared about the diminishing distribution of wealth and environmental destruction and pointless, expensive wars that a lot of people just don’t understand. Mainly because it’s not presented in a straightforward way that someone with a 6th grade education can understand.

   It’s what plants crave.

10. Casey Rae-Hunter Says:
    November 24th, 2009 at 11:34 am

    Jay is right.

    And it’s my personal mission in life to design a system that will support the dissemination of such messages from the grassroots to the federal level.

11. Russell W Says:
    November 24th, 2009 at 12:21 pm

    What I especially like about this clip is the fact that it is honest, neutral journalism. I haven’t seen real journalism in so long that this almost feels sarcastic. It’s not. He asks real questions and in a reasonable way tries to find out the source of these people’s opinions. We need more of this. As far as the opinions are concerned, I would like to second (or third) the “batshitcrazy” tag, please. You really need look no further then the guy who said he worries that Obama follows “…Leninism, Stalinism, socialism,” as if those are all the same/real things.

    Time and time again these clips illustrate that these people are simply unaware of the basic facts. What worries me is that we, as a society, are dependent on these people to understand the basic facts so that we can do something about what is happening to our environment. These are types of people that throw litter out the window of their car because they are “free” and because the idea of not doing so offends them. We could go on and on about what needs to be done about education, but evolution is about to get in our faces. Only the smartest will survive.

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