The delusions of wingnuts
This:
Charming. She really is a vile excuse for a human being, although in her dubious "defense," I'm pretty sure she's too dim to even realize she's inciting violence.
But here's the thing: that "hopey changey" line works great with teabaggers because, A., it's designed to enrage anyone who's not a teabagger; B., it infantalizes Obama; and C., it plays into their fantasy that "they all just voted for Obama 'cause they're STUPID JERKS, and NOW they're sorry I BETCHA." Needless to say, however, this does not translate outside of their insular little enclave. What the hell kind of response would you possibly expect a driver with an Obama sticker to give you? The fact that they've still got the sticker presumably indicates that they're still pretty happy about him. Best-case scenario (worst-case scenario being a fistfight) would be something like "okay, but not Islamarxofascist-y enough." What kind of catharsis is THAT going to provide Mr. or Ms. Teabagger? None at all. It's just going to further enrage him or her (but most likely him). I would say that that's the idea but--and maybe this is a failing on my part--I just can't imagine Moosegirl being smart enough to be that Machiavellian.
Tip to wannabe demagogues: when you're whipping up your followers' delusional revenge/persecution fantasies, it's probably best not to encourage them to engage in behavior that would immediately refute said fantasy. Granted, in this case the followers in question are dumb enough that this insta-refuting wouldn't be likely to change their stances one iota, but on general principle, it's best not to be so embarrassingly slipshod.
"That bumper sticker that maybe you'll see on the next Subaru driving by -- an Obama bumper sticker -- you should stop the driver and say, 'So how is that hopey, changey thing working out for ya?'"
Charming. She really is a vile excuse for a human being, although in her dubious "defense," I'm pretty sure she's too dim to even realize she's inciting violence.
But here's the thing: that "hopey changey" line works great with teabaggers because, A., it's designed to enrage anyone who's not a teabagger; B., it infantalizes Obama; and C., it plays into their fantasy that "they all just voted for Obama 'cause they're STUPID JERKS, and NOW they're sorry I BETCHA." Needless to say, however, this does not translate outside of their insular little enclave. What the hell kind of response would you possibly expect a driver with an Obama sticker to give you? The fact that they've still got the sticker presumably indicates that they're still pretty happy about him. Best-case scenario (worst-case scenario being a fistfight) would be something like "okay, but not Islamarxofascist-y enough." What kind of catharsis is THAT going to provide Mr. or Ms. Teabagger? None at all. It's just going to further enrage him or her (but most likely him). I would say that that's the idea but--and maybe this is a failing on my part--I just can't imagine Moosegirl being smart enough to be that Machiavellian.
Tip to wannabe demagogues: when you're whipping up your followers' delusional revenge/persecution fantasies, it's probably best not to encourage them to engage in behavior that would immediately refute said fantasy. Granted, in this case the followers in question are dumb enough that this insta-refuting wouldn't be likely to change their stances one iota, but on general principle, it's best not to be so embarrassingly slipshod.
posted by GeoX, one of the GeoX boys. at 10:28 PM
You know what pissed me off?
A bumper sticker on an SUV saying something like conservative surrounded by liberals.
Memphis and the surrounding county do vote more democratic than the rest of the state (one of the few Obama got) but it's TENNESSEE. And he had Tennessee plates. Self-awareness, they have none.