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If Obama wins how will the extremists react?

  • 29-09-2012 03:58PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 178 ✭✭


    How do you think the right will react?

    I mean it seems the GOP has isolated itself away from all but the most extreme.

    The next day where is the narrative on the right if Obama wins?

    What is the reaction?

    How would the GOP attempt to rebuild and recover it's reputation from the way it has campaigned?


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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,068 ✭✭✭Carcharodon


    How do you think the right will react?

    I mean it seems the GOP has isolated itself away from all but the most extreme.

    The next day where is the narrative on the right if Obama wins?

    What is the reaction?

    How would the GOP attempt to rebuild and recover it's reputation from the way it has campaigned?

    I predict that they wont go quietly, they will go down kicking and screaming. While most will eventually accept the democracy of things, I have a feeling that a large amount will not be able to accept it like Democrats had to do after Bush scammed his way into office.
    It will be more of the same from the far right, lie lie lie, block anything Obama proposes, accuse him of ridiculous things, avoid doing anything to put the country first and start another 4 year campaign of being insane haters that dont believe in facts.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,276 ✭✭✭Memnoch


    The problem is that liberal voters and therefore politicians are more reasonable by default. The kind of tactics the GOP employ, I don't think democrats could go to those extremes.

    They just wouldn't be able to be so completely hypocritical and dishonest about every single thing and obstruct merely for the sake of obstructing. In this sense I think America is doomed no matter what.

    If the GOP win their insane policies will continue the downward and regressive spiral that America has been in for the last 30-40 years with continuing concentration of wealth in an ever narrowing upper spectrum, the ideal of the American dream fading further as social mobility evaporates and democracy being eroded.

    If the GOP lose, they will simply paralyse the country by obstructing anything and everything Obama tries to do, regardless of the actual merits involved. The only solution is a completely democrat controlled house/senate/presidency, but that is unlikely.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,799 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manach


    Gosh - when I saw the title extremist I naturally though of the PC leftist wackos - thinking of the Occupy everything movement.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,729 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    The country will not react any worse than it did in 2008 when the bubble collapsed and all hell broke loose. If you recall, people spoke in hushed terms wondering if Obama would even make it into office, or if he would be assassinated before then.

    People will be upset, vitriolic, and may demonstrate, but that's about it. The GOP in congress will continue to block legislation and pray that people have short memories when they try to campaign for GOP 2014 and 2016. Or - god willing - they will calm the **** down, get some work done and instead campaign on things like "hey, look at all the stuff we did" not "hey look at all the nothing nobody did"


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 47,835 CMod ✭✭✭✭Black Swan


    How would the GOP attempt to rebuild and recover it's reputation from the way it has campaigned?
    This 6 November 2012 general election has more than the presidency at stake. My original impression months ago was that the GOP never thought they would win the presidency, rather that their real goals were to continue to hold a majority in the US House, along with the invaluable Speaker as a result, and gain a slight majority in the US Senate, thereby controlling Congress; i.e., a repeat of the 2nd term of Clinton. If they keep the US House and gain a slight majority (by 1 or 2 seats) in the US Senate, the GOP will consider 2012 a win.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 178 ✭✭Toshchiy Imperatritsy Vselennoy


    Black Swan wrote: »
    This 6 November 2012 general election has more than the presidency at stake. My original impression months ago was that the GOP never thought they would win the presidency, rather that their real goals were to continue to hold a majority in the US House, along with the invaluable Speaker as a result, and gain a slight majority in the US Senate, thereby controlling Congress; i.e., a repeat of the 2nd term of Clinton. If they keep the US House and gain a slight majority (by 1 or 2 seats) in the US Senate, the GOP will consider 2012 a win.

    Do you think they will manage that?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,704 ✭✭✭G.K.


    Didn't some judge (From the South, I forget which state) say he expected civil war?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,059 ✭✭✭✭Fr Tod Umptious


    Overheal wrote: »
    The country will not react any worse than it did in 2008 when the bubble collapsed and all hell broke loose. If you recall, people spoke in hushed terms wondering if Obama would even make it into office, or if he would be assassinated before then.

    People will be upset, vitriolic, and may demonstrate, but that's about it. The GOP in congress will continue to block legislation and pray that people have short memories when they try to campaign for GOP 2014 and 2016. Or - god willing - they will calm the **** down, get some work done and instead campaign on things like "hey, look at all the stuff we did" not "hey look at all the nothing nobody did"

    Exactly the reaction will be no different than th last time.

    With threads like this I often wonder where posters get third info about the US and the GOP.

    Some of the hysteria and paranoia posters have about the GOP is laughable


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    I'm not sure if it is always useful to conflate right with extremist. The GOP is a broad party it isn't some extremist contingent. For the record I don't think it's useful to conflate left wing with extremist either.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 178 ✭✭Toshchiy Imperatritsy Vselennoy


    Exactly the reaction will be no different than th last time.

    With threads like this I often wonder where posters get third info about the US and the GOP.

    Some of the hysteria and paranoia posters have about the GOP is laughable


    It is actually how they portray themselves when abroad.

    People like Micheal Graham and others travel round Europe and portray themselves as European hating nutters quite proudly.

    Ann Coulter being interviewed on the BBC did not do them much good.

    I am sure it is publicity but everything coming out from all sources about them has gotten progressively more agressive and nasty over the years.

    But yeah our views are probably skewed.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,176 ✭✭✭Amerika


    Based on some of the comments, I’ve just got to ask… Where do these rabid delusions about the Right come from?

    Given the horrid state of the economy, the serious deficit spending, the jobs situation, the debt, international missteps, and so on... If Barack Obama wins reelection it’s not his fault. It will be the fault of the electorate, and will just go to prove that you can’t fix stupid. Hopefully if Obama does win again, the GOP will be controlling both Houses of Congress to add some control and balance to this president's wanton recklessness. And we’ll just have to try again in another four years to right as many of the wrongs caused by this administration as humanly possible.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,059 ✭✭✭✭Fr Tod Umptious


    Amerika wrote: »
    Based on some of the comments, I’ve just got to ask… Where do these rabid delusions about the Right come from?

    Given the horrid state of the economy, the serious deficit spending, the jobs situation, the debt, international missteps, and so on... If Barack Obama wins reelection it’s not his fault. It will be the fault of the electorate, and will just go to prove that you can’t fix stupid. Hopefully if Obama does win again, the GOP will be controlling both Houses of Congress to add some control and balance to this president's wanton recklessness. And we’ll just have to try again in another four years to right as many of the wrongs caused by this administration as humanly possible.

    The media in Ireland, very Democrat leaning.

    It's only from living in the US that opened my eyes to the fact that the GOP are not what I was told they were


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,996 ✭✭✭Duck Soup


    philologos wrote: »
    I'm not sure if it is always useful to conflate right with extremist. The GOP is a broad party it isn't some extremist contingent. For the record I don't think it's useful to conflate left wing with extremist either.

    I agree with you that the term 'extremist' probably isn't a helpful term to attach to either the right wing of the Republicans or the left of the Democrats, but it's fair enough to say that the Republican party itself has drifted further to the right over the years and that conformity to certain positions is nigh on mandatory.

    For example, 30 years ago how many pro-choice Republican politicians were there? How many are there now? 30 years ago, how many Republican politicians were willing to concede that taxes might need to be raised now and then? How many do now?

    It goes down to the grassroots. All Republican politicians have to go through a vetting process conducted in large part by socially conservative, Tea Party inclined activists. If the politicians don't pass muster, they get challenged and probably dumped during their nomination process. This means that the party churns out people who either believe in - or proclaim to believe in - no new taxes, no abortion, anti-gun control positions. The Democrats are broadly where they always have been. The gap between the two parties is created by the Republicans drfiting from the centre towards no-compromise right-wing ideology.

    As far as the OP's point about extremists is concerned, it's difficult to know whether to characterize them as extremists or just really, really, really low information voters. 30% of Republican voters think Obama is a Muslim. 55% of Republican voters think that he was born in a foreign country.

    I don't know how the extremists would react to an Obama win, but I'd be delighted. Not just because I genuinely think he'd be better for America, but because few politicians have endured the continual onslaught from dumbasses, bigots and rabble-rousers questioning his very right to be President.

    I should imagine an Obama victory would cause a few conspiracy theorist wingnut heads to explode. And that would the sweetest victory of all.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    Being pro-life isn't an extreme position either. It's entirely understandable how one could come to that conclusion. That's a really poor example. As for raising taxes you can see the argument from both sides really. One is for cutting waste, and the other is for raising tax to continue providing services. People eventually will say enough to tax rises too.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,540 ✭✭✭joseph brand


    philologos wrote: »
    Being pro-life isn't an extreme position either. It's entirely understandable how one could come to that conclusion. That's a really poor example. As for raising taxes you can see the argument from both sides really. One is for cutting waste, and the other is for raising tax to continue providing services. People eventually will say enough to tax rises too.

    By people, do you mean the 1-2%?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,996 ✭✭✭Duck Soup


    philologos wrote: »
    Being pro-life isn't an extreme position either. It's entirely understandable how one could come to that conclusion. That's a really poor example. As for raising taxes you can see the argument from both sides really. One is for cutting waste, and the other is for raising tax to continue providing services. People eventually will say enough to tax rises too.

    If you read what I said, I didn't give being pro-life or anti-tax rises as extremist positions, I gave them as examples of a drift to a right-wing orthodoxy. My point was that 30 years ago, you could be a high-profile Republican and be pro-choice. At various stages in their careers, Barry Goldwater, George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan were all pro-choice.

    The same drift into unyielding conformity is also true on the tax issue. Even Reagan raised taxes a dozen times when he felt it appropriate or necessary.

    Good luck holding those positions now and aspiring to high office as a Republican.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    By people, do you mean the 1-2%?

    I was thinking more generally, but now that you mention it irrespective of who you tax someone will end up paying the price. If you're talking about raising corporate tax, companies will inflate their prices anyway for the most part, or even possibly leave the country.

    Duck Soup: I read your post, but I don't get why it makes the GOP "extremists".


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,996 ✭✭✭Duck Soup


    philologos wrote: »
    I was thinking more generally, but now that you mention it irrespective of who you tax someone will end up paying the price. If you're talking about raising corporate tax, companies will inflate their prices anyway for the most part, or even possibly leave the country.

    Duck Soup: I read your post, but I don't get why it makes the GOP "extremists".

    One more time. I didn't say the GOP are extremists, I said that there has been a drift into conformity on right wing ideologue positions - on tax, abortion, gun control etc. - that wasn't there before. The party previously was much more accommodating to a diversity of opinions on these issues. It isn't now. I can't explain it any simpler than that.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 13,018 ✭✭✭✭jank


    The media in Ireland, very Democrat leaning.

    It's only from living in the US that opened my eyes to the fact that the GOP are not what I was told they were

    +1 million to this, as a resident of Australia and NZ for the past 4 years as well as getting to know plenty of Americans from the more conservative states I can state than Irish people in general listen to RTE or watch some youtube clips and think that is the reality of the US. Most of the guys on here who are for ever portraying the "evils" of the GOP or the tea party have never even lived there for any length of time, yet interestingly they spend an awful lot of time siding with one side over the other.

    Add to the fact that the media in Ireland is very biased towards to the left and that Ireland has an entitlement culture that would put some Greeks to shame.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 178 ✭✭Toshchiy Imperatritsy Vselennoy


    jank wrote: »
    +1 million to this, as a resident of Australia and NZ for .

    Add to the fact that the media in Ireland is very biased towards to the left and that Ireland has an entitlement culture that would put some Greeks to shame.

    Yeah so much so that Irish people for generations would rather travel to the ends of the earth rather than be on any kind of welfare.

    America has a bigger percentage on mdicare than we give medical cards to. And mst Amricans think we give free healthcare ...we don't.Only the unemployed get it. US unemployment benefits can be in excess of what there is in Ireland depending on the case.

    We do have free education including University but that is an economic ploicy as we have no manufactoring (we have no resources such as coal or steel so it would be impossible) so we need to have a very educated workforce.


    Actually the American media does not portray things clearly.

    If you are Irish yourself and have this opinion you were obviously hanging around bums.

    I would have said the sytem in Aus was FAR more entitlement based as far as healthcare and welfare.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    Duck Soup wrote: »
    One more time. I didn't say the GOP are extremists, I said that there has been a drift into conformity on right wing ideologue positions - on tax, abortion, gun control etc. - that wasn't there before. The party previously was much more accommodating to a diversity of opinions on these issues. It isn't now. I can't explain it any simpler than that.

    The GOP is by and large a conservative right wing party. Therefore I'd expect them for the most part to have those policies. Others in the GOP can differ from the mainstream like Ron Paul or Rudy Giuliani when he was running for 2008 presidential.

    I don't see why it is so spectacular that most in the GOP are pro-life or fisically conservative.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,059 ✭✭✭✭Fr Tod Umptious


    philologos wrote: »
    The GOP is by and large a conservative right wing party. Therefore I'd expect them for the most part to have those policies. Others in the GOP can differ from the mainstream like Ron Paul or Rudy Giuliani when he was running for 2008 presidential.

    I don't see why it is so spectacular that most in the GOP are pro-life or fisically conservative.

    The media narrative in this country however does not allow the casual follower of US politics to see it that way though.
    The GOP are routinely dismissed as ';whackos'.

    Back in Jan during primary season Mark Coleman on Newstalk really took a union guy on his show to task and asked him to elaborate when all he could offer about the GOP were that they were a bunch of 'whakos', it's the only time I have heard a radio host in Ireland do that.

    And I don't get the theory that the GOP have gone further to the right, if that was the case then it would be Rick Santorum or Sarah Palin running and not Mitt Romney.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 178 ✭✭Toshchiy Imperatritsy Vselennoy


    philologos wrote: »
    The GOP is by and large a conservative right wing party. Therefore I'd expect them for the most part to have those policies. Others in the GOP can differ from the mainstream like Ron Paul or Rudy Giuliani when he was running for 2008 presidential.

    I don't see why it is so spectacular that most in the GOP are pro-life or fisically conservative.

    There is nothing wrong with right wing politics.

    But I expect them to apply right wing politics consistantly.

    Instead of taxing the rich more (as th lft might) how about taxing the poor less?

    How about low or no taxation areas for business for poor areas or ghettos. It would help attract investment to an area lik th Irish corporation tax. Apply it to small businesses. If you are a small business in a poor area you make an impact.

    Instead of grants to college students encourage parents to save from birth with savings accounts with good interest rates.

    It is when they want to intervene in the lives of some but not all or they respect the money of some but not all or they respect the liberty of some but not all.

    This Romney Ryan campaign appears to be a hypocrytical one sometimes.

    There is nothing wrong with left or right politics it is politicians who are the problem.

    Pro-life is a position that can be justified but the existance in the GOP of a man like Akin cannot be justified.

    But every party has it's nutters.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,176 ✭✭✭Amerika


    I received an email today from the local RNC militia Chairman.

    After reading the majority of comments here, I have been waiting with baited breath for our call to arms. This is what I received:
    Please come out and watch the first Presidential Debate, beginning at 9 pm, with a group of your fellow Republicans. There will be free soft drinks and appetizers provided by the Victory Center. Alcoholic beverages and entrees will also be available at the attendee's expense.

    Guys... Please help me to decipher it’s hidden meaning for anarchy and/or revolt. I did see the word "Victory," but I’m lost on any secret code gearing to anything more sinister. Your help would be much appreciated. I wouldn’t want to miss out on any of the fun. :pac:


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 13,018 ✭✭✭✭jank


    Yeah so much so that Irish people for generations would rather travel to the ends of the earth rather than be on any kind of welfare.

    There is the problem right there. Many of those that have the get up and go attitude leave the country for better opportunities elsewhere, thus leaving behind a sort of malaise and a sense of entitlement that everything is the governments fault. It is only after you live in other countries that you actually get what a bunch self entitled, cynical and fatalistic lot many Irish people are. Just tune into your average frontline show or liveline.
    America has a bigger percentage on mdicare than we give medical cards to. And mst Amricans think we give free healthcare ...we don't.Only the unemployed get it. US unemployment benefits can be in excess of what there is in Ireland depending on the case..

    Do you have some stats to back this up? Was listening to Pat Kenny on the radio the other day and the US american welfare system sounded very strict with very little give to the extent we would have here. Didnt the ERSI come out say say that "only" 5% of the population of Ireland are better off on the dole than a job? :rolleyes:

    If you are Irish yourself and have this opinion you were obviously hanging around bums.

    I would like to know how you come to that conclusion?
    I would have said the sytem in Aus was FAR more entitlement based as far as healthcare and welfare.

    Healthcare not really, welfare definitely NOT!

    We have a form of medicare in Australia. All residents are entitled to it, means you get access to GP's, access to public hospitals more or less for free but there may be small charges here and there. However everyone has to pay for it in terms of taxes. There is a 1% medicare levy on income tax, this is higher for those on high incomes. There is of course private health insurance which is well worth it as you get great access to some world class hospitals and specialists. The health care system works well here but it has to be paid for. Private health insurance will cost you the bones of a few grand.

    Welfare? LOL give me a break. First of all if you have assets that total over a certain sum you get nothing. Welfare isn't that generous anyway compared to the cost of living in Australia.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,276 ✭✭✭Memnoch


    Jank - Did you see the GOP line-up for presidential candidates? Bachman, Gingrich, Santorum, Perry, Cain and co. A who's who of the clueless, extremists and religious fanatics. I mean if you really want me to I could go through the list one by one and highlight these guys, but you should educate yourself a little about them. This was the line up the GOP put up to represent the USA.

    But I think what I'm about to post next is even more telling. Here's the latest 'The National,' poll showing a tie between Obama and Romney.

    http://nationaljournal.com/daily/obama-romney-tied-among-likely-voters-20121002

    Scroll down to the comments... here are the first few...
    ....I'm telling you folks, being a liberal is just as bad of a mental disorder as any other psychological disorder on the books.
    QUASI TRANSGENDERED DIMOKRAT

    The Dimocrat party is full of closeted cross-dressers and negrophobes. Why do white guilt white liberals avoid black neighborhoods and hate hip hop? Return your free HusseinFones and get a job and stay out of gay trailer parks in Massachusetts.
    There is no surprise here. Marie Antoinette and POTUS are buying a mansion in Hawaii, internal polls have shown the marxists with a losing proposition. The media still is taking the money shot facial for him and wondering how Middle Class America can be so stupid not to take the facial. This guy has done immeasurable damage. Am I fawning over Mitt, no. Has he proven himself as a business leader? yes. I do not believe he has ulterior motives of driving the USA in the dirt. I do believe Barry Sotero does.
    So much for the gender gap. So Obama has a 10 point advantage because of the color of his skin, but 38% of whites are still into self-destructive liberal white guilt. So much for reason in democracy. Plato apparently was right after all.
    Time for you mentally ill Dims to go help the first wookie load the U-haul.
    Dumb LEECHES people should not
    breed, it is hazardous to our country's healt.

    the ILK that are
    voting for Obama would still vote for
    him if he POOPED on stage and ATE IT
    !!!! and even if he ate it with Chopstick
    . They would call it a brilliant piece of performance art.

    That's six out of the top 7 posts on that site. Whether you like it or not, these quotes and these people are very much representative of the tea party base.

    What percentage of republicans believe Obama is foreign born? Was it 55%? That alone should tell you everything you need to know about the rationality of these people.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,176 ✭✭✭Amerika


    Memnoch wrote: »
    That's six out of the top 7 posts on that site. Whether you like it or not, these quotes and these people are very much representative of the tea party base.

    No they're not! Prove it and show me quotes from the Tea Party that parallel they comments.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,276 ✭✭✭Memnoch


    Are these people democratic voters then?

    They are very much representative of the GOP's extremist base i.e. the tea party. Of course you're raging because they show what the GOP base is all about.

    When people ask where the impression of the GOP comes from? It comes from these people.

    Look at the number of 'likes' these posts got on the page. Anywhere from 50-200.

    For a post to get that many thanks on boards, you really need a LOT of people agreeing with it.

    This ugly side of the tea party is what they try to constantly brush under the rug, but the reality is that this is where the Obama hatred is coming from. This is the underbelly and all public talk is just that. It's a show. The real reason the GOP base despise Obama is because a large proportion of them are racists like those quoted above.

    You can go on any GOP leaning site and find similar comments. Fox News no longer seem to have the DIscuss feature on their articles. I wonder if that's just not visible outside the US or if they removed it all together. It too was filled with this kind of insane hatred.

    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/40644.html

    http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/55-of-republicans-believe-obama-was-born-in-a-foreign-country/

    44-55% it turns out is the actual figure of Republicans who believe the conspiracy theory that Obama is foreign born.

    Also, I find you asking for solid evidence utterly laughable considering the raging hypocrisy and contemptible double standards you so casually apply.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,438 ✭✭✭TwoShedsJackson


    Amerika wrote: »
    No they're not! Prove it and show me quotes from the Tea Party that parallel they comments.

    Why would he need to do that? It's people like these that are going to be right-wing Tea Party supporters. Unless you think those comments indicate that they are liberals and/or Democrats?


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