Major Realignment
By Mitch Berg
Anita Moncrief in the GreenRoom writes knows why the left – and the “elite” of the GOP – are so shaken up by NY23; it upsets the cozy system the parties had worked out amongst themselves:
Doug Hoffman’s candidacy was much bigger than him. It signaled the reemergence of the American citizen as “the ruler of the roost” and both parties have taken notice. Some career politicians find the notion of having to answer to “the people” galling, and continue to undermine the will of the people. However, politicians like representatives Steve King of Iowa, Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and of course, Sarah Palin. are continuing to shake up Washington.
And Washington doesn’t like getting shaken up!
Look at how the media, the leftymedia, and their subordinates in the lefty blogosphere are painting each of these events; count the number of times you saw Hoffman portrayed as a “Teabagger’s” candidate – har di har, lefties, another gay sex joke. If we admit you’re comic geniuses, will you let it drop?
The left’s canonical response to Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin is a matter of shameful record.
Someone left a quote in my comment section yesterday, attributed to Mahatma Gandhi:
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then yo win.
(Wikiquote says the sourcing is disputed; it may have come from a speech by unionist Nicholas Klein: “And, my friends, in this story you have a history of this entire movement. First they ignore you. Then they ridicule you. And then they attack you and want to burn you. And then they build monuments to you.” We’ll ignore the next step; he was with the United Clothing Workers).
So watch for those SEIU thugs. It’s a good sign.
November 5th, 2009 at 8:51 am
“Teabagging” has absolutley nothing to do with gay sex. It’s used by frat boys for hazing purposes. Just wanted to point that out before other lefties accuse you of anti-gay rhetoric.
It’s a nice quote but if you’re using the Daily Show as your political barometer you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. I think what Rassmussen is saying now is more telling than what Ghandi said whenever he said it.
November 5th, 2009 at 9:53 am
So one frat boy stuffing his sack into another’s mouth is not gay?
November 5th, 2009 at 10:33 am
It’s not sticking your sack in someone’s mouth, it’s rubbing it on their face, usually their eyes. It’s a display of dominance and has absolutely nothing to do with sex, gay or straight.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:39 am
apathyboy, how do you explain PMSNBC using it constantly on April 15th to describe the tea parties?
November 5th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Riiiight. Nothing gay about that. Not at all. No siree.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Dude, that’s so friggin gay!
November 5th, 2009 at 10:52 am
“Teabagging” has been known in the wrestling world for as long as I can remember, going back to the early 80s in elementary school.
http://failblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/teabagging.jpg
On the other hand, my gay father-in-law is also intimately familiar with the term (talk about an awkward July 4 conversation), so I think it can be seen as both an act of dominance AND an act of gay sex.
November 5th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Dominance, hazing, or gay sex.
Apathy, hep me here – which of them is not a sign of dismissive, hateful disrespect?
November 5th, 2009 at 11:15 am
I think Mitch means using the term about the opposition, not the actual (really, really gay) act.
November 5th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Mitch: I would say that gay sex is not a sign of hateful disrespect. I’d say it’s the opposite. Dominance you could argue either way depending on the context. Hazing… that would be hard to defend.
Ben, I don’t even know what you think I’m trying to say. It seems like whatever point I make, you imagine it to be something you’re opposed to just so you can pick a fight. I love a good fight, don’t get me wrong, but you’ll have to tell me what point I’m supposedly arguing first before I can get into a fight over it.
November 5th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Using the term “teabagging” to refer to TEA party supporters is hateful and disrespectful. I like to use it to tease people, but I personally try not to tease people unless I have reason to believe that they can take the piss.
November 5th, 2009 at 11:32 am
I would say that gay sex is not a sign of hateful disrespect.
Right! So when a guy calls another guy a “teabagger”, “c******ker”, “nancyboy”, “a** cowboy” or “butt buddy”, it’s a sign of respect?
Dominance you could argue either way depending on the context.
And certainly you can not be obtuse enough to suggest that Anderson Cooper, Jon Stewart and a zillion other lefty commentators’ context was anything but hateful and dismissive. That level of obtusion is RickDFL’s turf; you’ll have to negotiate that with him.
November 5th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Using the term “teabagging” to refer to TEA party supporters is hateful and disrespectful. I like to use it to tease people, but I personally try not to tease people unless I have reason to believe that they can take the piss.
So you like doing hateful and disrespectful things? Why?
November 5th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot??1?
Okeedokee, I’ll just back out quietly and leave you to your discussion…
November 5th, 2009 at 11:52 am
apathyboy I was making the point that you said that ‘teabagging’ was only used by people at comedy central while everyone in the supposed ‘mainstream’ media seemed to be using it. Were being childly insulted by supposed ‘normal’ liberals, and they think they are so cute about it. Honestly I just roll my eyes because by calling us that your just losing moderates who might agree with you on some issues but don’t like your style. Don’t believe me? Look at how independents voted in VA and NJ, they have done a complete 180 shift in one year. I do have a serious question for you, how do you plan on winning moderates when all you can do is call us names?
November 5th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
“So you like doing hateful and disrespectful things? Why?”
Because it’s fun. I also enjoy killing grandmothers, aborting babies, rigging elections, and all the other fun stuff that all of us godless libs like to do. It’s all part of our secret agenda for global dominance that you somehow discovered.
D, Don’t tell me you delight in being the target of insults and then turn around and whine about your feelings getting hurt. I’d like to think that the rest of the posters have thicker skin than you.
Mitch,
Those terms you mentioned are more disrespectful to the gay community than they are to the object of the insult. I do not like to use words that are disrespectful to the gay community. I never thought as “teabagging” as being disrespectful to the gay community. Now that your friends have pointed out that it is I will no longer use it.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
“…that may be acceptable for angry ‘tea baggers’ at a rally,…” – Rep. Betty McCollum
November 5th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Because it’s fun. I also enjoy killing grandmothers, aborting babies, rigging elections, and all the other fun stuff that all of us godless libs like to do. It’s all part of our secret agenda for global dominance that you somehow discovered.
Most of all, you enjoy taking manful whacks at strawmen, apparently.
D, Don’t tell me you delight in being the target of insults and then turn around and whine about your feelings getting hurt. I’d like to think that the rest of the posters have thicker skin than you.
If you want do the masochist thing, knock yourself out, dude. Leave the rest of us out of it, m’kay?
November 5th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I think I otter change yur name to ‘caringboy’. Not much apathy today. Say, you were kidding when you said you were a liberal, weren’t you? You had me going til then.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
“I do have a serious question for you, how do you plan on winning moderates when all you can do is call us names?”
I think the Democrats have conceded 20-30 seats in congress next year. They’re not making a play for any moderates right now. I expect they will do so for the 2012 elections when they are scrambling to get re-elected. I don’t know if its a wise course of action, but it seems to be what they’re doing.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Excellent catch, K.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Terry, either you don’t have a very deep appreciation of irony or you have a far keener sense of irony that I give you credit for.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Because it’s fun. I also enjoy killing grandmothers, aborting babies, rigging elections, and all the other fun stuff that all of us godless libs like to do. It’s all part of our secret agenda for global dominance that you somehow discovered.
Behold the Al Franken school of political satire in it’s fullest flower.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Using the term “teabagging” to refer to TEA party supporters is hateful and disrespectful. I like to use it to tease people…
Apathyboy is a tease-bagger.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
K-Rod, when and where did she say that?
November 5th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Now that your friends have pointed out that it is I will no longer use it.
Yeah, vigorous jiggling and a wry smile will probably suffice to get your message across.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I did not need that mental imagie swiftee, I just threw up in my soul a little
November 5th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
My congresswoman called me a “teabagger”. That carpet muncher.
K-Rod, someone must have told her what it means, as almost all eviedence of her statement where she inluded that line, are scrubbed.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
To add to the above, the Mpls paper reported that when Betty relaeasd the statement. By the next morning it was scrubbed from their web site. Nothing on McCallums web site either.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
“Yeah, vigorous jiggling and a wry smile will probably suffice to get your message across.”
You don’t think that would be too subtle?
“Apathyboy is a tease-bagger.”
Do you prefer paper or plastic?
November 5th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Mom,
Yes, I run a blog. No, no biggie, no need to read it or anything. Honest.
Your son,
Mitch
November 5th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
File under Why Hinderaker & Co don’t have comment sections.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Mommy would be very dissapointed Mitch ;). Hinderaker is either a)too busy with real work or b)too lazy to put up a comment section, because it looks like he built it from the ground up. I would like to see the emails he gets though, I bet those are priceless
November 5th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Mitch,
You really should think about adopting my comment policy.
November 5th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
You really should think about adopting my comment policy.
I like mine just fine; it keeps out the worst of the trolls (and almost all of the spam), and still lets plenty of conversation through. I’m actually fairly happy with the way things are.
November 6th, 2009 at 8:05 am
I’m with Swiftee on this one. Such things don’t happen all that often.