"A black sheriff?!": The Official Topic of Obama and New Era American Politics

[tiesto]

I just find it funny that everyone seems oblivious to the fact or is too afraid to admit that the Tea Party is fueled by thinly veiled racism.

Yup... where was the concern about out of control spending from the teabagger constituency during the Bush administration?

[Mr. Gundam]

I just find it funny that everyone seems oblivious to the fact or is too afraid to admit that the Tea Party is fueled by thinly veiled racism.

Oh, I bring this up every single time the Tea Party gets mentioned amongst friends and family... "Have you ever seen a non-white person at a Tea Party rally?"

[The Fake Shemp]

The movement has retconned the Bush administration into the "big spending government" entity that they adamantly oppose, but it's pretty obvious from the demographic that shows up at the rallies and the type of behavior they engage in that it's Obama that really grinds their gears.

I've said for awhile that the Tea Party has tapped into this weird sense of white male insecurity that feels totally threatened by having to do what a left-leaning black man says. Of course, it's not because they're racist. NEVER THAT.

[Mr. Gundam]

Suck a rich white's cock? Oh boy I can't wait!

Suck a rich mandingo's phallus? Oh teh noes! Communists! Revolution!

[The Fake Shemp]

I think it is a scary situation for some middle-aged white Americans to see hundreds of years of racial superiority unraveling before their eyes. I mean, I didn't think I'd see a black President in my lifetime. Not that he ended racial inequality, but Obama shifted the goal posts and then some.

The hysterical part of this is that corporate interests are destroying the entire middle class, and not just for white citizens. It's easier to blame Kenyan socialist boogeymen than to accept the truth that rich capitalists from your own race have sold you out.

[Mr. Gundam]

I have a couple friends who buy into that notion. They'll do anything to defend corporate interests, even when they know deep down that it makes their lives much harder.

[The Fake Shemp]

Yeah, I find it pretty much ridiculous that the rage directed towards the banking institutions has all but evaporated, and that somehow the fat cat Wall Street banker has been lumped into the Obama/Pelosi socialist tyrannical regime courtesy of "out of touch with Main Street America" talking points.

[Eric P]

well, who shapes the talking points?

[Phoenix Dark]

I agree with Triumph, Obama should have jumped on financial regulation shortly after taking office, or attached it to the stimulus somehow, when his numbers were untouchable. Just to make it clear who was on who's side.

The hc debate showed both sides are heavily influenced by corporations, but only one party totally towed the corporate line. Yea there's no public option but it's not like insurance companies are breaking out the champagne for this bill either. They know the jig is up soon. A foot is finally in the door, and one day the other foot is gonna step in a drop the bomb (public option, single payer, medicare buy in, something).

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Chelsea Clinton 2028

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[The Fake Shemp]

well, who shapes the talking points?

jews

[The Fake Shemp]

Yea there's no public option but it's not like insurance companies are breaking out the champagne for this bill either. They know the jig is up soon.

Yeah, those poor insurance companies and their millions of new customers and surging stock prices.

What a real blow for them.

[BlackMage]

well, who shapes the talking points?

jews

all of them?!  

[The Fake Shemp]

NEW YORK, March 22 (Reuters) - Shares of Medicaid insurers, hospital companies and even drugmakers rose on Monday as many investors concluded that passage of landmark U.S. healthcare legislation will add millions of new paying patients.

The S&P Health Care Sector index .GSPA was up nearly 1 percent on Monday, outpacing the broader market, after the U.S. House of Representatives gave final approval to a sweeping overhaul late on Sunday night. [ID:nN22144256]

Shares of hospital companies such as Community Health Systems (CYH.N) and health insurers such as Amerigroup (AGP.N) that focus on Medicaid plans for the poor led the increases. Analysts expect those companies to benefit as the reform package extends coverage to 32 million Americans.

Man, the Democrats really showed them who's boss, Maurice!

[Mandark]

Politics seems like wrestling to me at this point. The Republicans enjoy playing the heel, but behind the stage, both Democrats and Republicans are best friends. Both are owned by corporate interests - this watered down health care reform bill is evidence of just that.

All this red state/blue state nonsense is less about substance and trying to fight for particular ideologies, but rather manufactured noise created to widen the rift and keep people oblivious to the fact neither party really wants to do anything to help their actual constituencies.

Willco's gone from being a Republican to being a Naderite!

 

[The Fake Shemp]

Please, if you're going to call me a populist, spare me the unfair associations, Mandark!

[Mandark]

Hey, if the shoe fits...

[M3wThr33]

Obama has said he'd support immigration reform, no clue what that would entail.
I went through hell to get my wife here.

[The Fake Shemp]

Obama has said he'd support immigration reform, no clue what that would entail.
I went through hell to get my wife here.

Well then, maybe next time you should have use a more reputable agency - like Single Brides or Goodwife.com!

[Van Cruncheon]

delicious, delicious schadenfreude: http://www.hillaryis44.com/

[Phoenix Dark]

[youtube=560,345]cpY7gWlXoqw[/youtube]
[youtube=560,345]vT6PNv2GhY4[/youtube]

Steele gives me a "I'm just rapping about what I see in the streets dawg" vibe, and the other dude gives me a "calling someone a distinguished black fellow is ok if they deserve it" vibe.

[The Fake Shemp]

Poor Shep Smith

[archie4208]

http://www.gop.com/firepelosi/

That is on the official website of the Republican National Committee.  Gotta love the Satanic flames around Pelosi. 

[Mandark]

Shep should have been like "Armaggedon tired of all this hyperbole, Mr. Steele."

[Phoenix Dark]

George RR Martin posts on health care, shit storm (seemingly) erupts
http://grrm.livejournal.com/141683.html

258 comments so far, but I've only read the first page.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

finish the book george dammit

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[brawndolicious]

"Well, he should have had insurance," I can hear some right wing asshole out there saying. Yeah, he shoulda. Except, even if he'd had the money to buy a policy, no insurance company would ever have issued one for him. He's had a pre-existing condition since childhood.

didn't the pubs agree with the democrats on pre-existing conditions?

[Phoenix Dark]

I never saw it in their idea document

[Mandark]

There was a bunch of rhetoric along the lines of "We all agree about stuff like pre-existing conditions, so why not propose a new bill with only those things?"

But they never presented a solid counter-proposal that mandated coverage of pre-existing conditions and never pursued it in the years they had the majority.  It's just something popular enough that most politicians can't publicly oppose.

[Phoenix Dark]

Update: Lawrence O'Donnell on "Countdown" just reported that the Senate Parliamentarian has ruled against the GOP on what they thought would be their "silver bullet" argument, the impact of the excise tax on Social Security revenues.

 

[Brehvolution]

It was fun watching Frum discredit the Club for Growth scumbag on Hardball.

[Phoenix Dark]

Yea...I'm gonna have to agree with Mandark. This isn't about right vs far right as I thought; my opinion was based on the initial concern over the tea parties, Palin, etc, and I figured that was still held by top brass republicans. I'd imagine some still are concerned of course, but the majority of the party decided going full distinguished mentally-challenged fellow was the best idea.

[youtube=560,345]DWLTPfZlvxs[/youtube]

You're right. And Carville said it ages ago
#t=2m40s

[Robo]

http://www.gop.com/firepelosi/

That is on the official website of the Republican National Committee.  Gotta love the Satanic flames around Pelosi. 

My god, that is fucking sad.

[BlueTsunami]

The Daily Show

[tehjaybo]

Everyone come troll the die hards on my facebook status.  It's fun, I promise.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/tehjaybo?v=feed&story_fbid=108464732514009

[Mandark]

Megan McArdle, formerly of The Economist and currently of The Atlantic, who used to blog under the pseudonym Jane Galt, finds the passage of health care reform "terrifying" and a threat to American democracy itself.  It's a remarkably crazy, self-contradicting post.

She also had this gem a few weeks ago:

I have never seen conservatives and liberals so divided . . . in beliefs, not values.  On the one hand, there are people like the TNR crew, and Jonathan Bernstein, Andrew's guest-blogger, who seem to think that this it's the next best thing to a done deal.  Meanwhile, all the conservatives and libertarians I know think that it's pretty much hopeless, because Pelosi can't get it through an increasingly rebellious House.  To our jaded eyes it looks as if everyone who can is looking for an excuse not to vote for a bill that is unpopular with their constituents. 

The opinions on both sides seem so confident, and so incompatible, that one group of people is clearly borderline delusional.  I don't see how they can be right--even if passing health care makes the party better off (I'm doubtful), it does not improve the fortunes of members in conservative districts who do not get much mileage out of their affiliation with the Democratic Party (and will get even less mileage if they are seen as enabling unpopular legislation).

But of course, borderline delusional people don't think they're delusional, or else they wouldn't be delusional.  So there you are: either it's a done deal, or it's dead.  There's no longer much middle ground in between.

Yep.

[Eric P]

true story.  one of my friends used to date her.

she was bug fuck crazy

i knew she worked at the economist and she blogged under the name jane galt.  but i never put the connection together until just now with your post.

[The Fake Shemp]

Was she hot at least?

[Tristam]

Google Images says no.

[Human Snorenado]

Ah, McMegan.  She's a neverending font of stupidity, yet for some reason Very Serious People (some I actually grudgingly admire, like Andrew Sullivan) keep linking to her like she's ever said anything comprehensible, much less sensible.

[Dickie Dee]

Jane Galt, really?

I read McArdle as seldom as possible, but had always thought she was "centristy" and her shtick was concern trolling the Dems.

[recursivelyenumerable]

I think she's pretty cute, personally.

[Human Snorenado]

I think she's pretty cute, personally.

Yes, but you're fucked up in the head.

[brawndolicious]

well she's not ugly or anything.

[Great Rumbler]

Where were all these Tea Party people when the government mandated that everyone who drives a car has to have car insurance?

[Mandark]

true story.  one of my friends used to date her.

she was bug fuck crazy

i knew she worked at the economist and she blogged under the name jane galt.  but i never put the connection together until just now with your post.

Haha, that's awesome.  I feel validated to hear she was crazy, which is probably wrong on my part.

Always got the sense that Yglesias, Klein, et al treated her with kid gloves cause they had something of a crush on her.

[Eric P]

true story.  one of my friends used to date her.

she was bug fuck crazy

i knew she worked at the economist and she blogged under the name jane galt.  but i never put the connection together until just now with your post.

Haha, that's awesome.  I feel validated to hear she was crazy, which is probably wrong on my part.

Always got the sense that Yglesias, Klein, et al treated her with kid gloves cause they had something of a crush on her.

it is incredibly demeaning to women that her very real and very sad mental illness is used for you to make yourself feel better about hating her, you misogynist.

[AdmiralViscen]

Gallup: 49-40 favor

[The Fake Shemp]

If I don't want to acquire health insurance, all I have to do is die.

... or depending on your income, not pay anything at all. Or if you make enough, pay a penalty fee when you file your taxes - which is capped.

This is to prevent you from bankrupting the system after you are hit by a drunk driver while crossing the street because you don't pay car insurance, thus cannot drive a car. We could just opt to get rid of the mandate and let you die, that is unless you have enough money in your account to cover the hospital expenses!

[Van Cruncheon]

intellectually, i really dislike the compulsory element of it. prgamatically, i am unsure how this can be implemented well. we shall see!

[Oblivion]

People under $80k will be getting subsidies, and if you make more than that, chances are you already have good/great health insurance, and even if you don't, I doubt you'll be struggling much when you do buy it.

Also, lol

[Phoenix Dark]

 

almost better than the ron-paul-alone picture

[Eric P]

WHITE PEOPLE TAX!

[Brehvolution]

Slammed!

[Robo]

   REALLY?

[BlueTsunami]

Bobby Joe from West Virginia who has never been to a beach, let alone a tanning salon is fucking outraged! Remove these rusty shacklesssssssss

[Brehvolution]

  @ :15
[youtube=560,345]0DtwkTS9mq8[/youtube]

[The Fake Shemp]

 

[BlueTsunami]

What a piece of shit

[Mupepe]

Fact is, a lot of the things that would cause you to need medical care aren't really your fault. No one's personal health is an island. If you catch a communicable disease and need medical care, that's not really your fault. If you were born with some kind of condition, that's not your fault. If you get cancer because of toxins/chemicals/radiation in your workplace or the environment, that's not really your fault. If you get hit by a car or if you're involved in an accident in any way other than being the at-fault driver... you see where this is going. It's pretty easy to see that health care funding should come from the society, not from the individual.

Granted there are things that make you more of a health risk, and obviously there should be ways of extracting additional revenue from those things. Smokers and drinkers already pay a pretty hefty tax on their indulgences. I'd be in favor of a fast-food and soda tax as well.

In any case, one way or another, everyone in society is going to pay for people's health care. This can be achieved through a taxpayer funded, government run system; a system like the one we're about to implement in the U.S., or you can just let people wait until their conditions deteriorate to the point where they need emergency-room care, and then let everyone who does pay for medical care subsidize these people.

Either way, the notion that every single person in a country should be responsible for his/her own medical care is pretty outdated and reeks of social Darwinism and a Randian-level of disconcern for one's fellow man.

Oh man, I definitely agree on the fast food/soda tax.  If we're taxing things like alcohol and tobacco because they're bad and we're trying to discourage it, then we should do the same for fast food.  That shit is horrible and everyone knows it.  The only logistical problem is what is considered fast food?  Anything with a drive thru?  Then what about places like Five Guys?  Anything that serves pre-cooked/frozen food?  What about places like Shipley Donuts?  Or Denny's and Applebee's?  Or how about those god-awful Hungry Man meals?  In reality, it's really just too difficult to implement.

A soda tax should definitely happen though.

[Robo]

They could maybe do ANY foods that exceed a certain percentage of the DV% of calorie, sodium or fat intake in a single serving.  Of course, this would probably lead to some manipulation of serving sizes, the determination for which needs to be revised anyway.

[brawndolicious]

A sucrose/fructose tax could happen since you're taxing the supplier directly.  But I think a more efficient/less controversial idea is to instead focus on giving tax breaks to companies that use artificial sweeteners instead of sugar while at the same time having a tax of some form on those sugars.  It gives a clear message to the public that there is some much more healthy alternative for the foods they eat (especially as artifical sweeteners are cheaper already).

You could also do the same thing to fats by having a small tax on trans fats and a tax incentive for using fat substitutes like Olestra or something.

Taxing the final food product directly just feels backwards to me.