Today's Cartoon And Poll - Who's The Face Of The Republican Party?

(click on image to enlarge)

(David Horsey, Los Angeles Times)

Oh, he's here to stay:

Donald Trump, who became the center of attention in the race for the 2016 Republican U.S. presidential nomination with his denunciation of illegal immigrants from Mexico, has vaulted into a virtual dead heat with Jeb Bush atop the field, a Reuters-Ipsos poll released on Saturday showed.

Trump, a billionaire real estate developer, had the support of 15.8 percent of respondents in the online poll of self-identified Republicans compared to 16.1 percent for Bush, a former Florida governor.

Proof that there is a God, and She's a Democrat.

BONUS:  Here's how Trump views the world (click to enlarge), courtesy of HuffPo humorist Aaron Nemo (click here to see details of the map):

Earth Day 2015

(The Florida Everglades; photo via Huffington Post)

As President Obama visits the Florida Everglades on Earth Day 2015 to underline the dangers of global climate change, a certain subset of the population is in denial (and that's not the river in Egypt):

While notable majorities of all other political party/ideology groups say the effects of global warming will happen within their lifetime, fewer than four in 10 conservative Republicans (37%) agree, a sign of that political identity's strident skepticism on this issue.

Conservative Republicans not only decisively reject the notion that the effects of global warming will happen in this lifetime -- a position in sharp contrast to all other political identities -- but another 40% say global warming will never happen. This is significantly higher than the percentages of moderate/liberal Republicans (16%), non-leaning independents (14%), conservative/moderate Democrats (5%) and liberal Democrats (3%) who say the same.

"Skepticism" is one thing;  stubborn, ideologically-based resistance to facts and science is another.  Happy Earth Day 2015.

UPDATE I:  Leave it to Koch-endorsed employee Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker to mark the date appropriately.

UPDATE II:   The huge international banking house HSBC is warning its clients about investments in the fossil industry, saying investments there may become "economically non-viable."

How The Republican Party Was Built - Indulging One Lunatic At A Time

Charles P. Pierce is in rare form today, as he reacts to the rantings of a Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum questioner at a recent "summit" in the Home of American Sedition, South Cackalacky Carolina.  The transcript is via Nick Field at the PA Politics blog.  First, here's the lady nutball's comment/ question:

Why is the Congress rolling over and letting this Communist dictator [Obama] destroy my country? Y'all know what he is and I know what he is. I want him out of the White House; he's not a citizen; he could have been removed a long time ago...Ted [Cruz?] told me I've got to wait for the next election. I don't think the country will be around for the next election. Obama tried to blow up a nuke in Charleston a few months ago! And the three admirals, and generals. He has totally destroyed our military. He's fired all the generals and all the admirals that said they wouldn't fire on the American people.

Hoo-boy. Needless to say, Santorum avoided telling the lady she needed professional help, instead saying essentially, "Don't blame me, I'm not in Washington any more."  Now here's Charles' response:

This is the party that modern conservatism has built, brick by brick, one indulged lunatic at a time, over the past 60 years. I leave the details to Rick Perlstein, but there is no question that this was a conscious choice made over time by one of the only two political parties that we have allowed ourselves. It began with the decision to side with the remnants of American apartheid. It continued with the decision to ally itself with the most virulently retrograde elements of American Protestantism. It was energized by the tragic historical truth that this stuff is an effective means of gaining political power. The thinking became more and more magical. The rhetoric became more and more unhinged. The willingness of the Republican party to tolerate an almost limitless amount of sheer public lunacy has led us to this moment, where the only answer Santorum dares give to a woman who believes the president intended to nuke an American city was to say that he wasn't in Washington at the time. 

There is no Republican middle any more. Pundits go searching for it and never return. Their bleached bones are found two years later in a ditch surrounding an Iowa cornfield, or their entrails are discovered hanging from a pine tree in northern New Hampshire as a warning to anyone else who dares undertake the quest. Just over the past few days, we have seen two alleged Republican "moderates" take positions that, a decade ago, would have marked them as fringe nuisances.

Progressives have long noted, to little avail, what Charles is saying here:  there's been no counterbalance to the mad rush the Republican Party has made to the ultra-right in recent decades. The Jacob Javits, Nelson Rockefeller, Charles Percy, Clifford Case, Ed Brooke brand of Republicanism has been dead and gone for two generations (thanks, St. Ronnie of Hollywood!). There's been a slow but steady migration out of the party by people who no longer want to be associated with the ever-stranger nuttery (as high-profile examples, Colin Powell, Arlen Specter, Charlie Crist, James Jeffords).  The void has been filled by generation after generation of "indulged lunatics" of the sort listed above, all the while tolerated embraced by the Republican Party in its quest for political power, and by the spineless "mainstream media" in its quest to never question or offend the cherished hobgoblins of a subscriber or viewer.  With Citizens United opening the floodgates for right-wing plutocrat mega-bucks, we can be assured there will always be a party that's a haven for such "indulged lunatics" (thanks, "Justice" Kennedy!).

Today's Dispatch From The Stupid...Er...Crazy Party - "Idaho, Do You?" Edition

Our regular fellow-banging-his-head "Dispatch..." gif got exhausted (brain trauma?) after watching the recent gubernatorial debate featuring four candidates for the Republican/ New Confederate/ Stupid/ Crazy Party nomination in Idaho.  The debate featured two representatives of the Republican base (the aptly named Harley Brown and Walt Bayes) and two politicians (Gov. Bruce "Proud Member of the Weasel Family" Otter and State Sen. Russ Fulcher). Rather than subject viewers to the entire 1-hour debate, this supercut version is lighting up the internet toobs:

Sunday Morning Reading - Domestic Politics Edition

Today's key word is "normal."

Here's the Miami Herald's Leonard Pitts on Hillary Clinton and the "new normal:"

It is, of course, way too early to be taking polls seriously. But perhaps an observer can nevertheless be forgiven for being heartened at the prospect of a Clinton campaign, much less a Clinton victory. Either would send a much-needed message to those who are still waiting for America to get back to normal.

You know the definition of “normal,” right? A world wherein straight, white Christian men still call all the shots. That world has been under assault for the last 50 years, and the pressure has only increased in the last 10 as gay people roll back restrictions of their human rights, as a black man with an exotic name makes an improbable ascent to the presidency, as a woman positions herself to make the same climb.  (our emphasis)

The once great Washington Post's Bezos Bugle's retired managing editor Robert Kaiser has words for both Republicans and Democrats in his farewell to the Washington scene.  Here's part of his take on the Republican/ New Confederate/ Stupid Party and their "normal" that radicalizes politics today:

But the most consequential political development in my time has been the transformation of the Grand Old Party. When I was young, we had Republicans who liked to govern, resisted political orthodoxy, made strong friendships with Democrats and took principled positions on difficult issues. We have forgotten that Lyndon B. Johnson’s civil rights bills, perhaps the most important legislation passed in my decades in Washington, were possible only because of Senate Republicans such as Dirksen of Illinois, Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania and Jacob Javits of New York. The idea that Javits and Barry Goldwater were both Republicans in the same Senate is, by today’s standards, astounding. 

Now the anti-government right wing dominates the GOP. Vigilantes from the Club for Growth and Heritage Action campaign to eliminate every Republican in Congress who toys with moderation or considers collaborating with Democrats. The vigilantes’ key allies are members of “the base,” the party activists who make up perhaps 10 to 15 percent of the country’s population but can control the Republican nominating process. The base consists principally of white evangelical Christians who, the pollsters tell us, fear that their America is disappearing. Of course they are right; it has probably disappeared already. Their America would not have elected a black president. (our emphasis)

As always, please take some time to read both pieces in their entirety.

Evening Sublime Reading

A belated welcome back to the great tbogg, who's plying his craft over at Raw Story these days!  No one (with the possible exception of Mr. Charles P. Pierce) has quite the same way with words in describing the plankton otherwise known as the Republican base and their shearers.  Here's his lead-in to a piece about wingnuts running afoul of the Federal Elections Commission:

It is a fact of life that there is no sheep on God’s green earth more willing to be sheared than a god-fearing  flag-waving pocket-Constitution-owning being-kept-down-by-the-black-man middle-aged flyover-country white-American. It is said that, if God didn’t want these good people shorn of their disposable income that would  otherwise be spent on salty fattening high-fuctose-infused snacks  purchased in bulk from large warehouse stores,  He wouldn’t have given them Fox News for free on basic cable.  Add to that, the fact that no one ever went broke telling old folks that the government is sticking its nose in their Medicare in order to buy Obama phones for the New Black Panther Party. In fact, many have enriched themselves doing just that, thankyewverymuch.

A tingle is currently running up our legs.

Off Their Rockers

Dana Milbank, blind squirrel (d)emeritus at the once great Washington Post  Bezos Bugle, writes about the bizarre conspiracy theories and just plain dumbassery that the Rethuglican base is awash in, and detects a linkage:

Obama conspiracy theories have flourished in the Deep South, where wealth and educational levels are both low. This makes sense: Where voters are least informed, they are most susceptible to misinformation peddled by talk-radio hosts and the like.

For this reason, voters in reliably Republican states, which tend to be poorer, with lower test scores, are more vulnerable to misinformation. To use one measure, the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress test of eighth-grade reading, all but one of the top 10 states were in Obama’s column in 2012. Of the 19 doing worse than average, 14 were red states.

 Of course, as Milbank also reports, the many Rethuglican sufferers of Obama Derangement Syndrome are more than willing to say something stupid, even if they know better,

... as a chance to register their displeasure with the president. Obama has driven a large number of Republican voters — [Public Policy Polling's Tom] Jensen puts it at 15 to 20 percent of the overall electorate — right off their rockers.

Another variation on the theme of "Why we can't have nice things in this country."

Why We Can't Have Nice Things In This Country, Cont.

 Here's your Republican base, right here:

A Tennessee tea party Republican congressman told a frightened little girl at a town hall meeting on Thursday in Murfreesboro, TN that laws are laws and that her undocumented father is going to have to be deported. According to ProgressivePopulist.org, 11-year-old Josie Molina told Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R) that she has papers but her father does not.

During a question and answer session at the meeting, Molina stepped up to the microphone and, with a quavering voice, asked, “Mr. DesJarlais, I have papers, but I have a dad who’s undocumented. What can I do to have him stay with me?”

Rather than make any attempt to assuage the girl’s fears, DesJarlais said, “Thank you for being here and thank you for coming forward and speaking,” but “the answer still kind of remains the same, that we have laws and we need to follow those laws and that’s where we’re at.”

The tea party crowd whooped and applauded wildly as the little girl took her seat, head down. Progressive Populist reported that Josie Molina’s father is currently in the process of being deported and that the girl is seeing a child psychologist in order to cope with the stress and anxiety.

What sweet people.  Oh, you may remember Rep. DesJarlais as the serial adulterer who was elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2012 by his tea bagger constituency.  He's says he's gotten himself right with Jesus though, so move along.

Here's Your Rethuglican Base (Viewer Discretion Advised)

Captured here, in about 8 minutes of video, are vignettes of the Rethuglican base hive mind. These are Rethuglican voters in Ohio freely regurgitating whatever misinformation is contained in their lizard brains (brought to them courtesy of the Fox "News"/ Rush Limbaugh/ Koch Brothers/ Willard Romney right-wing grift-the-yokels machine). You might want to chug some Maalox before watching:

100% of 18% of Americans Are Idiots

There's a new Pew Research Center poll out indicating that a "substantial and growing number" of Americans believes President Obama is a Muslim (or "muslin" in their terminology): fully 18 percent of Americans (up from 11% in March 2009). Since 2009, the belief grew most sharply among Rethugs -- up 14 points among Rethugs and 16% among conservative Rethugs. Without fear of contradiction, I can state that the primary "news" source for these numbnuts is hate radio and the Fux Nutwork.

(Image: Mr. 18 Percent)

"O-K-L-A-H- uh - H - uh - I Don't Know"

The most Republican state in the Union, Oklahoma, seems to be well under way in its mission of raising dunces who vote Republican. Need proof? Check this out.

Samples:

"Q. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?" Seven percent said Barack Obama (clearly, Fox News has more work to do in Oklahoma).

"Q. What are the two major political parties in the U.S.?" Eleven percent said "Communist and Republican" (clearly, though, Fox has been having an impact).

"... where the wind goes sweeping through the ears..."

We Teabaggin'!

Think the 99.9 percent white, middle-aged and senior teabagging "million-man-mob-minus-950,000" that plopped on DC this past Saturday like a Metamucil-induced dookie wasn't nasty, racist, gun-happy and 100 percent deluded? Check out "Teabaggers in their own words", courtesy of Daily Kos.

Now let's see if the Rethugs are able to contain the beast they're feeding.

Rethug Police Blotter, Teabag Edition

Idaho Rethug party official cum Paultard cum teabag enthusiast Challiss "Cuz Chalice Would Be a Sissy Name" McAffee has been arrested and charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon for pulling his penile compensator out in a confrontation over a foreclosed property. You da man, uh, Challiss.

Saturday Morning Read

Author! Author!
Bill O'Liely has been abducted and a libtard ghost-writer has written an admiring puff-piece in the nationally-syndicated Parade about President Obama!! Did O'Liely see what his ghost-writer wrote before he signed the check?? Was this run by Roger Ailes??!! How could you say such positive things about "President" Barack Mohammed Adolf Josef Kenyatta Obama!!??

"No Party of Einsteins"
Charles Blow discusses the birther, authoritarian, know-nothing hooliganism on display in the kook right's attempts to derail health care reform/ the Obama Administration in his NY Times op/ed. Citing polling showing 58% of Rethugs aren't convinced of Obama's Hawaiian birth (about the same percentage of Rethugs that believe humans were created 10,000 years ago), Blow concludes "This is no party of Einsteins." True. But, unfortunately, it is a party whose base is angry, well-armed, and responds readily to incitement.

Per Above, We Offer Exhibit A
As if further evidence were needed, Winky You Betcha has weighed in (if a lightweight could be said to weigh in) the health care scare derby, using her Down syndrome child Trig as a prop once again. No party of Einsteins, indeed. No party of truth or character either.

To the Right, March!

The latest WaPo/ABC News poll provides further reinforcement for President Obama, who garners approval for every key domestic and foreign policy issue with the exception of the auto industry bailout, and an overall approval rating of 69%. Significantly, the "right track" numbers are around 50%, whereas in October they stood at 8%.

The news for the shriveling entity known as the Republican Party? Not so good, especially for Rethugs in Congress who only gain the confidence of 21% (!) of the public "to make the right decisions for the country." That appears to be the extent of the hard-core Rethug base right now. A base that seems to be moving farther right into fully certified Bachmann/Beck nut territory.

Your Rethug Base

The reactions of some Rethug focus group members to the candidates' comments at the recent Rethug "debate" are telling: negative to any statement regarding helping the poor, and positive to any statement endorsing torture.

As Kevin Drum notes, "ladies and gentlemen, your Republican base."