In the face of Republicans reluctantly ending their opposition and allowing the payroll tax cuts measure to pass through Congress, Senator John McCain described his political party in this way:
“We’re dumb, but we’re not stupid. We did not want to repeat the debacle of last December. It’s not that complicated.”
While there’s not much difference in parsing dumb and stupid (they pretty much have the same meaning), I think most of us can agree on what it is McCain was admitting. Basically, he’s saying that Republicans never do anything because it’s the right thing to do. Never. It’s always about politics for them.
Did anyone believe for a second that Republicans backed down from their obstructionist ways this one time because they honestly cared about the tens of millions of middle class workers who would benefit from a two percentage point increase in their paychecks? Or because they care a damn about the millions of jobless who will see their benefits extended in a time of economic crisis? I hope not for you would have to either be a complete moron or a blind partisan fool to believe that Republicans are anything other than self-serving, heartless bastards who finally understood that opposing a tax cut at this time was detrimental to their chances of winning in November.
Essentially, if an individual is not part of the one percent of society who fill their election coffers, Republicans don’t care much for them or about them. While trying to steal their vote in any way they can, the vast majority of Americans are little more than political pawns in the eyes of the modern GOP. Pawns who for whatever reason cannot see the manner in which they are being manipulated in the worst of ways. Republican policy which favors health insurers’ profits over the millions who cannot afford any health insurance. Policy which favors big oil’s record profits over the safeguarding of the environment and a fragile warming planet. And policy which favors the taking down of a president over the basic needs and welfare of Americans.
The Republican party is dumb but not stupid? Yeah, most rational thinking people get it.
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McCain might be content in thinking that the Republican party is not stupid but the people who vote for them certainly are.
I don’t see it that way. I see stupidity as a natural condition – a lack of capacity, whereas dumb is a matter of ignorance and/or a lack of learning. By the same token, smart and intelligent are also two different things. Intelligence is a matter of natural capacity, whereas being smart is a maatter of learning. I consider myself to be fairly intelligent, but I am woefully dumb on some things – “professional” wrestling, for example. Your average gang member is generally stupid, but not dumb – it’s called street smarts.
I actually believe Republicans “can” multitask. They can be Dumb “and” Stupid.
Yep, with Rethugs it’s all about winning. Nice to see an article that talks about this most important point about Rethugs.
On a related note, I remember when Bush won in 2004, and I heard one of the network news people talking about what a brilliant strategist Karl Rove was. The fact that he engaged in all sorts of distortions, if not outright lies, to fool people into voting for Bush was of no concern to this person.
And all of this grinning, handshaking, baby kissing, jeans and sweater vest wearing, talking points you want to hear, concern for your wellbeing, and pandering to voters, is what they must endure until they get to the top and then they will be oblivious to your needs and mine. Its the unwritten creed of the Grand Old Party.
Stupid is as Stupid does.
I thought 2010 elections were about Jobs?? When are the Republicans going to stop cutting taxes for the rich and pushing their idea that women belong in a kitchen and rapists deserve visitation rights when their victims give birth.
As usual, the squeaky wheel gets the oil, and controversy gets ratings. Talking about established laws as if they don’t exist, so the GOP stands for ‘law’ when it favors them, any other time they consider it communism or ‘un-american’ socialism.
again, refer to my first sentence of this post.
I thint they do not look at things from any angle but one.Look at the debt who started the massave red budgets. Ronald Reagan. his administration started in1980 with 300 bill in the red befor R>R> the bigest defict was 76 under Carter.Ronny broke the U.S.S.R. it just took the U.S. 30 years to catch up!