I have a very strong opinion about the government showdown and harbor some particularly ill will toward Republitarians (high RWA Republicans). Robert Altemeyer, a psychologist who studied authoritarianism for 40 years characterizes them this way:
But research reveals that authoritarian followers drive through life under the influence of impaired thinking a lot more than most people do, exhibiting sloppy reasoning, highly compartmentalized beliefs, double standards, hypocrisy, self-blindness, a profound ethnocentrism, and–to top it all off–a ferocious dogmatism that makes it unlikely anyone could ever change their minds with evidence or logic.
I thought that by now I couldn't be surprised by anything they'd do, but, again today, another record was broken. There was an article in
Talking Points Memo about poor Renee Elmers (R-NC02) who allowed as how she really needed to get paid even though no one else in the government was . . .
According to Renee:
I need my paycheck. That's the bottom line.
despite the fact that, according to her
bio on her House web page:
Before her election to Congress, Renee served as a registered nurse for over twenty-one years, initially as a surgical intensive care nurse and then focusing on surgical and wound care patients along with her husband Dr. Brent Ellmers in their General Surgery practice.
Gee, the poor woman and her family might starve if she doesn't get her paycheck. There's no way that they could possibly get by on her husband's income . . .
Now, I grew up in eastern North Carolina where the "plantation mentality" still flavors every aspect of life, and have lived in North Carolina much of my adult life. I thought I'd seen just about every kind of lack of empathy and hypocrisy that was in Tar Heels' repertoires. (The Tea Party assault on the legislature was an eye-opener, but only to the extent that they were able to do so much damage so quickly). Imagine my relief when I saw that she was
Originally born and raised in Michigan . . .
I guess Michigan rednecks outclass Southern rednecks. It must be the winters . . .
So far, Ellmers' poor-mouthing trumps anything I've seen for the category of Combined Cluelessness, Lack of Empathy, Hypocrisy, Double Standards and Self-blindness. I think I have to come up with some kind of prize.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.