Following the tragic, but certainly predictable, Oregon mass shooting, President Obama gave the above statement - filled with frustration, anger, weariness, and disgust. President Obama's full statement is a must read/watch, and an extremely important statement about not just what an abomination gun violence is in this country, but how egregiously stupid and immoral is our collective lack of political will in failing to address such an obvious problem.
Watching this made me think of the latest trend in Republican politics - the love for saying that their candidates are not being "politically correct." Of course, not being "politically correct" is usually just a fig leaf to cover the extraordinary racism, xenophobia, misogny and homophobia that is rampant in Republicans' rhetoric and beliefs. But, if you listen to Republican candidates, it seems like answers to anything from the economy to Syrian policy can be prefaced with a proud declaration of "political incorrectness." (“Political correctness is imposed by the secular progressives and those who wish to fundamentally change our society,” [Ben Carson] said to applause. “Therefore, they make things off limits to talk about, but you know what? I’m going to talk about it anyway.”)
I was thinking about this "political incorrectness" fetish when President Obama above said that gun violence "is something we should politicize" and pointedly asked of the Republican position that more guns are needed: "Does anybody really believe that?"
And I realized that President Obama's (frankly and appropriately) "pissed off" comments on gun control were a form of "political incorrectness" that Democrats are increasingly hungry to hear from their own leaders. Why? Because on almost every policy issue facing the country, Republicans have descended into a world of fantasy, lies and denial, and for some reason it has become "politically incorrect" to state this frightening fact forthrightly.
Let's think about this for a moment (in no particular order):
* Republicans don't just deny "global warming," they argue that the science is disputed.
* Republicans don't just threaten to not raise the debt ceiling, they argue that the debt ceiling increases the national debt.
* Republicans don't just threaten routinely to shut down the government, they argue that Democrats are the real ones shutting down the government.
* Republicans don't just oppose unemployment insurance, they argue that unemployment insurance causes unemployment. (You better not buy fire insurance on your home!)
* Republicans don't just oppose gay marriage, they argue that gay marriage threatens straight marriage.
* Republicans don't just oppose minority voting rights, they argue they are battling massive (and nonexistent) "voter fraud."
* Republicans don't just have a fetish to privatize Social Security, they argue that the only federal program not to add a penny to the national debt is going bankrupt and is a ponzi scheme.
* Republicans don't just disagree with particular Supreme Court decisions, they argue that Supreme Court decisions are not binding on anyone. And . . . .
* Guaranteed universal health care coverage takes away people's health insurance.
* The minimum wage is a ceiling on people's wages that reduces incomes.
* Federal stimulus spending depresses the economy; austerity measures stimulate the economy.
* Mitt Romney was leading in any poll. [OK, I couldn't resist.]
The list goes on and on. And beyond policy issues, Republicans' entire rhetoric has become an exercise in lying. Carly Florina sees live infant organ removals in videos that show no such thing. George W. Bush "kept America safe from terrorist attacks." Dick Cheney never authorized torture, and on and on. If you pay attention, it never stops.
Most revealingly, during the George W. Bush administration, a "senior administration official" - long rumored to be Karl Rove - explained to Ron Suskind:
The aide said that guys like me were "in what we call the reality-based community," which he defined as people who "believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality." I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles and empiricism. He cut me off. "That's not the way the world really works anymore," he continued. "We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality -- judiciously, as you will -- we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do."
Folks, all of this is jaw-dropping stuff - -
we are talking about a sustained, purposeful break with reality by one of two major political parties.
Most articles I read try to understand why Republicans seem so open to fantasy thinking and lies. Other articles (rightly) deplore the false-equivalency mindset of the press that enables this nonsense. Frankly, I don't care about either of the above questions anymore.
The bottom-line question is how can the Democrats not be scoring major league political gains when the one opposition party has (admittedly) given up on reality? Where is the consistent, easy drumbeat from Democratic politicians pointing out the sheer nuttiness of the opposing party? When did it become "politically incorrect" to rightly say "My opponent is a loon," and then explain why?
Others may disagree, but I don't see Democrats rising to the challenge of an opposition party that openly derides the "reality based community" and is getting nuttier by the year.