It started with this Buzzfeed page, which got posted to my FB this morning (Warning: extreme racist assholery ahead. Click at your own risk.):
Buzzfeed: The 31 Worst People On The Planet
My friend posted that link this morning, and got this response from her FB friend Kaye (excuse my primitive embedding skills).
I hate things like this because it's picking out the worst and not an accurate representation of everyone's thoughts. Just because I did not vote for Obama does not mean I dislike him because of his color.
And for the record: I do NOT tolerate anyone using the "N" word. I don't care if you're black and you have the "right to use it." No! It's so derogatory and should be banned from the English language!
This, in turn, engendered lots of "Well, lie down with dogs, get up with fleas" responses. Which I agreed with wholeheartedly, to tell the truth. But I think we over on the Left, reality-based as we are, could be more helpful than that.
So here's my response to Kaye, and to all those sane and appalled Republicans out there:
DUDE.
It isn't us you should be getting mad at.
Your party, which used to represent sanity and calm, has been taken over by the most hateful and backward dregs of humanity on just about every issue. Don't get mad at US for pointing it out. Get mad at THEM for hijacking your party and making it synonymous with hate and bigotry.
When African-Americans look at Republicans, they don't see Michael Steele. They see those posters at the Buzzfeed link above.
When Hispanics look at Republicans, they don't see Marco Rubio. They see Jan Brewer and Joe Arpaio - people who would just as soon truck ALL Hispanics over the border to Mexico and dump them there, and let others sort out niceties of "citizenship."
When women look at Republicans, they don't see Olympia Snowe, they see Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin. We did not make up the "Republican war on women." Campaigning on "pro-life" has turned into "anti-contraception" and "let's call women sluts." These are not popular, centrist policies to campaign on.
And speaking on behalf of us GLBTs? You guys never liked us as a party to begin with - and that pitiful little handful of Log Cabiners and GOProuders have never even been embraced by the rest of the party, let alone that big mushy middle of America where all the votes are. When we look at Republicans, we see Maggie Gallagher and Fred Phelps.
Congratulations. Those are the people who are THE voice of your party.
You can protest all you want that YOU don't hate blacks, YOU don't hate gays, YOU are personally pro-choice, YOU don't think every Hispanic person is an illegal alien out to steal your job. And I BELIEVE YOU! Seriously, I do! I know a lot of Republicans, and (with rare exceptions) I believe they are not inherently hateful!
But guess what? As long as those guys are given free rein to spout their vileness? They're the ones out there selling the Republican brand to an electorate that is getting more brown, more black, more Asian, and more openly (and unapologetically) gay. And we aren't buying what you're selling.
It's kind of hard to convince people of the rightness of Romney's tax plan when he campaigned on a platform of getting you deported, imprisoned, slut-shamed, or executed. Seriously. Or if not you yourself, your friends and family. You may not BELIEVE that's what they have in mind for us, but that's all we're hearing from them.
Let's cut to the chase.
SOMEONE is gonna have to call these racist, sexist, misogynist, homophobic assholes out. And they are NOT gonna listen to us. Trust me - I hang out at Kos, a den of Evil Librulism if ever there was one, and we've been warning them for a long time that this would happen. They are NEVER gonna hear it coming from us Godless, n***-loving Libtards.
It's going to have to come from you. And from the other sane, reality-based people in your party. You are going to have to stand up to these dregs of humanity and say "This is NOT acceptable."
Because let me tell you something else. Those guys who posted on Buzzfeed? They've already decided Romney lost because he didn't go far enough with the rampant hatred. They are poised to make 2014 and 2016 EVEN WORSE. Because, in their minds, THAT is the way to attract more moderates and independents. And Hispanics, and blacks, and women, and gays.
Seriously. They really do think that's a recipe for success.
Now - once again - as a liberal, I am happy to see them thinking that way, because it's going to keep my party in power (and hopefully working its way gradually farther back left) for a long, long time.
But as a friend? (And we ARE your friends, as much as those Fox News people try to tell you we're America-hating demons.) I'd much rather see people follow Chris Christie's example and put the hatred aside for once, in the interest of GETTING THINGS DONE and MOVING THE COUNTRY FORWARD. Some would say the results - in this case, a really smooth and effective response to Sandy - were worth it. Imagine if Republicans cooperated on things like jobs, instead of digging in their heels on the ANYTHING Obama Does Must Be Evil policy? Wow - we might ALL actually get somewhere.
But hey. It's not my business what your party decides to do with itself. If you want them to remain viable, it's up to you Reasonable Republicans to take your party back.
If not - well, get used to a bunch of Novembers a lot like this one.
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