Democratic Veteran :: The future of our nut-job opposition

July 29, 2003

The future of our nut-job opposition

But don't laugh. Get the daypass at Salon, and read this article. Yes, it has the Tom Delay quote about Ted Kennedy, but that's not why it needs to be read. It's about the whack-jobs who are the College Republicans and how their views are being shaped and manipulated. I have not seen filth-spewing like that since, well I don't know when.

Again and again throughout the weekend convention, speakers emphasized that the eager young people before them were the future of the party of Hoover, Nixon and Reagan.

If that's true, the Republican Party of the future will be one firmly indoctrinated in the belief that the opposition is illegitimate. "As conservatives, we share a zeitgeist that is not shared by liberals," said speaker Paul Erickson, an operative who runs the "Daschle Accountability Project," an effort dedicated to undermining the reputation of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., in the 2004 campaign. Erickson has also worked for John Wayne Bobbitt, he of the severed penis, whom Erickson booked on a "Love Hurts" tour in 1994.

"As conservatives, we don't hate America," Erickson told his young audience. "The life of a liberal is hell. It is not possible to have a debate, a discussion, with someone who at their root, at their core, hates everything this country stands for but doesn't hate it enough to leave."
...
Coulter herself remains wildly popular -- Parker Stephenson, chairman of Ohio College Republicans, calls her "one of my favorite conservative thinkers."

So he's from Ohio. Maybe I should track him down and see which ROTC program he's enrolled in, or which OCS program he's signed up for after his four years in college. I'd hate to think that someone so patriotic at a time like this would shirk their duty. Right? Grad/Law/Med School can wait...well maybe not Med School, the service can always use more MD's, but sadly googling him reveals that Law School is probably in his future, since he's a PoliSci major (what the else is that degree good for?). Think I'll drop him a friendly email.

Here it is, let's see if he responds. I'll post it if he does.

Mr. Stephenson,
It was with great interest that I read the article in Salon. I found the answers to many of the things I was wondering about the Republican Party right there. For instance, where has the intolerance, bigotry, racism and lack of critical thinking and civil discourse come from over the past 20 years? Why from you all, it seems.

I have a hard time believing that I served my country for folks like the ones in the article and even you, an admirer of Ann Coulter to have your views. But I did and I begrudge it to no one. It was the best time of my life and I'd do it all over again tomorrow. Without a single day unacounted for, again. If you know what I mean.

The racist attitude expressed by some of your fellow travelers would by the way get them tossed out of the service faster than they could say their own names, is that a shocker to you? Interestingly they are likely big "supporters" of the military, but would be no more likely join than do volunteer work (which I admiringly note you do).

How about you Mr. Stephenson, you seem to love Ann Coulter, which obviously means you love America, are you planning to enlist or join an Officer Training Program in the US Military after graduation or will you be "pursuing alternatives" while others serve this Great Country?

I'd be interested to know, since I believe that another interviewee did seem to speak with the voice of all of you:
"As conservatives, we don't hate America," Erickson told his young audience. "The life of a liberal is hell. It is not possible to have a debate, a discussion, with someone who at their root, at their core, hates everything this country stands for but doesn't hate it enough to leave."
Friend of yours?

Jo Fish
former LCDR USNR/1315 (Naval Aviator)
--fighting the Credit Card Conservatives every day

posted by Jo Fish on 07.29.03 at 02:53 AM

Comments:

Military service is for the "little people" as Leona Helmsley so quaintly put it. The leaders and the elite of the new streamlined 21st century America have "other priorities" as Mr. Cheney justified his anti-miliary draft dodging during a time of danger.

The odds of a College Republican donning a uniform for anything other than dressup like a costume party: 5-4, and you pick 'em.

posted by: Lurch on 07.29.03 at 06:34 AM [permalink]

I cannot believe that serious thinkers would take a statement like "The life of a liberal is hell. It is not possible to have a debate, a discussion, with someone who at their root, at their core, hates everything this country stands for but doesn't hate it enough to leave." as anything remotely approaching the truth.
I am a liberal/progressive, born and raised in the South and an ex-Marine. I love everything this country TRULY stands for and it pisses me off that anyone would think otherwise. At MY root, at MY core, I am beyond my limit for tolerating the tactics of the right.

posted by: TrophiesofWar on 07.29.03 at 06:38 AM [permalink]

Ah, trophies...you're exhibiting symptoms of fallacious thinking.

You need to remember the rules of Logic 101.

The terms "serious thinkers" and "conservative" or "Fascist" are mutually exclusive.

posted by: Lurch on 07.29.03 at 06:47 AM [permalink]

Was there a reference to John Wayne Bobbitt's supersized circumcision in this feature? Was he a conservative? If so, was that appropriate punishment for his infidelity? If so, how about Newt Gingrich et al, among the right's philanderers? (Clinton gets special dispensation because he did many good things during his 8 years.)

posted by: Shag from Brookline on 07.29.03 at 07:52 AM [permalink]

Jo, why didn't you comment on this little gem from DeLay?

To gauge how "out of touch" the Democrats are, DeLay instructed, "close your eyes and try to imagine Ted Kennedy landing that Navy jet." The crowd chuckled obligingly.

I am myself a Navy vet (though frankly, I was JAG Corps and not a "real" Navy officer), and I knew a few Naval aviators and spent some time riding some carriers in my time in. There is no f*cking way I'm going to believe Bush "land[ed] that Navy jet." No way, and I don't care how much flight time he had as an Air Guard pilot.

Or are those controlled crashes a lot easier than they looked?

posted by: Len Cleavelin on 07.29.03 at 10:56 AM [permalink]

The opinions these little out-of-touch jackoffs are spouting have been spoon-fed to them by their hate-radio fuhrer, Rush Pimpleassbaugh.

The demonization, bared teeth, and dehumanization are all too reminiscent of Nazi propaganda against Jews. Just replace "liberal" or "Democrat" in one of their venal rants with "Jew" and you'll see what I mean.

Of course, later in the article you'll see that they don't give their ugly racist hate lip service, but they're the real deal.

Frightening that our society can produce such scumbags (Not to insult used condoms by comparing them to these morons.).

posted by: Ras_Nesta on 07.29.03 at 02:14 PM [permalink]

It's amusing how much hate I'm sensing from comments about how much liberals don't hate ;-)

posted by: CJ on 07.29.03 at 06:10 PM [permalink]

Well, you have a mainstream representation of angry Republican youth tell you that they love their country more than you do because they hate black people and have steroid-addled ex-professional wrestlers rant about "warriors", and you tell me how fresh your daisies are after that shitstorm.

This *is* the GOP. And that's the scariest part.

posted by: jesse on 07.29.03 at 11:27 PM [permalink]

It's not hate, CJ. We just despise them for the bigoted frauds that they are.

posted by: Lurch on 07.30.03 at 03:12 AM [permalink]

State of the union and steroid for youth concerns, Benedict Ahnold's RNC speech. Flip-flops the likes of alley-oop. Straight outta the funny papers...

posted by: Mr.Murder on 09.06.04 at 02:35 AM [permalink]