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One of the other reasons the hardcore political right/fundamentalists are so cohesive and follow the lead is because they are highly Authoritarian.
But hey - it IS up ... here -
http://www.thomhartmann.com/2010/02/02/daily-topics-%E2%80%93-tuesday-fe...
@DDay re: conservatives: All true, but I think the average conservative fundamentalist serving on his/her school board thinks they're doing the Lord's work, saving the kids from evil. So, they're more willing to sit through and participate in a 5-hour meeting or hearing. We, on the other hand, not assuming our eternal salvation is at stake, prefer to go home and get stoned.
"I never metaphor I didn't liken." -harry ashburn
Is Thom on the road today? I think that the days that the Live Blog doesn't go up also tend to be the days when Thom is not at the home base, co-ordinating all the facets of the show.
@DDay:re late blog: Having worked in radio myself, and being old, I'm more understanding of the late chat room; esp. when compared to some other shows. Since I'm not paying them anything, I feel they're earning their money.
"Digital cameras..what a rip-off! .. Every time I go to the drugstore to buy film, they just laugh at me!" - harry ashburn
@ Harry Ashburn
re: "why are conservatives and fundamentalists so successful?
I think it is because their leaders have a coherent and holistic plan to gain power and they are good at taking orders because it serves their demons of personal greed and amorality. They have think tanks and incredibly intelligent people working and refining their scientific methods and testing for selling their wares and manipulating responses. Think "death tax". Very clever wording.
seems that education is the answer to many problems,but there are those that do not want people to have knowledge.It might be healthy for our society to face what is out there and face it with knowledge.Denial does not seem to work.
The right wing and fundamentalists are also funded extremely well by the very rich who are looking out for their own interests and that is why they are successful as well, it is not an accident. I am in awe of the propaganda capability of a movement that can get working class people to advocate for the rich by screaming they don't want taxes raised on the rich. It is brilliant on a purely intellectual level.
@ Scott
re: your description of California's "red" countys
The conditions you describe exactly mirror the conditions in the rural Mid-west, with the exception of the aid part in most instances. Yes, the people may have been conned by the right, but often that is only true because they never receive the progressive side. These people listen to their radios while they work. A rural Progressive radio station is non-existent. They all listened to Paul Harvey every lunchtime of their lives. Most people go to church and most own guns. We don't talk to them much. The N.R.A. and local Chamber of Commerce does, and so does the right wing. We need Progressive Radio to broadcast into this Balkanized region like Radio Free Europe used to. The people will come around, thy aren't stupid, they're just neglected in variety and choice.
that would be SECTION TWO of the
EXPANDING DYNAMIC DEMOCRACY ACT --
2nd pillar of the AGENDA for the COMMON GOOD!!
"Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!"
thank-you for answering my question --
How would RN pen a constitutional amendent?
"it could be a very simple amendment --
the only people who should have rights under a democracy are human beings" --
RN on THartmann -- the big picture -- FREESPEECH TV -- 01-22-2010 --
PRECISELY on page 489
SECTION TWO:
Corporations, partnerships, and legal associations of any kind
shall not be deemed "persons" for purposes of applying or interpreting
the U.S. Constitution. "Person" is hereby determined by law
as a "human being."
"Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!" RALPH NADER
So, I just got done sending a nasty-gram to Thom complaining about how this Blog comes "alive" , lately. You never know when it will be updated and go active. Today it was in the second half of the first hour. It used to be accessible well in advance of the show. Bad constituent services. It causes bloviatus interuptus! This is an election year after all. Grrrrrr. :-(
Fundies and Cons are successful at getting attention and power because they have figured out that fear is a great motivator. Until we learn that love is a better motivator, we are doomed to live in a world of their making.
Why are conservatives and fundamentalists so successful? How can they take over hundreds of school boards, local government and national politics? They are more fervent and dedicated than we are. It's 'cause they know God is on their side, and we're not sure.
Having lived in California all my life (I am 45), I have to say Wayne Root is completely full of it when he states that a family (of 4 I assume) making 500k a year is "middle class". Even living in San Francisco (one of the most expensive cities in the country and that means the state also) a family making that kind of money is not middle class, they are upper middle class. Also just to dispel a big myth about California, once you leave the coasts and head inland the cost of living (housing for example) goes down dramatically and the political conservatism goes up as well.
The politically most conservative counties are also some of the poorest in the state and they continually send hardcore conservative Republicans to the capitol to vote against their best interests. These same counties are also the ones that get the most aid from the state not the blue counties.
These people have been conned. Big time.
Somebody please correct Thom and say that it was Carly Fiorina who, while CEO of HP, outsourced the jobs to China – and is running for the gop nomination to face Barbara Boxer. Meg Whitman, on the the other hand, was the CEO Ebay currently looking to buy - sorry, meant to say, running for Governor of California.
2009 really was the Second Great Republican Depression!
I hope the Church Lady gets on Thom's and the webmaster's case. I guess this puts to question whether Thom really reads this blog much. If he did, wouldn't he have caught it? I guess it really is groundhog day around here. Different day...same results. Get'em Church Lady!
I seem to remember the right complaining how unfair it was that a union's political beliefs are not necessarily the same as the members. How come the Corporate folk now assume I politically agree with the companies that I invest in?
DDay- I hear you.
Each day a bunch of good people come together to contribute their time, effort, and intellect to make a live blog interesting and to debate the issues before all of us. For the past week or so this has been more difficult because the site seems to go live at varying times. What gives ? Daily topics Live Blog for Tuesday Feb. 2, where is it? We are almost a half hour into the show.
Forbes is pandering to our nationalism. USA! USA! USA!
If the Wayne Roots of the world who steered our economy into a ditch had been taxed at 74% and so discouraged that they didn't create bubble economies ... we'd all be better off!
Here I thought the economy was supposed to work for us ALL. How stupid of me!! Thanks, Wayne Root, for explaining that it's really all about YOU!!
Somebody please correct Thom and say that it was Carly Fiorina who, while CEO of HP, outsourced the jobs to China - and is running for the gop nomination to face Barbara Boxer. Meg Whitman, on the the other hand, was the CEO Ebay.