Arkansas GOPer: We'll take the country back from Obama and the minorities!

[pbrower2a]

I don't know why people are so shocked by this. I hear this rhetoric all the time in the south. I think it's fair to say that the entire Republican party has been successfully transformed into an outlet for white resentment and anger.

Just because the democrats are now known as the "party of tolerance", it doesn't make everyone who disagrees with them a bigot, most republicans aren't like this guy, just because someone doesn't like Obama or his policies doesn't mean it's because of his skin color. You libs like to act like racism is as bad as it used to be. This is 2013, the reason you hear about these types of comments is because they are now so offensive, you think this would have been considered an inflammatory comment in 1963?

In 1963 the 'minorities' had little power.  Their influence was entirely in entertainment. Minorities usually knew the (subordinate) 'places' reserved for them and the consequences of venturing away from them.

Bigotry isn't as vicious as it used to be. That hardly excuses the pond scum of our day.

Maybe Republicans need to know what their bigotry tells not only blacks, but also Hispanics and Asians. Maybe they need to know why they are losing the non-white, non-Anglo, and non-Christian parts of the middle class that they used to make gains among.   

[pbrower2a]

The chap said "the minorities," as in plural, not "a minority." So if he meant an ideological minority, rather than an ethnic/racial reference, running roughshod over the "silent majority" or something, it is odd that he used the plural form, as if it were a coalition of ideological "minorities." I don't think so. When you talk about "the minorities" down on the street, you ain't talkin' ideology baby, and this guy is all street - a veritable barker. And he's good at it to boot.

PS: I watched the relevant portions of the video ... yes, watching the whole thing would have been cruel and unusual punishment. I just cringe at this sort of thing.

Some people just cannot accept that non-white, non-Anglo, non-Christian, and non-straight people can be equal participants in American life. Some crass politicians (like the hack Rapert) exploit the mass resentment of people who feel left behind by economic and social progress (in fact culpability lies to no small extent with economic elites who have treated working people of any kind badly and have tried to squeeze away competition by small business and otherwise pare the middle class) but serve the economic elites.

It is safe to say that non-white, non-Anglo, non-Christian, and non-straight Americans who have gotten ahead of the economic proletariat in any way in America got what they have through their own honest efforts and talents.  Many white Christians fail to recognize that, and the most rapacious elements in America -- people who often inherited their wealth or achieved economic power through their personal ruthlessness and amorality -- keep reminding poor white people that ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities are the Enemy.

[pbrower2a]

The chap said "the minorities," as in plural, not "a minority." So if he meant an ideological minority, rather than an ethnic/racial reference, running roughshod over the "silent majority" or something, it is odd that he used the plural form, as if it were a coalition of ideological "minorities." I don't think so. When you talk about "the minorities" down on the street, you ain't talkin' ideology baby, and this guy is all street - a veritable barker. And he's good at it to boot.

PS: I watched the relevant portions of the video ... yes, watching the whole thing would have been cruel and unusual punishment. I just cringe at this sort of thing.

Some people just cannot accept that non-white, non-Anglo, non-Christian, and non-straight people can be equal participants in American life.

That may very well be true of some unspecified people, but, that has absolutely nothing to do with the person in question. His objection was to political positions having support from fewer than the majority of the electorate having more influence than the positions held by the majority of the electorate. If all political viewpoints were allowed to participate "equally," as you suggest, presumably the majority would work its will in a democracy.

Indeed. Let's talk about majority rule. What do you think of Republican filibustering preventing the elected majority from governing (particularly a few years ago when Democrats also had the House?)

Veto power without authorization in the Constitution.

At best it forces the majority to attempt to avoid legislating completely along party lines. At worst ...

[pbrower2a]

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Good for the blood pressure, folks. Better than pills, and with no side effects.