Mississippi Democrats are a scary, dangerous enemy.
Speaker of the House Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves set the stage in Neshoba County Fair speeches. Gunn focused his speech on stern warnings about Democrats, according to a Y’all Politics report. Reeves claimed he had been “under attack from Democrats and their liberal allies in the media,” reported the Meridian Star.
State Sen. Chris McDaniel delivered the punch line when he said the Democratic Party has become an “enemy” and “dangerous” to the country, as reported by the Clarion-Ledger.
Chuck, Nancy and Bernie may be a little scary, but calling our neighbors and friends who happen to be Democrats enemies? Come on. ISIS, the Taliban, Iran, North Korea, and such are enemies, not Mississippi Democrats.
McDaniel used the anti-Democrat set-up to whack Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, his Republican opponent in the special election to fill Thad Cochran’s seat in the U.S. Senate.
“She's a Democrat,” he proclaimed proudly.
Interesting.
While McDaniel was clobbering Hyde-Smith because she was a Democrat turned Republican, he was also praising Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump. Uh, both were Democrats turned Republican too.
Hyde-Smith was a conservative Democratic state senator from Brookhaven. Eight years ago she switched to the Republican Party and has twice won election as Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, a position she held until Gov. Phil Bryant chose her to fill Cochran’s seat until the special election.
Reagan and Trump were not-so-conservative Democrats who became Republicans and won the presidency. Reagan was a union leader and Democrat for years until he switched to the Republican Party in 1962. From 2001 to 2009, Donald Trump was a Democrat and supported New York Democrats among others.
While Gunn and Reeves warned voters about Democrats, both have sought out numerous Democratic legislators and recruited them to switch parties. Those former Democrats give Gunn and Reeves the Republican super majorities they now use to control the Legislature.
So, let’s see. Democrats are the scary enemy except when they can be recruited to become Republicans. But even after they switch, it’s okay to castigate them for being former Democrats.
Makes a lot of sense, huh?
Voters might be better served if our political leaders focused on the policy differences between Mississippi Democrats and Mississippi Republicans rather using dangerous enemy rhetoric to stir emotions.
But it seems that reasoned debate and common sense are just not in the works.
No doubt because I occasionally make small contributions to Republican candidates, I received a fundraising package from a group called Judicial Watch. It included a special report entitled “Exposing the Deep State Threat to America.” Turns out the heart of the Deep State conspiracy beats deep within the FBI. This is right up there with other enlightening conspiracy sources like QAnon and Infowars.
“Knock it off!” said Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich last week after a Republican nearly lost a special election in a heavily Republican district. He sees deceit and discord driving voters away from the party.
But, as long as enough Republicans respond to ludicrous propaganda, weak GOP candidates will make up conspiracies and enemies ad infinitum to stir up the base and enhance their election chances.
That there are equivalent Democratic propagandists is no saving grace.
Mr. Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Meridian.
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Bill Crawford: GOP Calls Democrats Dangerous
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18 comments:
You're actually quoting Kasich in a monolog about republicans who were once democrats?
But, you're right...the Taliban are enemies and our neighbors aren't. But what would you have us call them? 'Oppositional Neighbors'. 'Disagreeable Family Members?' Until there's a better term.....they're enemies. And they're quick to draw arms, spit on us, burn our shit and take what I've earned.
"Hyde-Smith was a conservative Democratic state senator from Brookhaven." Was this before or after she was busy shilling and lobbying for Obamacare and voting for Hillary Clinton (she can't remember)?
Bill Crawford is apparently an enemy of conservatism... According to a dictionary definiton of "ENEMY" you find:
"a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something."
So the Democrats are not "Actively opposed" to the Republican platform?? The democrats are not "actively opposed" to Pres. Trump? Here we go redefining words to make a point.
Both parties believed in the mid '80's that they could control any crazy or undereducated people in their midst. They were smart enough to outsmart
them. And, besides, the parties still controlled who got the " big" money and who they supported most often won.
Of course, they've always known to make their targeted supporter feel superior to those who don't support them and to reward those essential to their continued success.
Welcome now to the reality of the Internet where the clinically mentally ill and undereducated and the power seekers more easily find one another and band together so as to believe their world view has validity.
Welcome to Citizens United and the ease with which propaganda from special interests, foreign governments and Machiavelli wannabes in search of a charismatic " leader" add to the ability to hide agendas.
The Machiavellians' ego and those of all supporters overlook the reality that their chosen " leader" they expect to control with their " power" isn't always controllable.
Charisma can be a mask that hides insanity and incompetence.
Welcome to the reality that mental illness isn't confined to one social class or educational level or any group of people and isn't easily recognizable. Indeed, those who've seen mental illness or Alzheimer's or dementia plague family members should know the early symptoms are easily dismissed. And, "control" more easily imagined than accomplished.
You can't easily spot addictions until it's too late either.
You can not rationally deal with someone who is irrational or control the emotions of those who lack emotional control and talking to those on drugs is talking to the drug, not the person.
You can't explain the complexities of the modern world to the undereducated and simple minded either especially after you've convinced them that their " instinct" is more valuable than knowledge.
Unfortunately, the crazy don't accept they are crazy and the undereducated can't grasp the enormity of what they weren't taught and don't know.
PS Conspiracies and collusion is nothing more than people whose agendas are furthered by working together unless they break the law. And, then, good intentions and ignorance of the law won't and shouldn't help you. And, no one should be above the law in a free country, especially not those in positions of power over others.
We "Q" have spoken.
I'm old enough to recall when politicians, regardless of how polarized their views were when compared to others, were able to sit down together and conduct a civil, respectful conversation about issues and use good manners while doing it. Both parties have become coarse, crude, and hateful toward anyone who disagrees with them. Maybe once Trump is gone, everyone will be better able to work together for the betterment of our country. It sure ain't happening now.
Rich being lectured on Democrats turning Republican by Bill Crawford, a Republican turned Democrat.
I think we're making far too much fuss over the word enemy. The two sides have called each other far worse names that that, although I don't think it would be quite as big a deal were it the left who was calling the right the enemy. Once again the media is defining the agenda instead of reporting on it.
Bill, you have been a wordsmith throughout your life. Words have meanings, often more meanings than the one you choose to pick in this instance:
en-e-my,
(1) a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something. synonyms: opponent, adversary, foe, archenemy, rival, antagonist, combatant, challenger, competitor, opposer;
(2) a hostile nation or its armed forces or citizens, especially in time of war.
(3) a thing that harms or weakens something else.
"routine is the enemy of art"
Go back to the first definition:
"a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something." Bobby Moak certainly is actively opposed or hostile to Republicans, their programs, and their policies. The Democrat Black Caucus is certainly opposed and often hostile. What exactly is your problem with the use of the term in its clear, dictionary definition?
American politics has been a "lowest common denominator" business since its inception. Aaron Burr killed Aleaxander Hamillton, Andrew Jackson wanted to kill John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay, Lincoln was assassinated and Joe Kennedy called FDR a crippled son of a bitch and did a victory dance when he died. There is nothing new under the political sun. The best and brightest avoid electoral politics because you have to bathe every day with Lye Soap if you make a career of Government. As Bob Dole said......there's no heavy lifting and it's all indoor work.
Maybe we should go back to supporting a person for what they stand for and what they believe in instead of what party they belong to oh I forgot this is the south if your for one you have to be against the other
It's not a big deal that the parties refer to each other as enmeies.
The problem is with calling the press the enmey.
Why is that reality a problem for you, 9:42? Oh, wait...It's a problem because Trump said it.
"Political enemy" and "enemy of the United States" are two very different things, a point which seems to have been lost.
The last president was both a political enemy and and enemy of the United States....as was the 16th.
11:24 pm I'm not 9:42 pm, but " The Fourth Estate" aka a free press is essential to a free country. Our Founders understood this.
I have a problem with our current President saying this because 1) He should know why a free press is important as has every other President 2) He generates more " fake" information than any President in history...over 4000 outright ,proven lies in less than a year and 3)undermining confidence in our institutions is easy to do as no institution is perfect and mistake free, but, it is dangerous.
And, yes, use of the word "enemy" when you are referring to any citizen who disagrees with you politically is undermining our democratic republic as well. It's dividing us which is what our real enemies want.
Name calling isn't just immature, it's the last bastion of defense for people who are lying or have no basis upon which to defend their position.
I've become very concerned how many lies lawyers are knowingly telling on TV whether by omission or ignorance or deliberately. Whether it's omitting that the way to avoid perjury is to tell the truth or take The Fifth or plead executive privilege or national security if you are the President. Perjury traps are the invention of defense lawyers who are out of control and as far as I'm concerned should not be allowed to lie in front of a jury just as they can't let their client lie on the stand. No lawyer of record should be able to publicly discuss the case and certainly not lie about the case without being disbarred.
Every lawyer in the country knew the Birther stuff was nonsense when the mother is a US citizen and every lawyer knows or should have known that in 1943 it was decided that no one can be made to participate in patriotic rituals. And, they also know that those who fought, didn't fight for a piece of cloth and a song but the freedom it represents. If one man's right to protest injustice as he sees it, so can YOU!
Stop ripping this country in apart with your ignorance and/or selective reasoning and/or gullibility before it's too damn late.
12:38, I have no problem with the use of the word enemy in that context - or any other, really, since I can usually tell what the writer/speaker means - just like I don't get offended when athletes call themselves warriors. Yes, words have meanings, but they derive their power from the people who don't understand those meanings, not from the ones who do.
"...over 4000 outright ,proven lies in less than a year..."
Really, 9:15? Just for shits and giggles, can you name four of them?
"The Fourth Estate" aka a free press is essential to a free country. Our Founders understood this."
Actually, our founders respected, admired and promoted the notion of what we now call freedom of the press. Then along came Lincoln.
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