Not calling a spade a spade...

One may find this article interesting. The title suggests that one should put credence in the ideas put forth by Newt Gingrich because, regardless of the uncomfortable nature of his statements about black people and food stamps, some of the issues that he raises are valid. Upon reading the article, however, it becomes clear that there is something seriously lacking in it. Namely, the lack of any insight into the true motives of the candidates who are up for the Republican nomination. The author fails to note that Gingrich is being totally disingenuous because he has no intention of attacking the "problem" that he seems to think the issuance of food stamp benefits to black people is by proposing any helpful or effective reforms, he is merely engaging in race baiting and stereotyping for the sake of getting votes. The article seems to suggest that Newt Gingrich is actually interested in "raising" the status of the poor. Nothing could be further from the truth because if he really wanted to do something to help the poor, he would also, in the same breath, criticize corporations who, according to this article in Time magazine this week, have been the biggest beneficiaries of the current recession. Furthermore, as the article points out, since Gingrich's main statement concerned supposedly helping people who "want to get off the system and help themselves," then he would already have plans to put to the citizenry his ideas about how to get those people back to work and with decent wages. Of course, he has no such plans because 1) he doesn't have a clue how to get us out of this financial pickle and back to work, and 2) he's only saying all of this to get votes and capitalize on people's fear of other cultures and classes.

They made their bed...

As we head into the South Carolina primary, I think it is useful to think of what has happened to the GOP over the course of many years. This article from the May issue of National Journal succinctly lays out the extent of the far right's hold on the GOP (44% of primary voters are evangelicals---not good news for Romney) and illustrates why the Republicans have such a difficult task resisting the influence of the Tea Partiers and those of the same zealotry (by far populated by evangelical Christians). The Republicans--- in courting the nutty vote for decades--- have made their bed, now they are sleeping in it. Romney might be able to neutralize some of their discontent by putting up a tea party or/far right candidate for vice president. First, however, he has to win the nomination and they are going to make it difficult because, first and foremost, it is pretty evident that Romney's Mormonism is a big issue for them (in addition to them not believing that he has their puritanical interests in mind). They are sort of like the far left in their insistence on ideological purity but worse in that they are like dogs with bones (and mean ones at that)---they are not going down without a fight (preferring to see the Republicans go down first if their needs are not addressed). Here is another article/blog posting from openSalon from the perspective of the Republicans' creation and embrace of the southern strategy, an effort put in place by the Republican Party to use race as a wedge issue. It encourages those old ways of thinking (otherizing) and has worked spectacularly well for them over the years to the detriment of civil society.

Here we go...again.