"Newt Gingrich is not part of the right wing lunatic fringe" (an actual quote)

[Sarah Ibarruri]

That's what a right winger said to me yesterday, and he actually said this with a straight face! I'm not kidding. Why on earth would this right winger lie this way? Or, more terrifying, what if he truly believes this, and sees Newt Gingrich as moderate? If that's true, what exactly does he see as right wing lunatic fringe? Scary.

But that's not all he said.

"He has some good ideas for the country," this right winger said about Newt Gingrich. Really? What good ideas? The same old tired ideas that got our country in the disastrous economic shape our country is currently in are suddenly good ideas. What exactly do they want to turn this country into? A third world nation?

He also said, "there are many jobs in this country that can't be filled because people are unwilling to get further training." WHAT? Where are these jobs, please, because last I looked, the Sunday paper in my city had almost NO jobs, and those available were part-time positions, or menial jobs. And what's worse, I know people who got sold that bullshit, and went back and got more training, or got a second degree, and still they couldn't find a job.

Are right wingers living in meth houses and doped up beyond all capacity to think, or what? What the hell is wrong with these people? Were their brains were sucked out by extraterrestrials?? Their eyes were yanked out and they can't see?

My reaction to comments like those of this right winger are never good. I don't suffer from an excess of patience, and I will indeed fly off the handle when I consider someone is pulling my leg, and to be perfectly honest, I spend half my life thinking Repukes are pulling my leg, because, really, how could people be that stupid???

[gratuitous]

1. The cure for stupidity is education

Once you get your jaw back in place, and if you have an ongoing conversation with this ninny, try to inject a fact or two into the conversation. Or, ask a question that leads the ninny to a fact that contradicts what he says. He may be a lost cause, but he will surely be a lost cause without at least an attempt at education. Maybe, just maybe, a couple of neurons will fire off and his brain will clank into gear.

Good luck.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

4. We've been down that road before. He has a mental block from here to there

For example, I was discussing how much Republicans despise the poor (which he denies vehemently).

Then I mentioned that Arianna Huffington had been Republican, and Newt's right hand person, but grew disillusioned with him and Republicans when she realized that he was using 'talk' about the poor to promote his political agenda, and not at all to help the poor.

His response was to say that Arianna Huffington was a disgruntled loser.

[hifiguy]

9. No, ignorance can be fixed,

but genuinely stupid is usually forever.

[librechik]

2. No, he is a cynical and megalomaniacal whore for the RW lunatic fringe

Big difference, really. Newt is a sociopath and has no moral compass wherein he could have an actual political philosophy which governed his ideals.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

6. He is exactly that - a sociopath. Even his personal life is proof of that. nt

[Cognitive_Resonance]

3. He's just an expert at pandering to the RWLF for advancement of his self-interest and ego. nt

[Sarah Ibarruri]

8. Yup. That too. nt

[demtenjeep]

5. he just ate them and now he IS the RW lunatic fringe

jesh some people!

[Sarah Ibarruri]

7. He looks like he ate them. nt

[SwampG8r]

10. he is correct

he is not the fringe
he is the center

[Ter]

11. The far-right does hate Newt

The regular right is the problem however. The far-right is less than 10% of the vote.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

12. South Carolina - isn't that the far right? nt

[Ter]

13. Some far-right voters are everywhere

But the real far-right hates him. I'm not talking George Bush, John Boener, or even Rich Santorum. They are only far-right compared to us. The real far-right was Jesse Helms, Pat Buchanan, Helen Chenoweth, and the fringe of the Tea Party. They consider Newt to be the ultimate insider, can't stand how his favorite president is FDR, and don't like his police state stance.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

14. They are far right compared with Republicans any time before Reagan. nt