anyone listened to Rick and Bubba lately?

[Syrinx]

About the only time I listen to the radio is when I'm in the car, and I'm not usually on the road when Rick and Bubba are on. However, a particular confluence of events lately has resulted in my exposure to their program.

I knew they were stupid, but I had no idea of the extent of their tea-baggery.

They don't merely believe that the president is "misguided;" they profess to believe that Obama is trying to "destroy the nation from within."

This morning, they went so far as to insinuate that President Obama orchestrated the recent downing of the helicopter carrying the Navy SEALS, in revenge for the killing of Osama bin Laden. They didn't mention, and I guess they forgot, that Obama is the person that gave the order to kill bin Laden, in the first place.

If I understand correctly, Rick and Bubba's show is highly popular around these parts.

Do you ever get the feeling that you're surrounded by idiots?

[trof]

1. "Do you ever get the feeling that you're surrounded by idiots?"

Constantly.
:-(

[Syrinx]

3. I'm curious, trof

I'm not really knowledgeable about the political climate up in New Hampshire, but it's got to be better than in Alabama. Do you ever regret coming back home, and have you considered pulling up stakes and going back up there?

The only other state that I've spent any significant time in is Ohio. The political climate may be a little bit better up there, but not much, and not enough to make me abandon Alabama. But I've taken to describing my political affiliation as "frustrated." :(

[trof]

6. NH is fairly conservative.

At least in state politics, but NOTHING like Alabama.

I did like the town meeting form of local government.
Everyone gets a say and 'sometimes' it makes a difference.

I was relatively apolitical when I came back in '93.
I considered myself to be an 'independent' voter, although I've never voted for a republican.

That all changed in the 2000 'selection'.
That's when I got mad and became a yellow-dog Democrat.
Having said that, I'm not happy with what either party is doing now.
I'll still vote for Democrats as the lesser of two evils, but no more financial support.
Can't afford it now anyway.

Bottom line: "Better than Alabama"?
Maybe a little.

[Syrinx]

7. I think we've got some real views in common

I think I originally registered as an independent, during the early years of the Reagan era.

I thought Reagan seemed a little like an odd duck, a little bit "out there." But the Republican party, nationally, seemed rather reasonable, on the whole. Howard Baker jumps to mind.

But then Reagan went on with the "Meese Commission" that figured that "dirty pictures," even the pretty much innocent photos of pretty girls in Playboy magazine, were a threat to our national health, and called for censorship and prosecution.

And Reagan ignored a real health crisis, regarding the AIDS situation, until one of his rich buddies got the disease and died from it.

And Bush Sr. committed a felony for a photo-op when he sent aides to buy a big chunk of rocks across the street from the peoples' house.

And they kept cutting taxes for the mega-rich, while blaming our financial woes on the poor. They said it was "trickle-down," but the lower castes remained dry, and they get dryer to this day.

And I voted for Clinton. But he was just a friendly face with a Southern drawl, that continued to suck the life out of communities everywhere.

I voted for one Republican in my life. It was for someone I know personally... Someone I know personally, and has been always nice and friendly to me. But he has turned out to one of the craziest, most insane politicians ever.

Obama seems like a nice guy who maybe means right. But I wonder if the comedian Bill Hicks was right. That when new presidents are elected, they take them straight into a projection booth, and show them the footage of JFK, and warn them... This could be you!

I'm pretty darn cynical right about now.

[trof]

8. I did vote for one repub, but she was a closet Democrat.

County Commission.
In Baldwin County you can't get elected to ANYTHING without the 'R' behind your name.
She confided to me that in her heart she was a Democrat and that's how she governed, too.

Unfortunately she was killed in a tragic head on with a concrete truck during her second term.

[barackguy8245]

5. +1

[mbob731325]

9. me too

[enuegii]

2. You mean they got tired of talking about that "Sherry" law atakin' over?

Last time I had the misfortune of having to listen to that crap it was all the rage with them all the time.

Appeals to their loyal listeners, no doubt.

[Syrinx]

4. It took me a minute to understand what you meant...

Do they really pronounce it "Sherry?" I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Where do people get these crazy-ass ideas?

[Free Tibet 2011]

10. [sigh]...the deep south

What do you expect?

The Deep South is where you had people threatening to kill Obama and thinking he was going to paint the white house "black," where people want to bring back the confederacy and enslave African-Americans again.

America in general has a lot of screwed up people, but the radical conservatives, bigots, and haters all seem to be concentrated in the south. No offense to any southern liberals here.

[Syrinx]

11. at least you're getting more creative

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

12. Bachmann is from Colorado... lunacy doesn't know a state line...

[Frances]

13. I spent the first 26 years of my life in Alabama

I have also lived in a Boston, Massachusetts suburb, a Washington DC suburb in Maryland, and am now living near Santa Cruz, CA.

I have found idiots in every place I've lived. I have also found thoughtful people.

When I lived in a Boston suburb in the late 60s and early 70s, there were many people of Irish heritage who remembered how badly the English treated their grandparents and how badly the Yankees treated their parents. That's why they were so proud that the Kennedy family succeeded both politically and culturally (who had more culture than Jackie Kennedy?).

When I lived in a Maryland suburb, my now 80 plus year old Jewish friends remembered how they were discriminated against when they first came to the DC area. They chose to live in Maryland because there was less discrimination there than in neighboring Virginia. Maryland also had many blacks who had experienced discrimination.

Now I live in California and Hispanics remember how Pete Wilson, former CA governor, campaigned against them.

In all 3 states, the people who felt discriminated against voted Democratic.

But I noticed in Massachusetts and in Maryland that the children of Democratic voters are much more susceptible to Fox news type propaganda. If anti-immigration hysteria disappears, I'm sure HIspanic voters will be no different.

My theory is that in Alabama, the great majority of whites (and whites are the majority in Alabama) identify as white rather than as a particular ethnic group and so vote for people who are "white."

When I despair about Alabama's political legacy, I remind myself that Alabama was part of the "solid South" that voted Democratic during the years FDR was President. So, you could say that Social Security is part of the legacy of that "solid South." The same is true of the many worthwhile projects (especially work on national parks) carried out with FDR's Civilian Conservation Corps (my uncle was in the corp).