Monday, June 17, 2013

Litmus Test

National joke Reince Priebus didn't pass.
I loved the way he started: “I just wanna let you know. I’m a Christian. I’m a believer. God lives in my heart. And I’m for changing minds, not changing values. Are you with me?” That was intended as an applause line. To call the response indifferent would be so kind as to be irresponsible.
While we're on the War Between The Republican Factions (as performed by the inmates of the Daily Beast under the direction of Tina Brown) Rich Lowry just came out against the Southern Strategy, &, having read to the end, we see he is pimping a book (which is not linked here as we are not a pimp for Amazon or any other hive of worker exploitation & villainy) about rail-splittin' Abe Lincoln (who, by the way, not only split rails & freed the slaves but invented the luxury automobile); the "stop pickin' on Lincoln" schtick is obviously complete bullshit designed to mess w/ his competition in the Lincoln-book field & is w/o any other meaning.
It is the Lincoln-Hating Right. You can't belong unless you feel a compulsion to write "bloody-minded tyrant" immediately before or after the name "Abraham Lincoln." Some members of this fraternity are old-style Lost Cause romantics, deluding themselves about the “War for Southern Independence,” as some Southerners have been doing since about 1866, while others are a peculiar breed of libertarian.

Libertarianism is supposed to make the Republican Party sleek and modern, but this variant of the creed—associated with Ron Paul—is stubbornly perverse and highly unappealing.
See, no meaning. And he didn't really mention Nixon or the Southern Strategy, because what could any of that have had to do w/ anything; it's the libertarians who are the real (albeit sleek & modern) racists!! Remember, he needs a reason to mention Lincoln so he can pimp his book; an even-close-to-accurate item comparing the present-day Republican Party to Lincoln would not go over well w/ those who must be pleased. So he concludes by admitting he wasted his time high-horsing it over a bunch of losers.
Operationally, they are pro-Confederacy. Their influence shouldn't be exaggerated. The vast majority of people will never hear of them. They exist only as a small but foul temptation on the right. If American conservatism ever wants to commit suicide, they offer the ready means. And it begins with the root-and-branch rejection of Abraham Lincoln.
And we're going to do a little high-horsing ourself (also laughing too) by sharing the title of Rich's opus. Ready? Food & drink out of mouths & away from keyboards? Here it is:
Lincoln Unbound: How an Ambitious Young Railsplitter Saved the American Dream—and How We Can Do It Again, on sale June 11 from Broadside Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.
Really? There are still young rail-splitters? Do not hold your breath.
The very final, extra-polished version of the above is available at Whiskey Fire.

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