We Need To Speak Honestly About The GOP's Evolution Into A Conspiracy Cult

[skews13]

One of the challenges in analyzing modern American politics is accurately describing the Republican Party without seeming unserious and hyperbolic. Unfortunately, the modern Republican Party’s abdication of seriousness, good faith and reality-based communications or policy-making has stretched even the most open-minded analyst’s capacity for forced balance. But there comes a tipping point at which it becomes too dangerous to keep up the pretense. Most people left of center would argue (rightly, I believe) that we hit that point long, long ago and the time to re-evaluate journalistic norms and practices should have been decades earlier when the GOP was busy covering up the Iran Contra scandal and promoting the Laffer Curve as serious public policy.

We Need to Speak Honestly About the GOP's Evolution Into a Conspiracy Cult | Washington Monthly

It's not biased or unprofessional to accurately describe what is happening.

washingtonmonthly.com

A conversation that is owed to those that fought to preserve the norm.

 

[Sunni Man]

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

We Need To Speak Honestly

You are incapable.

 

[blackhawk]

Amusing coming from the Rusian collusion tin foil hat brigade.

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

One of the challenges in analyzing modern American politics is accurately describing the Republican Party without seeming unserious and hyperbolic. Unfortunately, the modern Republican Party’s abdication of seriousness, good faith and reality-based communications or policy-making has stretched even the most open-minded analyst’s capacity for forced balance. But there comes a tipping point at which it becomes too dangerous to keep up the pretense. Most people left of center would argue (rightly, I believe) that we hit that point long, long ago and the time to re-evaluate journalistic norms and practices should have been decades earlier when the GOP was busy covering up the Iran Contra scandal and promoting the Laffer Curve as serious public policy.

We Need to Speak Honestly About the GOP's Evolution Into a Conspiracy Cult | Washington Monthly

It's not biased or unprofessional to accurately describe what is happening.

washingtonmonthly.com

A conversation that is owed to those that fought to preserve the norm.

It was certainly an issue during the later Reagan years. But it didn't really ramp up until Newt and his Republican Revolution rolled into town. For the Republican Party, it's been a slow, steady descent ever since. The moderates and real conservatives have been driven out of the party. They've given a home to every right wing kook in the country and tried to make enemies out of the media and anyone who questions their motives. The whole conspiracy theory immersion has been happening since Obama was elected. Throw any lie against the wall and see if it sticks. I'm hoping we can get back to something approaching a normal news cycle next January.

 

[Uncensored2008]

One of the challenges in analyzing modern American politics is accurately describing the Republican Party without seeming unserious and hyperbolic. Unfortunately, the modern Republican Party’s abdication of seriousness, good faith and reality-based communications or policy-making has stretched even the most open-minded analyst’s capacity for forced balance. But there comes a tipping point at which it becomes too dangerous to keep up the pretense. Most people left of center would argue (rightly, I believe) that we hit that point long, long ago and the time to re-evaluate journalistic norms and practices should have been decades earlier when the GOP was busy covering up the Iran Contra scandal and promoting the Laffer Curve as serious public policy.

We Need to Speak Honestly About the GOP's Evolution Into a Conspiracy Cult | Washington Monthly

It's not biased or unprofessional to accurately describe what is happening.

washingtonmonthly.com

A conversation that is owed to those that fought to preserve the norm.

Right, the fuckers who pushed the "Russian Collusion Conspiracy Theory" are trying to attack others.

XXXXXX (we're xing out the most common twitter phrase?)

 

[Mac1958]

One of the challenges in analyzing modern American politics is accurately describing the Republican Party without seeming unserious and hyperbolic. Unfortunately, the modern Republican Party’s abdication of seriousness, good faith and reality-based communications or policy-making has stretched even the most open-minded analyst’s capacity for forced balance. But there comes a tipping point at which it becomes too dangerous to keep up the pretense. Most people left of center would argue (rightly, I believe) that we hit that point long, long ago and the time to re-evaluate journalistic norms and practices should have been decades earlier when the GOP was busy covering up the Iran Contra scandal and promoting the Laffer Curve as serious public policy.

We Need to Speak Honestly About the GOP's Evolution Into a Conspiracy Cult | Washington Monthly

It's not biased or unprofessional to accurately describe what is happening.

washingtonmonthly.com

A conversation that is owed to those that fought to preserve the norm.

"Cult" is probably too strong a word, but there's no question that an alternate informational/factual universe has been created on the Right, and that it's now essentially an entirely closed circuit.

I attribute this largely to Limbaugh -- who has been so successful at convincing his listeners to not pay attention to opposing views -- and the copycats who have followed him. Then, of course, the explosion of the internet, which provides the followers with all the closed-circuit material they need. And finally, we have Trump simply dismissing all tough questions and contrary facts as "fake news". That was the final step in closing the circuit.

I do wonder what Limbaugh thinks of what he has created, and I wonder if he feels any guilt over it. On one hand, he was astonishingly successful at convincing his fans that he was the only resource for the truth. And yet, he was TOO successful at it, and ultimately was a critical piece in the creation of this alternate universe.

 

[deannalw]

One of the challenges in analyzing modern American politics is accurately describing the Republican Party without seeming unserious and hyperbolic. Unfortunately, the modern Republican Party’s abdication of seriousness, good faith and reality-based communications or policy-making has stretched even the most open-minded analyst’s capacity for forced balance. But there comes a tipping point at which it becomes too dangerous to keep up the pretense. Most people left of center would argue (rightly, I believe) that we hit that point long, long ago and the time to re-evaluate journalistic norms and practices should have been decades earlier when the GOP was busy covering up the Iran Contra scandal and promoting the Laffer Curve as serious public policy.

We Need to Speak Honestly About the GOP's Evolution Into a Conspiracy Cult | Washington Monthly

It's not biased or unprofessional to accurately describe what is happening.

washingtonmonthly.com

A conversation that is owed to those that fought to preserve the norm.

You got a lot of nerve yammering about honestly while posting that happy horseshit lie of a thread title.

 

[Lysistrata]

I'm old enough to remember when the GOP was a respectable political party. I even campaigned once for a GOP candidate. My parents supported the elder Bush. Now it is nothing but a cult full of freaks, biker scum and religious nutjobs.

 

[mikegriffith1]

ROFLOL! The Democratic Party dragged the country through the mud for 2 years while trying to peddle their bogus Trump-Russian-collusion conspiracy theory. You can't get a much bigger, wilder conspiracy theory than to claim that the GOP nominee conspired with the Russians and that that nominee has been doing the Russians' bidding after getting elected!

 

[skews13]

One of the challenges in analyzing modern American politics is accurately describing the Republican Party without seeming unserious and hyperbolic. Unfortunately, the modern Republican Party’s abdication of seriousness, good faith and reality-based communications or policy-making has stretched even the most open-minded analyst’s capacity for forced balance. But there comes a tipping point at which it becomes too dangerous to keep up the pretense. Most people left of center would argue (rightly, I believe) that we hit that point long, long ago and the time to re-evaluate journalistic norms and practices should have been decades earlier when the GOP was busy covering up the Iran Contra scandal and promoting the Laffer Curve as serious public policy.

We Need to Speak Honestly About the GOP's Evolution Into a Conspiracy Cult | Washington Monthly

It's not biased or unprofessional to accurately describe what is happening.

washingtonmonthly.com

A conversation that is owed to those that fought to preserve the norm.

"Cult" is probably too strong a word, but there's no question that an alternate informational/factual universe has been created on the Right, and that it's now essentially an entirely closed circuit.

I attribute this largely to Limbaugh -- who has been so successful at convincing his listeners to not pay attention to opposing views -- and the copycats who have followed him. Then, of course, the explosion of the internet, which provides the followers with all the closed-circuit material they need. And finally, we have Trump simply dismissing all tough questions and contrary facts as "fake news". That was the final step in closing the circuit.

I do wonder what Limbaugh thinks of what he has created, and I wonder if he feels any guilt over it. On one hand, he was astonishingly successful at convincing his fans that he was the only resource for the truth. And yet, he was TOO successful at it, and ultimately was a critical piece in the creation of this alternate universe.

I do wonder what Limbaugh thinks of what he has created, and I wonder if he feels any guilt over it.

Not a chance. Limbaugh is the grand dragon of the modern day KKKGOP.

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

One of the challenges in analyzing modern American politics is accurately describing the Republican Party without seeming unserious and hyperbolic. Unfortunately, the modern Republican Party’s abdication of seriousness, good faith and reality-based communications or policy-making has stretched even the most open-minded analyst’s capacity for forced balance. But there comes a tipping point at which it becomes too dangerous to keep up the pretense. Most people left of center would argue (rightly, I believe) that we hit that point long, long ago and the time to re-evaluate journalistic norms and practices should have been decades earlier when the GOP was busy covering up the Iran Contra scandal and promoting the Laffer Curve as serious public policy.

We Need to Speak Honestly About the GOP's Evolution Into a Conspiracy Cult | Washington Monthly

It's not biased or unprofessional to accurately describe what is happening.

washingtonmonthly.com

A conversation that is owed to those that fought to preserve the norm.

Russian Conspiracy
Ukraine Conspiracy

 

[Uncensored2008]

One of the challenges in analyzing modern American politics is accurately describing the Republican Party without seeming unserious and hyperbolic. Unfortunately, the modern Republican Party’s abdication of seriousness, good faith and reality-based communications or policy-making has stretched even the most open-minded analyst’s capacity for forced balance. But there comes a tipping point at which it becomes too dangerous to keep up the pretense. Most people left of center would argue (rightly, I believe) that we hit that point long, long ago and the time to re-evaluate journalistic norms and practices should have been decades earlier when the GOP was busy covering up the Iran Contra scandal and promoting the Laffer Curve as serious public policy.

We Need to Speak Honestly About the GOP's Evolution Into a Conspiracy Cult | Washington Monthly

It's not biased or unprofessional to accurately describe what is happening.

washingtonmonthly.com

A conversation that is owed to those that fought to preserve the norm.

"Cult" is probably too strong a word, but there's no question that an alternate informational/factual universe has been created on the Right, and that it's now essentially an entirely closed circuit.

I attribute this largely to Limbaugh -- who has been so successful at convincing his listeners to not pay attention to opposing views -- and the copycats who have followed him. Then, of course, the explosion of the internet, which provides the followers with all the closed-circuit material they need. And finally, we have Trump simply dismissing all tough questions and contrary facts as "fake news". That was the final step in closing the circuit.

I do wonder what Limbaugh thinks of what he has created, and I wonder if he feels any guilt over it. On one hand, he was astonishingly successful at convincing his fans that he was the only resource for the truth. And yet, he was TOO successful at it, and ultimately was a critical piece in the creation of this alternate universe.

Yeah, you clowns have all sorts of credibility.....

 

[my2¢]

A conversation that is owed to those that fought to preserve the norm.

I consider myself left of center and find that any conversation is impossible if it's to begin by finger pointing.

 

[Mac1958]

A conversation that is owed to those that fought to preserve the norm.

I consider myself left of center and find that any conversation is impossible if it's to begin by finger pointing.

Yep. And since that's pretty much all that happens at this point, there is virtually no conversation at this point. Or collaboration. Or innovation. Or progress.

America used to be pretty good at that stuff.

 

[CarlinAnnArbor]

I'm old enough to remember when the GOP was a respectable political party. I even campaigned once for a GOP candidate. My parents supported the elder Bush. Now it is nothing but a cult full of freaks, biker scum and religious nutjobs.

You mean the days when "compromise" meant agreeing with you, and not fighting back or holding you accountable?

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

One of the challenges in analyzing modern American politics is accurately describing the Republican Party without seeming unserious and hyperbolic. Unfortunately, the modern Republican Party’s abdication of seriousness, good faith and reality-based communications or policy-making has stretched even the most open-minded analyst’s capacity for forced balance. But there comes a tipping point at which it becomes too dangerous to keep up the pretense. Most people left of center would argue (rightly, I believe) that we hit that point long, long ago and the time to re-evaluate journalistic norms and practices should have been decades earlier when the GOP was busy covering up the Iran Contra scandal and promoting the Laffer Curve as serious public policy.

We Need to Speak Honestly About the GOP's Evolution Into a Conspiracy Cult | Washington Monthly

It's not biased or unprofessional to accurately describe what is happening.

washingtonmonthly.com

A conversation that is owed to those that fought to preserve the norm.

The party of the Russian collusion delusion really isn’t in any place to lecture anybody else on conspiracy cults

 

[Uncensored2008]

Yep. And since that's pretty much all that happens at this point, there is virtually no conversation at this point. Or collaboration. Or innovation. Or progress.

America used to be pretty good at that stuff.

The perpetrators of the most outrageous and absurd conspiracy theory in history - which was pimped by the little Goebbels of the party press, really are in no position to lecture others.

WHEN the CCP democrats want to be honest about the conspiracy theory they spread for 5 years, then maybe we can talk about others.

 

[Mac-7]

One of the challenges in analyzing modern American politics is accurately describing the Republican Party without seeming unserious and hyperbolic. Unfortunately, the modern Republican Party’s abdication of seriousness, good faith and reality-based communications or policy-making has stretched even the most open-minded analyst’s capacity for forced balance. But there comes a tipping point at which it becomes too dangerous to keep up the pretense. Most people left of center would argue (rightly, I believe) that we hit that point long, long ago and the time to re-evaluate journalistic norms and practices should have been decades earlier when the GOP was busy covering up the Iran Contra scandal and promoting the Laffer Curve as serious public policy.

We Need to Speak Honestly About the GOP's Evolution Into a Conspiracy Cult | Washington Monthly

It's not biased or unprofessional to accurately describe what is happening.

washingtonmonthly.com

A conversation that is owed to those that fought to preserve the norm.

Your lib mouthpiece appears to be pissed that trump voters do not see him and his fellow libs in the news media as credible sources of information

and in that is correct

I dont respect journalists anymore or believe what they tell us

 

[wamose]

It's funny how Democrats have taken to accusing Republicans of exactly what they always do. This is what happens when you don't have a platform or any good solutions for our problems. You just become a lying, combative nincompoop.