Rick Perlstein on Right-Wing Retardation

[Fate]

It is a bit sad that the ROTW will look at this and think "Gosh, the American right are all a bunch of raving lunatics!", since of course the media does not really bother to highlight the crazy left and pretend that it defines the left the way they do the right.

I'd suggest that the absence of anything remotely similar to our concept of "left" colours our perception quite a bit. The Dems would be considered a right-wing party in any European country.

The Democrats quite certainly have a left. It's merely part of a coalition of elected officials that spans from self identified socialists like Bernie Sanders to conservatives like Ben Nelson. I'd guess that the left of the Democratic party barely constitutes a plurality.

[DontSayBanana]

Off topic, but Sheilbh, how/why do you know so much about American politics?  Just curious, as you seem to command political minutia far more than I do, and I'm a native.  

It seems to be a hobby with him- American politics isn't the only form where he tends to be unusually insightful. There's still remnants of wanting to pursue a poli. sci. degree with me, so I tend to devour his posts, so that I can check up on his sources.

[Sheilbh]

Off topic, but Sheilbh, how/why do you know so much about American politics?  Just curious, as you seem to command political minutia far more than I do, and I'm a native.   

It interests me.  From my perspective it's like everything else about America strangely familiar and yet totally different.  When I'm interested in something I tend to end up reading a lot about it.

My interest goes in cycles though.  The amount of attention I give American politics tends to decline if something, anything happens in this country.  But we're in the long summer recess here and the even longer Brown dribble to 2010

Plus from an arguing perspective Americans are more contentious. 

Languishite Brits disagree about the details but are united by a sort of gallows-humour view of our politics; they're a stale sitcom covering up an actually deeply worrying situation and there's nothing we can do but shrug and laugh. 

[Sheilbh]

Incidentally, speaking of crazy I always like the groups who really double down on their crazy.  The 10% who either refuse to recognise or don't know whether Hawaii is in the US or not. 

In a similar vein I've nothing but love for the 16% of birthers who approve of Obama so far

[Eddie Teach]

Incidentally, speaking of crazy I always like the groups who really double down on their crazy.  The 10% who either refuse to recognise or don't know whether Hawaii is in the US or not. 

Most of them are probably just dumb.

[Sheilbh]

Incidentally, speaking of crazy I always like the groups who really double down on their crazy.  The 10% who either refuse to recognise or don't know whether Hawaii is in the US or not. 

Most of them are probably just dumb.

I wondered if maybe they were just elderly.  People who still aren't sure whether or not Arizona's a state or the Grandpa Simpson brigade.

[PDH]

In a similar vein I've nothing but love for the 16% of birthers who approve of Obama so far

I do love this as well - "Despite the fact that he is not really the president because he is not really an American, I have to say he is doing a bang up job for a secret Muslim infiltrator."

[MadImmortalMan]

Incidentally, speaking of crazy I always like the groups who really double down on their crazy.  The 10% who either refuse to recognise or don't know whether Hawaii is in the US or not. 

Most of them are probably just dumb.

I wondered if maybe they were just elderly.  People who still aren't sure whether or not Arizona's a state or the Grandpa Simpson brigade.

I seriously think a good number of them are Hawaiian secessionists.

[jimmy olsen]

Incidentally, speaking of crazy I always like the groups who really double down on their crazy.  The 10% who either refuse to recognise or don't know whether Hawaii is in the US or not. 

Most of them are probably just dumb.

I wondered if maybe they were just elderly.  People who still aren't sure whether or not Arizona's a state or the Grandpa Simpson brigade.

I seriously think a good number of them are Hawaiian secessionists.

In a poll of the entire United States they wouldn't show up though unless there was a huge oversampling of Hawaii.

[MadImmortalMan]

I seriously think a good number of them are Hawaiian secessionists.

In a poll of the entire United States they wouldn't show up though unless there was a huge oversampling of Hawaii.

Yeah, that's why I didn't say a majority or anything like that. You'd be surprised how many mainlanders sympathize though. I see it way more than I'd expect out here. Isn't there some kind of law now that gives "Hawaiians" a kind of independent status like indian tribes?