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talkpoliticsRecently, Eric Cantor provided a textbook example of how the GOP has been countenancing (and therefore encouraging) extremist rhetoric while pretending not to countenance (and therefore encourage) extremist rhetoric.
Here, Cantor makes a statement that’s been demonstrated to be untrue in the seconds before he made it, and is again demonstrated to be untrue by the audience reaction after he makes it.
“No one thinks the president is a domestic enemy.”
No one? Someone just said he did -- and a bunch of other people just applauded him for it.
A “forthright response” would be to say, “No, the president is not a domestic enemy merely because we disagree with his policies.”
But Cantor just couldn't say that. He knew being that "forthright" might have gotten him booed off the stage by those "no ones" who've been incited by the inflammatory rhetoric the GOP has been banking and encouraging for twenty years.
Right Wing Heritage Foundation Speech 5/4/10
Audience member at Heritage Foundation: My question is – and this is something I personally don’t understand…. in light of what Obama has done to leave us vulnerable, to cut defense spending, to make us vulnerable to our outside enemies, to slight our allies. How…what would he have to do differently to be defined as a domestic enemy?”
(Laughter and applause from audience.)
Eric Cantor (smiling, after waiting for the claps to die down) Listen, let me respond very forthright to that. No one thinks that the president is a domestic enemy. (boos) It is important, it is important, it is important for us to remember, we have the freedom of discourse in this country. And the president’s policies, the administration’s priorities, in my opinion, do not reflect the common sense conservative traditions on which the greatness of this country was built…
Here, Cantor makes a statement that’s been demonstrated to be untrue in the seconds before he made it, and is again demonstrated to be untrue by the audience reaction after he makes it.
“No one thinks the president is a domestic enemy.”
No one? Someone just said he did -- and a bunch of other people just applauded him for it.
A “forthright response” would be to say, “No, the president is not a domestic enemy merely because we disagree with his policies.”
But Cantor just couldn't say that. He knew being that "forthright" might have gotten him booed off the stage by those "no ones" who've been incited by the inflammatory rhetoric the GOP has been banking and encouraging for twenty years.
Re: On a sidebar
Date: 8/5/10 23:25 (UTC)Re: On a sidebar
Date: 8/5/10 23:28 (UTC)Re: On a sidebar
Date: 8/5/10 23:29 (UTC)Re: On a sidebar
Date: 8/5/10 23:38 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 9/5/10 03:45 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 9/5/10 03:58 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 9/5/10 05:09 (UTC)Obama has been going around stumping for people, that's what I'm saying. The man, as President of the United States, is a magnet for liberal donors and supporters. The same thing can be same for Scott Brown. I don't know if he's going around stumping for people, but many have seen his success in Mass. and are thinking, "You know what? We can do that here too." So yeah, his campaigning and such is bringing some resources into the GOP, especially its extra-conservative faction (which doesn't seem to realize that Brown is, when we examine the matter, more of a moderate Republican.)
(no subject)
Date: 9/5/10 05:14 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 9/5/10 05:19 (UTC)