I caught "The Ed Show" on MSNBC last night shortly before bed and went to sleep crushed, identified as a denizen of the most willfully ignorant state in the Union.
Fighting the urge to stay in bed (“Is it ever worth one’s effort to get up to vote Republican?” – attributed to a close friend) I struggled to my precinct today to cast my vote for Snoot Gingrich, Anybody Butt (who is running against Palazzo, my congressman), and against Roger Wicker, my senator. And it galls me.
Last night, I caught on MSNBC the Ed Show, wherein he railed against my home state, the Greeeaaaat State of Mississippi, because 52% of us believe the President to be a Muslin. I wonder where they (PPP) got their sample. I wonder if they truly believe that, or if it is merely a screen behind which to hide so that they don’t have to admit that they are bigots apalled to have an African-American in the White House. PPP shows that 12% believe Obama to be a Christian.
What happened to the 40% of Mississippians who voted for Johnny Dupree for governor in 2011? They apparently weren’t reflected in the polling. I don’t assume that they would all think Obama to be Christian, but there appears to be a glitch between the numbers. Or maybe the 40% just doesn’t care. (Or should that be “don’t”?)
In about 9 hours, the media bombardment of lies from the Republican candidates will end until sometime in September or October, at which time they will resume. Mississippi went 42% for Obama in 2008. We were all but abandoned by the national Democratic Party. In the 2011 gubernatorial and legislative races, the national party all but abandoned us as well. The house and senate fell to the republicans because of the media onslaught. Local elected officials (sheriffs, court clerks, district attorneys, tax assessors and collectors, house and senate members) flipped wholesale to the Republican party because (as was stated over and over) the national party was doing nothing to help them. Republican groups pressed officials “this last time” to switch or they would run someone strong against them.
I feel sorry for the flippers. They will be considered by the Tea Party (21st Century inheritors of the “Know Nothing” Democrats) to be Rinos. And the loyal Democrats will never trust them again. And well they shouldn’t. The newly minted Repubs have no loyalth themselves; no convictions; no scruples.
Newt lies about balancing the budget while he was house speaker. (Who was Bill Clinton?) Santorum feeds the hysteria over birtherism and having Muslims in the White House. Romney is trying to develop a drawl and figure out if he can call his wife “Bubba” and not be accused of anything while keeping an eye out for who or what he should become in the next round of primaries. And Paul just sits playing with his fly-back paddle.
I will not be disheartened. I will remain a part of the loyal opposition in Mississippi. I will cringe at the national news; at the poll results; at the good ole boys who continue to make fools of themselves; at the Confederate flag-wavers; at the lies of the Repubs which are told with reckless disregard to the consequences. And I will gladly vote for Obama in November, as will my wife and my children.