By definition, most speeches at the Conservative Political Action Conference are cringe-worthy. But one speaker on the second day of Wingnutpalooza stood out for sheer idiocy. On Friday, CPAC highlighted ten "top conservatives under 40"--the rising stars of the conservative movement. One of them was Jenna Haggar, who represents part of Sioux Falls in the South Dakota House of Representatives. If she's the future of the Republican Party, this nation is in deep, deep, deep doo-doo. Watch her speech--if you can stand it--here.
Haggar is pretty much a Sarah Palin clone in more ways than one. Not only is she a 200% rabid wingnut, she acts like she's trying to sound as stupid as possible. She proudly trumpets that she's homeschooled and didn't go to college. Well, you really have to wonder about her mom and dad's curriculum. For starters, she claims that South Dakota's settlers were entirely dependent on themselves. "There was no government to provide for them," she said. "Instead, community, church and charity assisted them in times of need." Um, Jenna? Ever hear of the Homestead Acts?
Like most wingnuts, Haggar can't seem to make up her mind whether Obama is a dictator or a wildebeest being pwned by the Kremlin. One minute, she thought he was a tyrant when she said, "We live under the imperial president, His Highness Barack Hussein Obama. Mmm, mmm, mmm." Then in the same breath, she said, "Many of us feel blessed to live in the freest country in history." Which is it, Jenna? The rest of her speech is pretty much a rehash of teabagger talking points.
At first, I wondered how someone this dense could possibly be elected at any level. But then I remembered that one of the dimmest bulbs from the Republican class of 2010 was Kristi Noem, who currently represents South Dakota in the House. She served in the state house before going to Washington--and even rose to majority whip. If Haggar is the future of the GOP, this country is really in trouble. I'm as Democratic as they come, but I'm of the mind that we need a halfway-sane Republican Party in order to have a healthy democracy. We can't get there if we have airheads and Palin clones in our legislatures. I hope Palin is proud of herself. It's amazing how far the level of discourse has descended just because of her. Also.
(h/t to Americans Against the Tea Party and Right Wing Watch)