DownWithTyranny!: How Much Does The Republican Base Absolutely Crave Being Lied To? And The Democrats?

Say NO to the anti-refugee assholes of both parties

Reality is more difficult for Republicans than for normal people. Not all Republicans, but many Republicans-- the ones whose minds have been damaged by Hate Talk Radio hosts and by Fox News. And that's a lot of Republicans. It's why the "dumbest states," as we saw last night, are all deep red states. The Republican base is, unfortunately, incapable of dealing with abstracts, even the most simple abstracts. They can repeat what they hear on Limbaugh's show and can grunt approvingly when something sounds like its confirming the notions in their tiny little minds. Reality TV sounds a lot more real-- and a lot more comfortable-- than reality. Most of them don't want someone with actual experience running the country; they want Donald Trump or Dr. Ben. They'd probably vote for Bozo the Clown if they could. In fact, according to a PPP survey released this morning, 79% of Republican primary voters-- despite the reality of 9/11-- think George W. Bush kept us safe. This is Republican Reality TV reality:

And that 53% are are convinced that the unemployment rate has risen since Obama became president... well, facts are the enemies of conservatives. Facts have always been the enemy of conservatives and always will be. Bush's economic policies crashed the economy in 2007 and unemployment started to rise. By the time Obama took over as president, the unemployment rate was around 8% (8.3% in February, 2009. The Bush policies pushed the rate to 10% by October, 2009. Once Obama's own policies started kicking in, the rate started decreasing, slowly at first-- Bush and the GOP did gigantic structural damage-- but the rate has been below 6% since the summer of 2014 and hit 5.0 in October, which is the number that should be freshest in the minds of the 53% of Republicans Mattingly reported were certain that the unemployment rate had risen since Obama has become president. Or are they uncertain of the difference between what an employment rate and an unemployment rate is. Who knows. But, if you think it's too implausible that the Republican primary electorate is going to nominate a Trump or a Carson or a Fiorina or a Cruz... think again. (This is actual reality:)

Every day there's another poll showing Trump triumphing over the a GOP "deep bench" that has proven to be so shockingly shallow-- and completely ineffective in standing up to a two-bit school yard bully who must have Mussolini's ghost doing cartwheels in hell. The most recent poll of Republican primary voters in New Hampshire, by WBUR, taken after the ISIS terrorism in Paris, shows Trump up 4 points and way ahead of any other candidate with 22%. And in Florida, home of two "top tier" Republican candidates, Trump whips both their asses and is increasing his lead over the pathetic pack of losers-- Trump 36%, Rubio 18%, Carson 15%, Cruz 10% and former Governor Jeb down in single digits.

Or, as Colbert put it the other night, "the Republicans essentially have a week left to take down Trump because... by Thanksgiving dinner next week people will stop worrying about the racist things some candidate might say and start worrying about the racist things their drunk aunt might say." And, on an ostensibly more serious note, "If Trump does well in Iowa and New Hampshire, there is no stopping him... Nothing he says or does can turn off voters. His campaign slogan might as well be 'Trump 2016-- You're stupid and ugly.' And his advice to the GOP Establishment types in their wing-tips: "The GOP needs to stop panicking over the idea of Donald Trump as your leader and embrace it. Instead of fighting this wave, learn to enjoy drowning."

Yesterday, the editors of the Washington Post took a slightly less cavalier look at the horrors Trump is already bringing to this country, pointing out that the man is an inveterate liar, every bit as "pathological" as what he insists Ben Carson is. And his lies do not exist in a vacuum; they're having real consequences already.

“Our President wants to take in 250,000 from Syria,” says Donald Trump, falsely. “Think of it, 250,000 people. And we all have heart, and we all want people taken care of and all of that, but with the problems our country has, to take in 250,000 people-- some of whom are going to have problems, big problems-- is just insane.”

It is not insane. It is a lie. It is a lie that Mr. Trump repeats, even as fact checkers and reporters point out that it is wrong. Not just repeats, but embellishes. Last month, the number was lower: “Now I hear we want to take in 200,000,” he said on ABC News. “We don’t know where they’re coming from. We don’t know who they are. They could be ISIS. It could be the great Trojan horse.”

We have grown accustomed to politicians exaggerating, sometimes stretching the truth, sometimes fogging it up for effect. But it is disturbing on a different scale to see a U.S. politician repeating a big lie again and again, in a way that is calculated to inflame bigotry and fan fears.

Here are the facts: President Obama wants to allow 10,000 Syrian refugees into the country next year. The number may increase a bit the year after that, but it will be nowhere close to 200,000 or 250,000. So far, over the course of a four-year civil war, the United States has accepted fewer than 2,000 Syrian refugees, and the screening process for each prospective admission can take up to 18 months.

...After the Paris attacks, it’s understandable that Americans ask questions about the quality of U.S. refugee screening. But the discussion must be based on reality, not phantoms. The risk from a small number of vetted refugees is far outweighed by the humanitarian imperative to help innocent people escaping from Syria’s evil rulers and from the Islamic State.

Mr. Trump is fanning hysteria in other ways. Whereas the integration of Muslims in U.S. society, including in the armed forces, is a success story compared with Europe, the businessman would have us believe the opposite.

“The hatred is beyond belief,” Donald Trump said Monday, as he talked about surveilling and even shuttering mosques. “The hatred is greater than anybody understands.”

We continue to have enough faith in voters to believe that Mr. Trump won’t wind up in the White House. But he can still promote misconceptions that pull his party down, sully the post-Paris policy debate and, ultimately, hurt innocent people. Given his serial refusal to accede to reality, we doubt he will agree. The rest of his party must do better.

I'm glad the Post's editors have faith because even some elected Democrats-- albeit so far just the bottom of the barrel Democrats-- seem to be reacting in exactly the way a coward reacts to a loud-mouth bully like Trump. Worst, as can be expected, is Senate Democratic Minority Leader-in-waiting Chuck Schumer (AKA- Little Chucky Schmucky) and his pathetic, cowardly DSCC lackey, John Tester (D-MT) as well as their sad-sack candidates in New Hampshire and Nevada, Maggie Hassan and Catherine Masto, all of whom are buckling to Trumpian fascism. Democrats need strong leaders to stand up to right-wing bullies, not craven cowards like Schumer who pee in their pants and agree with them and the first ripple of trouble. There isn't much Democrats can do in the GOP primary but we must stop Schumer from becoming Senate Leader. Are you in touch with a Democratic senator? Tell him or her that if Schumer is elected Senate Democratic Leader with their help, they will lose your support. So far not one Senate Democrat has refused to support Little Chucky Schmucky's power grab, not even Durbin, who was in line to become leader! Are Senate Dems all this morally bankrupt?

UPDATE: What Would God Say To Trump/Schumer?

How about if we look to the Bible that so many of the anti-refugee opportunists profess to love so very dearly? Who remember Jesus-- not Republican Jesus, Biblical Jesus?

Luke 10:25-37

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”