For a certain group of Americans (let's call them Fox-ites) the Tea Party seems like a reasonable expression of anger against government that they're so angry at. They have convinced themselves they're angry about "big government" though they voted twice for the man that expanded government more than any in history. They've convinced themselves they're angry about "socialism" though not a single one of them could define it if their life depended on it. Basically they've convinced themselves that the Fox "News" shows they watch (and the right wing radio they listen to) are based in reality and report actual facts about the world around them. What most of these people don't realize (or ignore) is how far from rational most of the Tea Party candidates are, and they're going to get an upclose and personal look come fall. Now demonstration of the lunacy of some of these nutjobs will only reinforce the faithbased beliefs of the Beck-oids and Dittoheads, but enough people will be appalled at these lunatics that I feel what could have been an intense thrashing of Democrats this fall may well turn out to be less than two licks with an open hand.
Let's just look at this Angle woman as an example. Despite Lowden's idiotic remarks about health care and chickens, she's a seasoned politician who could appeal to the more moderate conservative voters in Nevada. Angle, on the other hand, supports the way out militia group called The Oath Keepers:
Often seen at gun shows and similar settings, the Oath Keepers were singled out by the Southern Poverty Law Center in its 2009 report on the return of the militia movement since President Obama was elected as "a particularly worrisome example of the Patriot revival."
According to the SPLC, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, a former staffer for Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) warns his followers against "a coming dictatorship" that will happen if "our brothers in arms go along and comply with unconstitutional, unlawful orders." An extensive report on the group by Mother Jones in March suggests supporters of the movement believe they're living through the first steps of the shift away from constitutional freedom. Members of the group -- many of them in the armed forces -- share the "belief that the government is already turning on its citizens, they are recruiting military buddies, stashing weapons, running drills, and outlining a plan of action [to stop it]," the magazine reported.
...
The Reid camp is already signaling it plans to paint Angle as an extremist -- or even a paranoid -- by highlighting statements like her recent observation that Americans are "afraid they'll have to fight for their liberty in more Second Amendment kinds of ways."
Angle's endorsement of the Oath Keepers will only bolster that image. The group is preoccupied with nightmarish visions of U.S. citizens being marched into Nazi-style concentration camps. One part of the Oath Keepers' creed reads: "Such a vile order to forcibly intern Americans without charges or trial would be an act of war against the American people, and thus an act of treason, regardless of the pretext used. We will not commit treason, nor will we facilitate or support it.'NOT on Our Watch!'" TPM
With very little digging, Dems should be able to paint most Teabaggers their own true colors as delusional, fascist, hate-filled bigots... if they have the balls to do so. Rand Paul, for instance has already managed to all but don his KKK robes without any prodding from the left, and Sarah Palin's endorsement appears to cause "independent" voters (whatever the hell that means) to run away in droves leaving incumbents like Barbara Boxer looking safer than expected. We'll see come November but the recent election results (like the strong Dem win of Murtha's old seat) give me hope.
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