I was listening to "news and notes" on npr last night
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5203575
and I'm trying to find a transcript that I don't have to pay for, or an mp3, or something, because Republican Strategist Tara Sutmayer said something that I thought was really important

They asked her if, as a republican strategist, this had been a bad couple of weeks. She responded that it had, but something like "thank goodness for the american short memory" and "I'm just thankful this isn't happening in the fall."

I mean, holy shit. She just, she just said it. Just like that.

2/14/2006 11:00:17 AM

But it's true. If the Democrats would just accept the fucking fact and learn how to pander to short-memoried voting blocs, they might actually stand a chance of defeating the Republicans.

2/14/2006 11:33:11 AM

^ I disagree. Anybody with a moderately long memory can see how either party waffles over time and is disgustingly inconsistent.

2/14/2006 11:35:15 AM

Its not American short term memory, its American apathy.

People's opinion on government is eroding from corrupted, to worse.

This allows extremes of either party to more loudly beat their drum because the center has effectively tuned all the noise out.

2/14/2006 11:48:45 AM

Quote :

"McDanger: Anybody with a moderately long memory can see how either party waffles over time and is disgustingly inconsistent."

Anybody with a moderately long memory who sees how either party waffles over time and is disgustingly inconsistent is unlikely to be part of a voting bloc.

2/14/2006 11:52:25 AM

^ LOL.

Very good point.

2/14/2006 11:54:14 AM

Politicians from both parties -democrat & republican - are thankful for our collective inattention to our gov't. Whether it's republicans and their failed results of shrinking the go'vt as they promised with the Contract with America...or Democratic presidents clamoring about warrantless wiretaps when they did the very same thing.

2/14/2006 11:59:04 AM

you what being disgusted with democracy brings?

dictatorship

2/14/2006 12:00:00 PM

Quote :

"you (know) what being disgusted with democracy brings?"

You know what being disgusted with tyranny brings? You know what happens we get sick of go'vt sending "hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance"?

I, for one, can sleep pretty soundly at night knowing I'm not part of either one of these corrupt political party's voting bloc.

2/14/2006 1:19:36 PM

Holy shit!!! DG listens to NPR?!?!?!?!

Still, I don't see how this is that big a deal.

Quote :

"If the Democrats would just accept the fucking fact and learn how to pander to short-memoried voting blocs, they might actually stand a chance of defeating the Republicans."

From a non-partisan standpoint, it sounds like you are blaming the defeats of your party on their failure to pander to stupid people. Could it be that both parties do this, but democrat candidates have just sucked lately?

2/14/2006 1:48:03 PM

Seeing as how you simply reworded exactly what I said, yes. Well, actually, it's their failure to pander to stupid people as well as the other party has pandered to them.

What? You think it's a secret that candidates are elected on how well they appeal to stupid people?

[Edited on February 14, 2006 at 1:55 PM. Reason : ...]

2/14/2006 1:54:20 PM

the difference is that the stupid people that the democrats pander to dont vote.

2/14/2006 1:54:20 PM

They do, just not in the same numbers.

2/14/2006 1:56:10 PM

Quote :

"Well, actually, it's their failure to pander to stupid people as well as the other party has pandered to them."

Gotta love that liberal elitism.

2/14/2006 2:00:36 PM

Or political honesty.

And did you just call yourself a liberal elitist?

[Edited on February 14, 2006 at 2:10 PM. Reason : ...]

2/14/2006 2:10:16 PM

Quote :

"And did you just call yourself a liberal elitist?"

Yes, thats why I quoted you. Durrrrr.

2/14/2006 2:23:09 PM

^ Whoooooooooooosh.

2/14/2006 2:24:14 PM

Quote :

"Mr. Joshua: Could it be that both parties do this, but democrat candidates have just sucked lately?"

How liberal and elitist of you to suggest.

[Edited on February 14, 2006 at 2:52 PM. Reason : for god's sake man...ENGLISH...]

2/14/2006 2:52:30 PM

I don't know if the voting public are, on a whole, stupid. Perhaps many of them are just misnformed, disinterested, misguided and out-right lied to.

If they're just plain stupid, is public education to blame? What party has been in the grip of the teacher's union for the past 30-40 years?

2/14/2006 3:02:44 PM

That was actually addressing your statement that "Democrats don't do this. This is why democrats don't get elected."

More like "Democrats have fielded shitty candidates lately. This is why democrats don't get elected."

Your opinion is that republicans are more successful because they get stupid people to vote for them, not because their positions may have merits (regardless of whether or not you agree with them).

This is liberal elitism.

2/14/2006 3:08:30 PM

Quote :

"I don't know if the voting public are, on a whole, stupid."

Not what I said. On a whole, no group of people are stupid. Large constituencies within the groups, however, are quite stupid, and vote for very stupid reasons. What I said:

"If the Democrats would just accept the fucking fact and learn how to pander to short-memoried voting blocs, they might actually stand a chance of defeating the Republicans."

Quote :

"If they're just plain stupid, is public education to blame?"

Certainly not by itself. I primarily blame the grip of our anti-intellectual culture. It's the whole "you can lead a horse to water" phenomenon. The state of public education is irrelevant if people don't want to learn.

---

Quote :

"Mr. Joshua: That was actually addressing your statement that "Democrats don't do this. This is why democrats don't get elected.""

Wrong again. "Democrats don't do this as well as Republicans..."

They both do it. One's having more success at present.

Quote :

"Mr. Joshua: More like "Democrats have fielded shitty candidates lately. This is why democrats don't get elected.""

First of all, Democrats are getting elected. Second of all, have you heard of the concept of complex cause? Sure, the Democrats have fielded plenty of unpalatable candidates, and it contributes to their problem.

Quote :

"Mr. Joshua: Your opinion is that republicans are more successful because they get stupid people to vote for them, not because their positions may have merits (regardless of whether or not you agree with them)."

100% incorrect.

My opinion is that politicians in general are more successful when they get stupid people to vote for them, not because their positions may have merits (regardless of whether or not I agree with them).

[Edited on February 14, 2006 at 3:29 PM. Reason : ...]

2/14/2006 3:11:04 PM

Cool.

[Edited on February 14, 2006 at 3:21 PM. Reason : .]

2/14/2006 3:20:19 PM

haha this reminds me of a comment i made around the last elections: i wish the democrats would stop being right and just start getting some fucking votes

2/14/2006 3:25:22 PM

Quote :

"I don't know if the voting public are, on a whole, stupid."

Yes. Yes they are. Go work retail for 1 day and you will learn.

2/14/2006 6:58:31 PM

the system works

2/14/2006 7:11:25 PM

Quote :

"They asked her if, as a republican strategist, this had been a bad couple of weeks. She responded that it had, but something like "thank goodness for the american short memory" and "I'm just thankful this isn't happening in the fall." I mean, holy shit. She just, she just said it. Just like that."

This surprises anybody?

2/14/2006 7:22:55 PM

She's a GOP strategist. Not a politician. Not a spokesman for the party. A strategist. Her job is to help the republican party, not flatter the American people.

Why on earth would you be shocked at those comments?

2/14/2006 7:30:53 PM

I thought everybody knew that.

2/14/2006 9:01:25 PM

Quote :

"SheKarl Rove's a GOP strategist. Not a politician. Not a spokesman for the party. A strategist. Her job is to help the republican party, not flatter the American people."

Seems a little ridiculous, eh?

2/14/2006 9:21:55 PM