11.10.2012 10:18 PM

In Sunday’s Sun: conservative, heal thyself

It is revealing — but by no means surprising — how conservatives reacted to the re-election of Barack Obama this week.

Most infamously, real estate developer Donald Trump lost his pea-sized mind on Twitter. Before President Obama won, Trump declared that the election had been a “total sham and a travesty.”

After the results were announced, Trump tweeted that “the world is laughing at us,” and went on to encourage “revolution.” Presumably against the duly re-elected president.

If a liberal had done that, of course, they’d be facing calls for a prosecution for treason right about now. But Trump — who later deleted his online musings — wasn’t alone.

All over the web, all over the dial, conservatives stated that the election had been stolen, that voters were fools, the vast left-wing media conspiracy was against them, or some combination of all three. Oh, yes, and that Obama was a socialist, African-born, and that America was damned to a lake of hellfire.

An Ohio Tea Party group issued a statement: “Socialists, welfare and unions took over this country yesterday. Today (we) wear black. The day America died.”

Rightist commentator John McCain (no relation) proclaimed that America was “Doomed Beyond All Hope of Redemption,” including inappropriate use of capitalization. Breitbart’s Ben Shapiro, who was on Sun News Network for much of the night, actually said: “The war begins now.”

The Wall Street Journal sniffed that Obama had “won ugly.” Mark Steyn, occasional commentator on Canada’s shortcomings and full-time country club bigot, wrote that “America wants to go off the cliff,” and “so be it.” Rock star and Republican Ted Nugent pointed at “pimps, whores and welfare brats” for the loss. Former funnywoman Victoria Jackson unfunnily attacked Christians: “Thanks a lot Christians, for not showing up. You disgust me.”

There was lots of that to be seen, for those with the stomach for it.

19 Comments

  1. kettal says:

    Time to change the tagline on your latest book, Warren?

  2. Chris says:

    The knives are starting to come out within the party as well.

    Some pretty scathing words from David Frum – esp. around the 11 minute mark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIPUIfWrj84

    Also loved this quote: “If we lose, we hug each other and sing ‘Kumbaya.’ If they lose, they bludgeon each other,” – James Carville

    • Tim Sullivan says:

      So Frum makes some rational, accurate observations. If the conservatives in the US listen to him, they will do better. Of course, he’s right what he says about Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh and the like.

      So what now, as liberals and progressives? Shall we attack him and call him effeminate, a socialist, a Muslim … an immigrant?

  3. Jeff says:

    A heck of a lot of Christians, black and otherwise, showed up to vote for Obama. Why do Republicans believe that Christians are white and conservative? It’s much more complicated than that in the United States, it’s certainly not true worldwide where white people make up a small minority of Christians, and in terms of politics, it is a post-late ’70s thing that Christians tend to the right in the west. Historically, Christians were generally lefties. And seriously, what the heck happened to Dennis Miller and Victoria Jackson? What the bleep, eh?

  4. Warren, you know that the lunatic fringe in the Conservative Party of Canada is nowhere near as prevalent as they are in GOP down south. You wish they were, cause boy what ammunition they would provide. They have no power and when they try and grab a lever every now and then the people running the party chop their hands off. As long as the current Conservative Party of Canada administration is running the show…Harper et al., these people will not be useful to you and your kind here. I cant stand extreme right wingers and quite frankly I love it when you hang them high, but left wing nut jobs drive me out of my mind. Thats why I am a Conservative after having been a Liberal, born into a big L Liberal family going back generations. Harper has the party centre-right where me and alot of other folk are comfortable. The Liberals are now NDP lite having ejected the right side of the tent.

    • frmr disgruntled Con now Happy Lib says:

      Tell that to anyone who is involved in, or is concerned with, environmental protection……

    • Kev says:

      Mark Morabito? THE Mark Morabito?

    • GFMD says:

      The lunatic fringe is certainly less of a threat in Canada, but that doesn’t mean no threat. In a CPC government we’ll always have to wonder what bones they’ll throw to that group (because we’ll never ever hear about them in an election campaign) with the other parties we don’t have that worry.

  5. Philippe says:

    Bang on.

    The effect of catering to the extremists is that they alienated the ever-growing demographics of women and minorities. This coming civil-war between the tea-party yahoos and moderates might ensure Dem victories for a long, long time.

    It’s refreshing to see progressives winning somewhere in the world.

  6. RobertQ says:

    Those Americans who felt they were denied the “American Dream” likely voted Obama. There is a big chasm between the haves and have-nots in the U.S., and the have-not majority preferred Obama’s promises.

    The U.S. “fiscal cliff” solution will gore every taxpayer, but if they don’t take action on taxes and entitlements, the U.S. will be Greece X 10,000 (or more).

    Meanwhile “economist” Harper is scurrying around the world signing free trade agreements with anybody and everybody, because he and his finance minister expect the worse to happen to Canada if the U.S. goes belly up.

    If the U.S. falls off the cliff, Canada will be close behind. Don’t be surprised if Harper calls a snap election asking Canadians for a renewed mandate to guide the country through hell, or put their trust in the Mulcair NDP or Trudeau(?) Liberals.

  7. Ronald O'Dowd says:

    Warren,

    On Remembrance Day, our thoughts go out to the men and women from so many countries who put their nations first –ahead of their own personal and political inclinations to defend freedom and democracy. Since then, few politicians have lived up to that commitment.

    That brings me to Mitt Romney. To his credit, he has called for unity but he should do more. He should head to the White House in a gesture of national reconciliation and meet with President Obama. The United States needs to see that example so it can heal its deep and extremely disturbing political division.

  8. Martin says:

    It’s the nature of things. Lots of people got freaked out and upset when GW Bush got elected the second time.

  9. peter friesen says:

    Ted Nugent is a rockstar?

  10. Swervin' Merv says:

    Yes, Republicans appear to be at a loss in trying to understand their recent electoral loss to the Obama coalition, and the major media haven’t been helpful in explaining the substance of the choice made by voters because they prefer to cover each campaign simply as an extended horse race.

    If Americans can’t get past the racetrack metaphor, maybe they should at least switch their thinking from Thoroughbred to Standardbred or harness racing, where two different styles prevail. Like many Republicans, “pacers” are horses bred and trained to use hobbles to keep both right-side legs going at the same time. In contrast, Obama’s vision follows the “trotting” practice of advancing a left front and right hind leg together in order to achieve a more balanced forward movement.

    Giraffes and camels are born pacers—I’m not sure about dinosaurs—but human children naturally crawl in a trot on the way to learning to walk as adults.

  11. Paul says:

    I hate the partisan nonesense that comes up during elections including the idiots who use education as a way to justify their own decisions. Can any reasonable person say that only the educated voted for Obama?

    Take a good long look in the mirror folks. There is good stuff coming from both sides and the minute the majority of people realize it, the better the world will be.
    There is horrible stuff coming from all sides too.

    On many issues, I am alligned more closely with conservatives. On some issues I am strongly opposed (such as this nonsense of mandatory minimums and jailing anyone who breathes). I would guess I am a small (l) libertarian (classical liberal). There is no gripe with me about race and gender equality but calling me a fool because I am not “progressive” will ensure that people like me will never support a party that looks to disparage my white male priveledge. As a divorced father, there is no party that defends the blatent bias against me when it comes to child access and support. As an aging male, there is little discussion as to the reason that prostate cancer screening is not paid for by ohip. My children’s education is important to me but nobody really wants to address the costs of education…only how much the government pays for it. Hate to rant on but UofT has 3.55 faculty and staff (including TAs) for every enrolled student. Am I stupid because I think that government spending is not the problem? http://www.utoronto.ca/about-uoft/quickfacts.htm.

  12. Peter says:

    Well, this is the way it is with Conservatives, here in Canada and south of the border.
    If a right winger wins an election it’s divine intervention….of voter suppression and electoral fraud to help along the hand of the almighty
    But if that same right winger loses an election…it’s not democracy…but a conspiracy.

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