Republicans are Mean

Republicans are Mean

September 4, 2008
by Mary Lyon –

I sat through Rudy Giuliani and the debut of Sarah Palin – and I’ve come to only one conclusion. Republicans are mean. No whining here. I’m no Phil Gramm. Just an objective statement of fact based on first-person observation. Nasty. Snarky. Mocking. Sarcastic. Punch you in the nose first and then laugh at you because your face is full of blood and you look kinda funny now. And then kick you while you’re still down – don’t forget that one. Jesus says so. And then holler “USA! USA! USA!” and “Drill, Baby, Drill!” Nice people. And distressingly enough, on the second/third/whatever night of the Republican Convention, the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul was filled with them. And they sure don’t seem interested in winning my vote.

Sarah Palin winding up

Let’s see, how to appeal to all those wavering independents and disaffected Hillary supporters? Let’s insult those stupid Democrats and Obama people reeeel good and kick ‘em in the teeth, sneer at their efforts to be inclusive, to work toward unity and rehabilitate America’s damaged image around the world, or to help people in great need, and then make a shameless plea for their support at the polls. Scoff, especially rudely, at their community organizing efforts – the ultimate and most effective hands-on grassroots outreach programs that help people in need directly where they live – especially if government has turned its back. If Sarah Palin wasn’t belittling the community organizer, Rudy Giuliani before her was literally laughing at the very words “community organizer” every time he uttered them.

I wonder how the community organizers of America will take to this repeated slap-in-the-face - they who toil long hours for far lower pay and benefits (if they’re lucky) than Palin OR Giuliani likely have ever had to try supporting a family with. “Obama has never had to lead people in crisis,” Giuliani smirked. No, he’s merely been in the trenches with his sleeves rolled up, HELPING people in crisis, when he could have been in Manhattan, going for the big bucks like you’ve been doing, Rudy, ever since your time as mayor ran out.

Maybe Giuliani and Palin enjoy the luxury of being arrogant and smug like this because they’re fortunate enough never to have needed the help or ideas or energy or efforts of a community organizer. I’m sure these Republican celebrities and the conventioneers who snorted and stomped and ate it all up are, at heart, nice people. At least I would hope so. But that’s assuming they even have hearts. And unfortunately, I don’t see much evidence to support this from any of the behavior on display on Sarah Palin night.

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