Another View on Hillary Clinton's 'Basket of Deplorables' Blunder

"Memo to candidates: Stop generalizing and psychoanalyzing your opponents' supporters. It never works out well for you." 

'OK,' I thought to myself. 'Nice lead.' (And it sounds like the advice someone should have given Allan Fung before he called his opponent's supporters Block-Heads.)

Domenico Montanaro's article for NPR provided some sound analysis and reasonable commentary about Hillary Clinton's 'basket of deplorables' blunder. That is, until Montanaro was infected by the same disease he diagnosed in Clinton: liberal elitism — liberals talking to liberals about a group of people they don't really know or hang out with, but feel free to opine about when talking to each other:

"When the GOP ticket lost [in 2008], it was, well, bitterness toward Obama that, in part, gave rise to the Tea Party."  

Wow. Really? I'm not even sure the equivocal 'in part' tucked in the middle of the statement redeems it.

As an "inaugural member" of the real Tea Party movement locally, I can tell you bitterness and Obama had nothing to do with my involvement. My motivation and that of so many of my fellow Rhode Islanders was nonpartisan bipartisan outrage, revulsion, and volcanic opposition to a government - still led by a Republican president, mind you - that no longer represented constituents in any way. No bitterness there, just plenty of anger and outrage at the arrogance oozing from Congress in Washington. The infamous bail out of the "too-big-to-fails" exposed the corrupt and incestuous corporatist system of banksters and politicians colluding to protect and enrich themselves and screw the taxpayers obligated to pay for their games and gambles. That happened at the hands of Congress in October of 2008 - before the election of Barack Obama.

For the millions of us around the country whose awakening against a rogue unaccountable government was ignited by the bailout, John McCain's loss was no loss for us taxpayers. He and Obama were part of it and represented pitiful choices - two sides of the same wooden nickel - just like Obama and Romney four years later, and Clinton and Trump now. False choices. But that's another blog.

I wonder how many individuals associated with the pure, pre-Republican-commandeered Tea Party Montanaro knows or hangs out with. By his liberal elitist remark, I would guess none.

Third Party Emerges as Only Real Alternative for Many

 

Gary Johnson is not taking away votes from Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.

Gary Johnson is giving back the vote, reengaging all those disenfranchised and disillusioned voters who would otherwise stay home - stay out of the election altogether - rather than cast a vote for either Clinton or Trump.

Rabid followers of the Democrat and Republican candidates will not be swayed from their polarized positions, planted firmly on opposite ends of the seesaw, no matter what Johnson or anyone else says.

It's the huge space in the middle, filled with unhappy, frustrated, and confused patriots who know that the two "choices" being offered are not good for their country, not good for their state, not good for their family. Those are the voters - a huge number of them - who are paying attention to Johnson and may be swayed to vote for him.

Repeat: The option for them - so many of them - is to otherwise stay home.

"And if, in four years, you decide you don’t like peace, prosperity, and freedom, you can always vote tyranny back into office again."