Rand Paul’s victory in the Kentucky GOP’s senatorial primary has kept the television news analysts busy for the last fortnight. Those pundits are always looking for a new face to energize their tiresome assessment of all that is political. Paul’s victory has the Tea Baggers in a state of euphoria, but if truth be told, his entry into the Republican’s senatorial aspirations is not a big departure for the Bluegrass State. In fact, the retiring incumbent, former baseball pitcher Jim Bunning, might well be the least competent individual now serving the Senate, and considering the competition, that’s quite an achievement. So, for a state that sent Bunning to Washington D.C., Rand Paul may not be the disaster feared by thinking Americans; he’s just a new label on an old cracker package.
Rand’s television appearances after his victory prompted concern. His much analyzed comments about the right to serve people, and implied repudiation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act caused some embarrassment with Republican moderates, but I suspect that Mr. Rand was playing to his base; a group that would very much like to go back to the days of segregation, if not slavery. The rank and file Tea Baggers, America’s rednecks, don’t state their racial priorities, but they are vociferous about big government, except when government attends to their immediate needs – like medicine, and the fire department, and any other emergency that needs fueling. So when Rand Paul suggested that Social Security should begin at 70, instead of at 65, you could hear some redneck mumblings. That might clash head on with some under 60 Tea Baggers looking for government help at the end of the line.
Let’s face it, the Tea Baggers anti-tax position is a curious one, because they’re the mouthpieces for the Wall Street and Corporate big shots they claim to distain. Obama’s call to eliminate the millionaire’s tax break, restoring it to pre-Bush benefits for the rich, would help most of the Tea Baggers. Obama wants to halt the rich man’s tax benefits that would enable us to pay for many things including National Heath Care. And I must keep repeating that this tax break, if concluded, would have virtually no impact on the people at whom it’s directed – the millionaires and the billionaires. These are the folks who oppose paying taxes that help to sustain the country that has given them every opportunity. Obviously giving back has not been part of their training. They got Ayn Rand and forgot the Old Testament.
Most people making seven figures a year, year after year, wouldn’t have to change anything in their lives with a two or three percent tax increase. What Johnny six pack’s Tea Baggers should understand is that most of these a hundred million dollar a year guys dine and wine and hotel out on corporate expense. They don’t pay much out of their salaries for anything in their fast lifestyle. The corporate planes, and the corporate boxes at ballgames, they’re all a free ride – paid by the corporation. They only have to pay for food at home, for the kid’s private school, and of course whatever they lose at Las Vegas, and for the high priced call girls. Much of the publicized pleasures are at the company’s expense, which helps to keep product prices higher than need be. So when we talk taxes and hardship, we have to introduce real life into the discussion.
But the most interesting aspect of Rand Paul’s candidacy, and possible victory, is that his claim to fame and the argument of most of his avid followers is that they are the outsiders, the unwanted, the great ignored. Once Mr. Paul assumes his Senate seat, assuming he’s victorious in November, he will immediately be part of the Beltway power structure and he better have more to offer than complaints of how things are being run. He’ll need some answers. Remember all those anti-incumbent’s of a decade back who vowed they’d only serve two terms in Congress if elected? Most of them are still there in their fourth or fifth term in the House; part of the establishment. Politics is a compromising arena, and Mr. Paul might well offend his acolytes when he’s called upon to do some horse trading at vote time. All of this of course assumes he will become a United States Senator.
Those of us frightened at the Tea Bag idiocy should not be distressed. Just remember strange as it sounds, Rand Paul might even be an improvement over Jim Bunning. It should also not be forgotten that the George W. Bush Presidency was in fact Tea Bagging down to the string. All government agencies were undermined with men and women appointed to departments whose mission they opposed. As a result, government regulations were not enforced, or totally ignored. One of the greatest challenges to the Obama Administration is having government agencies working for you, not against your best interest, to lessen the possibility of oil spills, or mining disasters. Remember Michael “you’ve done a great job” Brown? He was the poster boy for George W. Bush and the Tea Bagging approach to government. Incompetence was their trademark.
So Rand Paul will be bringing nothing new to the table. He might just fit in. I did like his acceptance speech being made from a member’s only country club, letting his rank and file know that he doesn’t have to answer to anyone, least of all, the people who voted for him. Now that’s real independence. God Bless America!
I’m Troy J., out on a limb.
he will probably implode before election day, from his own racist gases … since we, as a nation, will never learn …. we will get the government that we deserve …. I agree with everything you have written, not that that is important .. just glad someone is keeping an eye on the big picture …
I don’t know who this person is and quite frankly I could care less. Let’s see, what’s the maxiimum he could do, become President of the US? Then what could he do? As far as his domestic policies are concerned, I could care less. As far as his foreign policies are concerned, he could, let’s say, keep pumping money and support into that great fount of humane enmlightenment and democracy, which you so love, Troy (I mean “Israel”, of course, but don’t mind me – I’m only a card-carrying anti-Semitic bigot). He could keep fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, plan on invading (or actually invade) Iran, and, um, he could bomb Pakistan, keep bolstering the vile Saudi empire and the Egyptian dictatorship, and try and expand NATO.
In other words, in what way would he be different from any other US President as far as the rest of the world is concerned?
This guy is just another political playing a psuedo-populist card on the campaign trail – I fail to see how this guy is *any* different from anyone else that currently holds office or is currently seeking office.
I sometimes wonder if we should just burn Washington to the ground with all the politicals locked up in their respective offices – now that would be *real* change…
In an effort to create unisex, the balls were cut off of American men and the women turned into shrewish, diamond hunting battle axes. Our politicians don’t have the balls to stand up to corporate greed and say, “the buck stops here”. They don’t have the incentive to follow a road of good conscious judgment because then they would lose the support of their diamond hunting battle axes. Even if we tore down the federal seat of power, something very drastic would have to happen within the mass mentality that craves the return of “America the Great” while in the throes of ancestral worship. We would have to become a people with vision, direction and belief in a far more human and humane identification of civilization than the current technical barbarians we have become. We spawn politicians like leprosy. Let’s hope someday soon, we can begin birthing leaders.
Thanks Rich. I agree with you too. Wish everyone saw this.
Good points Karlsie.
Bill, when you keep acting as ridiculous as you, it is the reason I chose to ignore you. Bill, or whatever you call yourself from blog site to blog site, at least you know what you are. However, for someone who has as much to “say” as you do, I notice you can’t seem to write your own commentaries. How sad, but glad I am spared that in life.
Thank you, Troy, for pointing out that I don’t write my own commentaries, Troy. Thank you so much, Troy. I take it we can all laugh at you now?
By the way, Troy, I stand by what I said about your “liberalism” on Elephant’s Memory a while back. Would you like me to repeat it here?
Bill, i can understand your bitterness toward the US. I don’t think there’s been a US president who has made any real effort to mend International relationships since John F. Kennedy, and he was murdered for his attempts. However, our bungling, special interest presidents no more represent the general population of the US any more than all Alaskans are carbon copy representatives of Sarah Palin. There are many who wish to stop this atrocious abuse of power and their cries are the hope that by pointing out the flaws in the propaganda of their newly appointed demi-gods, they can begin turning mass mentality around. These spokes people are not your enemy. Their goals are probably very similar to your own; to remove the lies, the kangaroo courts and their greed oriented agenda and replace them with a finer sense of justice, equality, and a rational, benevolent government.
Bill I wish you would just stick to the topic. If you have nothing else to say on that matter, then please don’t.
I do realize that this particular reflection is one that mostly pertains to Americans, as such it is particularly hard to see why any of it matters to the rest of the world.
However this good ol’ boy movement in American politics is what ends up affecting how we vote in Congress as to where to send aid, what military actions to take and who to become allis with.
The biggest problem being that these people don’t like anyone brown. That is going to eventually affect places like India. Right now we are campaigning against Muslim-ish folk but how long do you think it will be before it is Hindus? Buddhists and anyone else not bible-belt Baptist?
I feel like it is a mistake to write people like this off. Is it more of the same? Yes indeed. Is that a good thing? Not at all.