# The GOP doesn't seem to be a very healthy party these days. It's just racist fury & cultural rage **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 3, 2012, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274 "2012-08-03T09:52:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/101 "2012-08-05T07:33:44Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > Maybe they’re just whining. (How I first read that. :)) I hope so. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/102 "2012-08-05T09:08:51Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > “calling for the harassing penetrative sexual exams for women wishing to have abortions”? Seems to me any woman wishing to have an abortion has already **passed** that exam. ---
**Author:** ![2ManyTacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/3da27b/32.png) [@2ManyTacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ManyTacos)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/103 "2012-08-05T12:06:26Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > When’s it going to start happening? > > I mean, the last national election was 2010, and that was nothing but good news for the GOP. Or did you just mean presidential elections? The 2010 GOP tidal wave had more to do with people’s uneasiness about the economy that had been compounded by the drawn out passage of the health care reform bill and the rise of the Tea Party. It wasn’t so much a celebration of the Republican party as it was a very heavy anti-incumbency feeling amongst voters in general; because most elected officials were Democrats at the time, most of those Dems got booted out. There is a similar feeling this election, though it doesn’t apply to the presidential race as much as it applies to Congressional races. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/104 "2012-08-05T12:47:51Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > Urban populations are gaining power from rural communities, this despite the deck being stacked against the cities. Virginia for example is seeing political power moving from downstate rural areas to northern suburbs. The same is true elsewhere. I daresay the rural exodus is not exactly a new thang :D. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/105 "2012-08-05T15:17:26Z")
> [@2ManyTacos](#): > > The 2010 GOP tidal wave had more to do with people’s uneasiness about the economy that had been compounded by the drawn out passage of the health care reform bill and the rise of the Tea Party. It wasn’t so much a celebration of the Republican party as it was a very heavy anti-incumbency feeling amongst voters in general; because most elected officials were Democrats at the time, most of those Dems got booted out. > > There is a similar feeling this election, though it doesn’t apply to the presidential race as much as it applies to Congressional races. Good observation. What partisans seem to miss is that among less partisan voters, the basic voting technique is to “throw the bums out” whether they have an R or D after their names when times are bad. Which they are, still. It’s a clumsy and ineffective approach, but most of the less partisan independent voters are not, shall we say, rocket scientists. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/106 "2012-08-05T15:42:54Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I dunno. Senator Helms said (in a newspaper interview) that President Clinton was unfit to be Commander-in Chief and “Mr. Clinton better watch out if he comes down here. He’d better have a bodyguard.” That’s pretty flagrant disrespect. That was unusual for the time, and it cane from a Senator known as an extremist. Now it’s standard for the Speaker of the House to rhetorically support racist nonsense against the POTUS. Plus nothing says “jobs” like state-sponsored rape laws. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/107 "2012-08-05T16:24:20Z")
astro, may I ask what drew you to the Republican party in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/108 "2012-08-05T16:29:41Z")
The republican party has it’s radical fundamentalist groups just as the dems have their own. I can never understand how the republican part can be seen as racist. We believe that any minority can and deserves to succeed in america. The liberals would rather keep them down by giving out welfare checks and simply buying their votes. The dmes have become anti Chrisatian, anti wealthy, anti business and anti anything decent for that matter. The dems have moved too far left and will need to return to center or their demise will be in the writing soon. I agree the GOP has moved a bit too far to the right but they will also be steered closer back to center. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/109 "2012-08-05T16:47:10Z")
> [@badger5149](#): > > The liberals would rather keep them down by giving out welfare checks… Who told you this? Welfare in that form hasn’t existed for decades. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/110 "2012-08-05T16:58:15Z")
Didn’t you hear the news, the administration just brought it back. Waived work requirements. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/111 "2012-08-05T17:00:57Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Didn’t you hear the news, the administration just brought it back. Waived work requirements. Oh, I missed that law being changed by the executive branch. Thanks for citing this shocking turnaround so exhaustively! You’re the best, **adaher**! ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/112 "2012-08-05T17:10:47Z")
I figured everyone knew about it by now: [http://news.yahoo.com/administration-proposes-welfare-waivers-184813543.html?\_esi=1](http://news.yahoo.com/administration-proposes-welfare-waivers-184813543.html?_esi=1) ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/113 "2012-08-05T18:07:15Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I figured everyone knew about it by now: > > [http://news.yahoo.com/administration-proposes-welfare-waivers-184813543.html?\_esi=1](http://news.yahoo.com/administration-proposes-welfare-waivers-184813543.html?_esi=1) Oh my god, it appears that the proposed change is at the request of the states and would give them more freedom to experiment with programs to get TANF recipients back to work…:rolleyes: [QUOTE=Linked cite] \ In its memo to the states, the administration said no waivers will be allowed that could reduce access to employment, nor will they permit exceptions to time limits on welfare assistance. Waivers can be revoked if the experiments don’t work out. Still, a state can seek a waiver to cover its entire welfare population. “We will hold states accountable,” said George Sheldon, head of the federal Administration for Children and Families, the HHS agency that oversees the program. “If states are not meeting their performance targets, their authority to test new ideas will be terminated.” California, Connecticut, Minnesota, Nevada, and Utah have already asked about waivers. Nevada and Utah have Republican governors. Officials from Utah — Hatch’s home state — said in a letter to HHS that they want relief from burdensome federal reporting requirements that tie up staffers who could be helping welfare recipients find a job. State case workers are supposed to keep meticulous logs on the hours that welfare recipients devote to job activities.\ [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/114 "2012-08-05T18:41:45Z")
The GOP is not unhealthy. In fact, there’s a ton of racists and hateful people in the country to keep them going for a long time ---
**Author:** ![Docta\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Docta\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Docta_G)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/115 "2012-08-05T19:11:21Z")
> [@spifflog](#): > > Folks always take glee in the apparent demise of the other party from time to time. Republicans did in the Reagan-Bush era, and there were many threads here (being the very left leaning group that we are) post Obama election stating that the republican party was dead only to be unpleasantly surprised in 2010. > > The American electorate will decide if and when a party is dead. I don’t see them killing off either one any time soon. Not unless they suddenly become much more informed and intelligent than they are. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/116 "2012-08-05T22:41:15Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > You want government to be in some kind of power-sharing detente with the church and the family, so its jurisdiction stops at various arbitrary points within its territory. Churches can offer sanctuary (and defy the law). You mean like sheltering illegal immigrants? > [@](#): > > Families will be self-governed (however vile). Don’t be ridiculous, nobody supports tolerating families which are abusive. Mainstream conservatism isn’t some weird neo-tribalism. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/117 "2012-08-06T00:37:15Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Mainstream conservatism isn’t some weird neo-tribalism. Tea Party conservatism is. And it seems to be fast becoming the “mainstream.” ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/118 "2012-08-06T00:42:52Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Tea Party conservatism is. And it seems to be fast becoming the “mainstream.” Please show me where the Tea Party has said that abusive families should not be interfered with by the government. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/119 "2012-08-06T00:52:38Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Tea Party conservatism is. And it seems to be fast becoming the “mainstream.” The value of the extremes is that they move the center. I admit that the TP has some valid points (overspending), but they drown it out with anger and derp, and a distinct lack of reasonable solutions. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274/120 "2012-08-06T02:36:33Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Please show me where the Tea Party has said that abusive families should not be interfered with by the government. [http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/06/tea-party-joins-canary-party-in-opposing-vaccine-mandates-in-california.html?cid=6a00d8357f3f2969e2016767eb0c2e970b](http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/06/tea-party-joins-canary-party-in-opposing-vaccine-mandates-in-california.html?cid=6a00d8357f3f2969e2016767eb0c2e970b) > [@](#): > > In a sign of increasing political strength, the Canary Party has achieved an alliance with the East Bay Tea Party, one of California’s largest tea party groups, on the issue of AB2109, a measure sponsored by California Assembly Member, Dr. Richard Pan. The bill seeks to limit the ability of parents to obtain a philosophical exemption to refuse a vaccine or modify the schedule by requiring them to get a note from a doctor if they wish to vary the schedule or chose to decline vaccinations. > > Both the East Bay Tea Party and the Canary Party believe this is an unwarranted governmental intrusion on the rights of parents and the first step in a program of mandated vaccines. Not only would this be the first time in California history that the right to refuse a medical procedure which carries the risk of injury or death would be dependent on a non-neutral third party who is not compelled by law to sign the required form, it is also likely to be a violation of the First Amendment of the U. S. Constitution and a violation of several sections of the California Education Code. BTW [ageofautism.org](http://ageofautism.org) is an anti-vaccine outfit, A pit thread on Wakefield and the anti-vaccers makes clear to me that they may not hit their kids, but the abuse they in the end suffer under the ideologies their parents follow does qualify as such in my opinion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gop-doesnt-seem-to-be-a-very-healthy-party-these-days-its-just-racist-fury-cultural-rage/630274.md?page=7)