This would represent the most power Democrats have held in Washington since... FDR? I mean, there was that brief two year period in the 90s where Clinton and congressional Democrats managed to gain power, but not much came out of that.

Well, except a phony impeachment campaign.

Right-wingers are not amused, and are frankly, starting to scare the shit out of me.

Palin supporters.

If Democrats manage to gain absolute control over Washington, how will these people react? How will these people react if the truly, genuinely believe a terrorist has won over the White House?

Okay, I'm done tiptoeing. I think the man will get assassinated. There are just far too many crazies left in the United States for it not to happen, or at least, for someone not to try.

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Originally posted by West Coast Greeny:
The Democrats will certainly hold a majority in the House and Senate, and stand a resonable chance of attaining the 3/5 fillibuster-proof majority in the senate.

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quote:

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...
Palin supporters.

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Barack's election will certainly galvanize the far right, but this election is in large part a referendum on the excesses of conservativism.
The dissatisfaction we feel for Bush, the charismatic power of Obama, and the implosion of the economy have raised the possibility for a real political realignment in the US. I saw on cbc's website that today is the anniversary of the Election that ousted Kim Cambell's government.
While the circumstances that Republicans face today are not so dramatic as those faced by the PC in 93, they are dire enough.

With a smaller minority in both houses and Obama as President, the GOP will find itself irrelevant which will cut them from the lobbyists whom they have faithfully served. The disasterous losses will lead to a round of finger pointing that will exascerbate rifts within the party. Moderate Republicans will be tempted to switch parties, and the party will become even more extreme and marginalised.

The Republicans will recover, as the Conservatives did in Canada, but only after (as in Canada) a soujourn in the wilderness and a reorganisation of their party. It is up to the Democrats to rule with more humility and good sense than did Cretien's Liberals.

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Originally posted by skarredmunkey:
There won't be a rightwing backlash, because the knuckle draggers in Barack Obama's party will force him to move even further to the right than he already is.

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For what I would generalize as 'rational' conservatives or people who support the Republican party this may likely be true. The people who look at actual policies. Many in this camp are crossing over already but as Brookmere says,

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Originally posted by brookmere:
Obama could wear a Ronald Reagan button on his lapel and it would not appease the far right. They don't care what Obama actually stands for, but what they think he stands for - "socialism", "terrorism", etc. And the ultimate indignity - a person with dark skin running the country.

Nothing will change that.

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For example people that really seem to believe stuff like this...

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Red Dawn

Red Dawn is a 1984 war film by John Milius about a fictional invasion of the United States by the Soviet Union, Cuba and other Communist Central American armies, and the resulting guerrilla actions of a group of American high school students in the town of Calumet, Colorado.

Barack Hussein Obama is not constitutionally qualified to be elected or serve as President of the United States. Philip Berg's lawsuit has been thrown out for lack of standing.

Obama is not just ineligible to serve the office of Presidency, Obama is not just an illegal alien, Obama is an enemy combatant with founded financial connections to Nadhmi Auchi who co-conspired with fellow Baathist Saddam Hussein to overthrow Iraq.

We are now going to witness a nonfictional 2008 invasion of the United States by Middle Eastern, Communist Africa, Communist Central American armies, and others. With a resulting guerrilla actions of said groups.

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And this type of thinking is all over the place. In terms of numbers? I have no idea, being the internet it's hard to tell, but beliefs like this have support. Whether it's just crazy bravado and armchair warriors is the question and hopefully that's all it is. Hopefully after the election craziness dies down it will just die off as people's worst fears don't come to fruition.

I doubt though that this type of thinking is going to change if Obama moves even more to the right mainly because there seems to be a complete inability to even analyze where policies ever are on the spectrum. None of that actually matters.

Militarization of the American Homeland: Suppression of "Civil Disturbances" ACLU Demands Information on U.S. Military Domestic Operations

The problem for American capitalists today is that there were not only unrealistic promises for middle class prosperity made to the whole world during the cold war, but especially at home among their right-wing support base. The rest of the world is catching on that they've been funding the very unsustainable U.S. way of life with their country's national output and savings. What can't go on forever will stop. Most of the rest of the world can endure a global recession. Chinese and Indians and Russians never really became used to living like mini millionaires. But this high consumption lifestyle and America kicks ass mentality was drummed into very many people's heads in the U.S. What happens when they start feeling the pinch?

Higgins: It's simple economics. Today it's oil, right? In ten or fifteen years, food. Plutonium. Maybe even sooner. Now, what do you think the people are gonna want us to do then?
Joe Turner: Ask them?
Higgins: Not now - then! Ask 'em when they're running out. Ask 'em when there's no heat in their homes and they're cold. Ask 'em when their engines stop. Ask 'em when people who have never known hunger start going hungry. You wanna know something? They won't want us to ask 'em. They'll just want us to get it for 'em!

12% of the U.S. population is hungry

[ 25 October 2008: Message edited by: Fidel ]

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Originally posted by unionist:
[QB]These fears sound slightly conspiratorial and over the top to me. Seven years after 9-11, there are next to no examples of such "craziness".

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Originally posted by ElizaQ:

I don't understand how your connecting 9-11 and lack of 'right wingnutery' backlash against a presidency as indicative that there wouldn't be anything now. These are the types of folks who think that GW was and is the best thing since sliced bread. Can you further clarify?

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Well, I just think your fear is based on nothing. You posit attacks on Obama and perhaps minorities and liberals. Why - as revenge for a dark-skinned president? Have you actually analyzed any of the real terror or assassination attempts that have taken place in the U.S. over the years to see if there is a basis for such fears - or is the basis just that McCain supporters are so crazy that someone will probably do something (even though no one has done anything yet)? Or how about presidential assassination attempts over the years - do they fit into some such patterns?

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Originally posted by unionist:
Seven years after 9-11, there are next to no examples of such "craziness".

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Originally posted by unionist:
The U.S. under GWB (as under previous administrations) is committing daily crimes against people within and beyond its shores. It commits crimes against people of colour and against people who resist its dictate. These crimes are not committed by "crazies".

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"Blowback"? Yeah right

[ 25 October 2008: Message edited by: Fidel ]

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The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says it has broken up a plot to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and shoot or decapitate 102 black people in a Tennessee murder spree.

In court records unsealed Monday, agents said they disrupted plans to rob a gun store and target an unnamed but predominantly African-American high school by two neo-Nazi skinheads.
Obama's campaign headquarters in Chicago declined to comment to the Tribune on the alleged plot.

Details to come.

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