Dear Arianna Huffington, You Cannot Reason with Close-Minded, Bigoted, Regressive People

I saw you today on the Dylan Rattigan show, and I saw how you want to reach out to the Tea Party crowd and address their economic anxiety which underlies their rage and anger. Although this is a noble gesture, it is also extremely naive for the following reasons:

1. All of the economic anxiety issues that you espouse, the disappearing middle class, stagnant wages, foreclosures, predatory banking, and Wall Street bonuses were happening under Bush just as it is today, and these folks said nothing about that. No protests. No marches. No demonstrations. So that cannot be the source of their anger.

2. They don't blame Wall Street for the financial crisis. They blame the government for "forcing banks to loan to poor minorities" for the crisis. Even when presented with actual evidence, they still want to believe that it was the fault of "others" for the downfall.

3. Finally, what these people are truly angry about is that an African American is President of the United States. These protests didn't start until after Obama was sworn into office. Eight years of spectacular failure and jaw dropping crisis es brought on by the Bush administration did nothing to motivate them. An African American man sits in the Oval Office, and these people take to the streets.

Ms. Huffington don't let the cable news media obsession with these people fool you. Cable news is all about grabbing ratings points from Fox News and Rush, and they believe that if they pander to these bigots by literally handing over their entire lineup to their asinine protests then they can charge their advertisers more money.

Instead, what Progressives need to focus on is communicating our values to the fair-minded, non-progressives. We need to convince them that our agenda benefits them, their families, their communities, their nation, and their world. Let's not waste time trying to convince a red-faced, spelling-challenged, obese, retired asshat, living on Social Security and Medicare, and carrying an Obama is Hitler sign to join us in reforming Wall Street. They have closed their minds to us, and we will just be wasting time trying to open them.

will be the one to finally nail the coffin shut on the 24/7 idiot parade that is the "teabagger movement". These few restless idiots, backed by K Street money, have consumed so many news cycles that I want to pull my hair out.

Keith is better than this, and I'm waiting for him to elevate the discussion and cut out the obsession with Sarah Palin, and her band of idiots. I feel so let down by the few progressive voices we have in the media. The right wing controlled the debate throughout the Bush years, and we're continuing to let them do so. I can hardly listen to any of my favorite hosts anymore because of their maniacal obsession with all things "Sarah", "Rush", & "Beck".

It would be great if we could start a campaign to challenge the folks in the media, who are progressive-friendly, to stop talking about these idiots, but I'm probably in the minority, and they're probably not willing to sacrifice their precious ratings.

news types just so that she can get face time. I was so done with her when she invited the red faced liar Joe S. and his dumb side kick Mika to her house for some party a couple of months back. And don't dare challenge her on her website or your comments will not be posted, go figure.

She was a conservative but found she could make more money and get more face time on cable by going left. She runs her site like a dictator. Any comment that refutes her or her friends are censored.

of malware or something on it.

"Never argue with the ignorant. They can't tell when you've won."
- Bob Tzu
(long-lost American cousin of the Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu)

St. Vincent's in NYC is closing its doors because of massive debt on their books from years of providing health services to people with no insurance.

I could go on, but obviously, you've been brainwashed and you don't have any real experience. So, talking to you is a waste of time.

much of anything? These people voted for Bush but loved Cheney, they voted for McLame but loved Palin. They are not anti-govt. They are anti-govt. if it does not benefit them and helps the poor. Screw them.

are "just confused" or "just don't know any better", or some kind of blame-denying crap. It's pure bullshit.

They *enjoy* being as mean as possible, and consciously, deliberately, knowing choose to do so.

edit: At bottom, every excuse along the lines of "it's not their fault" does nothing but continue to enable bigots being bigots into the future.

signs and listen to their rhetoric to know they enjoy being brainwashed.

It's a strategy from propagandists like fauxsn00ze to keep up the hate on display against Pres Obama..and those teabaggers are willing patsies.

Quit the enabling, Arianna.

Point 2 is spot on from the right wingers I know. They blame the government for 'forcing banks to make bad loans to blacks and latinos'. In their minds that is where the crisis came from.

The idea that we are all going to be a big happy progressive family will never happen. The Tea baggers are the base of the GOP, they have fought for the interests of the wealthy for years and years and are now mad that a black democrat controls the country and are sore losers. They have strong opinions on issues they don't remotely understand and are fairly unpopular with anyone who isn't already aligned with them. Attempts to paint them as progressives in disguise will fail, and they should.

comprise 41% of the Senate and a similar percentage in the House?

And what if Close-Minded, Bigoted, Regressive People owned 90% of the electronic media? And Close-Minded, Bigoted, Regressive People have a virtual monopoly on Wall Street, and are able to buy legislation?

We outnumber them but they have us outgunned. Reason isn't a crazy thing to try in these circumstances; options are few. Kudos to Ms H for trying, even if her efforts were doomed from the start.

She's a fucking tool.