Republicans/Wingnuts Are MENTALLY ILL — Seriously.

THIS IS NOTHING NEW.  There are academic and scientific studies out there which confirm what most of us normal folks who have to deal with these vermin, because we're into politics, know instinctively.  For example: "A study funded by the US government has concluded that conservatism can be explained psychologically as a set of neuroses rooted in "fear and aggression, dogmatism and the intolerance of ambiguity." As if that was not enough to get Republican blood boiling, the report's four authors linked Hitler, Mussolini, Ronald Reagan and the rightwing talkshow host, Rush Limbaugh, arguing they all suffered from the same affliction. All of them "preached a return to an idealised past and condoned inequality." Another study found that "self-proclaimed right-wingers had a more pronounced amydgala — a primitive part of the brain associated with emotion"— like fear.

In short, tell me something I didn't know. Right? But there's a serious aspect to this, too. The Republican refusal to govern responsibly — i.e., in the public interest — isn't rooted solely in politics, as the Idiot Punditocracy claims; it's a mental illness. History is filled with examples of psychotic political leaders and entire nations which succumbed to their extremism. Always with the same result: severe trauma to the body-politic. And while I'm as loathe to make generalizations about Republicans and wingnuts as the corporate right Beltway Media is about liberals and progressives — the Idiot Punditocracy LOVES to pontificate about the "two extremes," as if there is anything on the left approximating these sickos on the extremist right. That is, until we called them on it and laid out the evidence of 100 years of steady state progressivism versus the increasing polarization of the extremist right.

Doesn't matter. With a few notable exceptions, the Beltway Media/Idiot Punditocracy will NEVER learn. They're part of the problem; worse, an adjunct of the right wing propaganda machine. "Pushback" in their circles, is timid Soledad O'Brien of CNN apologetically quizzing the neo-fascist sicko Allen West over his insane charge that there are "between 78 to 81" card-carrying "communists" in the "Democrat Party." Turns out this 21st century wannabe Joe McCarthy, an ignorant, history-challenged demagogue was lobbing "red scare" smear grenades at the House Progressive Caucus. Hasn't this cretin violated enough rules of decorum to be brought up before the House Ethics Committee?

Bill-O The Clown, a Chris Matthews favorite, charged respected liberal economist and former Labor Secretary under President Clinton, Bob Reich, with being "a communist" who "secretly adores Karl Marx." The repulsive xenophobic wench Dana Loesch, a protected species in Soledad's channel, pulled the "foreigner" canard from her dropped "trou" to screech as how Martin Bashir should "go back where he came from"— then, in typical wingnut whine, bitch that only the 53 seconds of her attack on Martin was lifted from her mind-numbing multiple hour rant-posing-as-radio-program.

Yo, Fräulein LASH, a minute or less of your ignorant rants is just about the tolerable limit for people lacking diseased wingnut brains. Apparently, the vulgar wench objects to Martin's British accent but has no problem with the Brit clown on Fox waging his privileged "foreigner class" warfare on poor people. This is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg. "Exhibit  A" is the scumbag (I'm trying to be "civil" here) who was hired as Mitt Romney's "communications" director. Watch, as Rachel rips this pustulent scab open:

Here's the thing. If the implication is Rachel looks boyish, someone forgot to tell the imbecile Grenell that Justin Bieber kind of looks like a girl — no offense, but he's much too "pretty." Therefore, for Romney's spokesman to suggest Rachel is a Bieber "dead ringer" is not only stupid but an unsolicited glimpse into the asshole's tortured soul. Is Grenell projecting homo-erotic fantasies toward Justin Bieber? Does he fancy boys? Just saying.

To understand just how utterly inappropriate and sick these people are, imagine this: What in the world would possess anyone to consider it "humorous" and "tongue-in-cheek" to tweet the following about our First Lady: "did you notice that while Michelle Obama is working out on the BiggestLoser she is sweating on the East Room's Carpet. Just saying ..."

I ask you: what would your reaction be, in a social face to face context, to such a despicable expression of racism, sexism, and just plain meanness? Exactly. This isn't said in a vacuum. This Grenell creep exists in an environment in which bigoted, inappropriate language is acceptable discourse. I've often written here of the nasty shit that passes for "humor" among wingnuts. It is neither "humorous" nor "tongue-in-cheek" but inappropriate, cringe-inducing "hot garbage" to normal people. There is something universal about good humor, which transcends culture and context, and which unites us. The so-called "humor" of wingnuts and "conservatives" is the inverse of that — hateful, nasty bigotry meant to demean people and accentuate the "other."

One dead giveaway between regular, normal folks who may have said something inappropriate, and the constant barrage of "humorous" hate language from these right wing sickos, is the tenor of the expressed apology. A normal person's apology is genuine, heartfelt and contrite. A wingnut's apology (see Limbaugh, Grenell et al) is frequently an insincere qualifier, "to those I have offended ..." As if the problem is with the people who took offense. Therein lies the mental illness. Normal people, indeed most of us, have an internal trigger that keeps us from saying and doing highly inappropriate things. It's called a conscience.

For reasons that are self-evident in a country with such a large (though, thankfully not a majority) racist population, President Obama must internalize the vicious, incessant attacks on him and his wife. One has to respect their strength of character, to be able to take it. For the President, it's expected, it goes with the Big League political territory. But Michelle, ever so gracious, never showing her hurt, is even more admirable for taking it with such classy equanimity. No wonder she enjoys such high approval ratings among decent Americans — still a majority. Although I think, sometimes President Obama must wish he could channel Harry Truman to deal with the guttersnipes who attack his family. When a music "critic" dissed the singing of Truman's daughter, President Truman fired off this handwritten letter to the offender:

THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON

Dec. 6. 1950

Mr. Hume:-

I’ve just read your lousy review of Margaret’s concert. I’ve come to the conclusion that you are an “eight ulcer man on four ulcer pay.”

It seems to me that you are a frustrated old man who wishes he could have been successful. When you write such poppy-cock as was in the back section of the paper you work for it shows conclusively that you’re off the beam and at least four of your ulcers are at work.

Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you’ll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below!

Pegler, a gutter snipe, is a gentleman alongside you. I hope you’ll accept that statement as a worse insult than a reflection on your ancestry.

H.S.T.