You’ve written too much to respond to. But this,

“Do I think his remark has a basis in fact that needs to be dealt with?  Yes, I do.  We have families in this country where entire generations have not worked, and have lived off the dole,”

Just as Reagan’s remark about welfare queens in Chicago, you are taking exceptions, a very small percentage for which generational welfare is true, and trying to turn it into the norm. Where are your stats? As for Reagan’s statements, especially the Cadillac addition was simply a lie. And so too, when ignorance allows rare exceptions to be turned into the norm, it is a lie. You have nor actually looked into the truth. In Michigan and other states, for example, there are limits on the length of time one is qualified for welfare, for a lifetime.

But in politics, ignorance often wins over.

“But when 90% of black voters pulled the lever for Obama in 2008 in large part because he was black . . .”

Have you got a source for that?

 Replying here to Argive and Joe, since Disqus isn’t giving me a reply option on their posts.

@d973cbc7604fe4d794932bb313118e83:disqus: There’s this thing, it’s called hyperbole and exaggeration.  I engaged in a bit of it with that 90% figure.  I haven’t seen any studies that toss that number around, but let’s not gild the lily, shall we?  We both saw that exit poll interview during the 2008 election where a black woman is just gushing about how wonderful Obama is, and how since she voted for him, he’ll help her with her mortgage.  I know I didn’t dream that.  She clearly had an economic incentive (false and nauseating, but still economic) to vote for him, but you can’t tell me for a moment that black voters weren’t thrilled to pull the lever for Obama simply because he is black.  If you don’t think that was a prime consideration, then you, sir, are deceiving yourself.

@29ec40ce14c174663f609696fc6c9269:disqus: While I am a conservative fiscally, I’m pretty well libertarian/liberal socially, actually.  And you’re the one who brought in the talking points about the “rich” and the 1%.  Would I like to be rich?  Sure would. Do I resent those who inherit fabulous wealth?  Sometimes, yes.  Does that in any way negate the fact that one prospers as much as he is willing to work?  No, it doesn’t.  This is America.  You can certainly become wealthy here, if you have the combination of talent, skill, ambition, drive, dedication, etc.  It’s the worst form of envy to resent someone else being wealthy for being willing to work harder, better, faster, or smarter than oneself.  But at the end of the day, money is not everything.  It makes things easier, yes, but there is much more to being happy than being rich.  It seems that some Americans have forgotten that.

And you’re the one calling the unemployed freeloaders, not me.  I didn’t use that word, my friend.  I, in fact, stated that I support aid programs for those in need.  I do not, however, support allowing them to be abused without repercussions.  That’s called living in the real world.  You push, it pushes back.

As for Social Security, given that it will be bankrupt by the time I’m eligible to claim it, you’re damn right I resent what basically amounts to generational theft because of the government’s mismanagement of the program.

I really don’t know why I’m bothering with this.  No matter what I say, you’ll lump me into the mental category as an evil ol’ racist conservative who just hates poor people, old people, puppies, kittens, and fluffy clouds.

Oh well.

 While it’s encouraging that you’ll at least admit that a leftie made a racist remark, you don’t do anything but gloss over it and move on, adding a link as an afterthought.

My first reaction when I saw Chris Matthews’ name was, “Oh, has the tingling in his leg stopped?”  Alas, no, it has not.  That article boils down to, “Republicans hate Obama because he’s black!”  And that’s simply not true, Joe.  I don’t hate him because he’s black.  I don’t even hate him.  Do I think he’s a terrible President?  You bet.  Do I think he’s a terrible President because he’s black?  Not at all.  I think he’s a terrible President because of what he says and what he does, not because his skin is darker than mine.  I was raised that a person is the sum of their deeds and words, not the amount of melanin in their skin.  Alas, lefties always see color/race first, and then base their judgments of deeds and words from there.

Let me respond, though, to Newt’s comment about black “parasites”.  Do I think his remark was in poor taste?  Yes, I do.  Do I think his remark has a basis in fact that needs to be dealt with?  Yes, I do.  We have families in this country where entire generations have not worked, and have lived off the dole, creating a new generation to pick up where they leave off.  Do I think we should eliminate welfare?  Not at all.  Do I think it should be more tightly regulated to prevent abuse?  You bet I do.  Unemployment and welfare are crutches, not Cadillacs.  People need to treat them as temporary aids, rather than as an unlimited source of income.

As for “illegal” immigrants (and I’m using the same quotation as the post you linked, here), we have enough problems looking after our own countrymen without having to soak up Mexico’s problems, too.  I have nothing against immigrants, provided they arrive legally, as my forebears did.  Hell, my wife is Canadian, and I’m immigrating up there (legally, mind you), because it’s easier.  She’s a chef, you see, but the State Department doesn’t recognize that as a “profession”.  Meanwhile, Juanito sneaks across the border, and the State Department just nods and smiles.  Our immigration policy is broken and backwards, and needs fixing with a quickness.  But if they’ll vote Democrat, your response is “Eh, what could go wrong?”

Are there people who are racist and vote Republican?  Assuredly, there are.  But when 90% of black voters pulled the lever for Obama in 2008 in large part because he was black, I really don’t want to hear any sniveling about racism from a leftie, thanks so much.

As for who I’d like to see run someday for the Republicans?  Bobby Jindal.  But I’m not so foolish as to think the cries of “Racist Republicans!” would stop if we put the first Indian-American President in office.  No matter what a Republican does, he will always be a vile racist in the eyes of the left.  It’s a meme that’s tired and easily refutable, but like lolcats, it just won’t die.

I think you could consider that the sum of how people can be hardcore liberals, its a position which sounds great until you learn how to read.

Thanks for your posts. I enjoyed reading them!

That you think Alternet isn’t biased and telling the truth, then you are dumber even than the air you breathe.

That’s the Tea Party spelling, but an ignorant fella like yourself wouldn’t know that.

In reply to mightysamurai:  Dictionaries are racist.  Standardized spelling is so heteronormative and oppressive of people of color and wymyn that intelligent, sensitive, tolerant bigots like Slow Joe feel that they can spell a word anyway they feel like.

Get with the program.  Republicans and conservatives are always wrong, and leftists and Democrats are never wrong.

Have an Evil day