Hey Lookee! We Have Wingnuts Here, Too!
From Think Progress, here’s a video interview taken at CPAC of Eric Wargotz, who’s running for Senator of Murland. In the video, he reveals himself to be a birther:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jz8wn8_8-w&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
Actually, the interviewer asks the questions from the recent Daily Kos poll of Republicans. For the benefit of those who don’t want to watch the entire video, I’ve summarized Wargotz’s answers. I’ve tried to be fair to him, god knows why:
- Should Barack Obama be impeached?
If there’s sufficient cause. - Has he been accused of anything that would warrant impeachment?
No. - Do you think Barack Obama is a socialist?
Due to his foreign upbringing, he has more socialist tendencies than most Americans. People in other countries have different perspectives on social issues. - Do you believe Barack Obama was born in the United States?
No. - Do you believe Barack Obama wants the terrorists to win?
No. - Do you believe ACORN stole the 2008 election?
There were irregularities. Don’t know to what extent. - Do you think Sarah Palin is more qualified to be president than Barack Obama?
I don’t think she’s less qualified. - Do you believe Barack Obama is a racist who hates white people?
No. - Do you believe your state should secede from the United States?
No. - Should Congress make it easier for workers to form and join labor unions?
It’s already pretty easy. - Would you favor or oppose giving illegal immigrants now living in the United States the right to live here legally if they paid a fine and learned English?
No. - Do you support the death penalty?
Yes. - Should openly-gay men and women be allowed to serve in the military?
No. - Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
No. Civil unions, yes. - Should gay couples receive any state or federal benefits?
Depends on how the civil unions are worked out. - Should openly-gay men and women be allowed to teach in public schools?
What do you mean by “openly”? - Should sex education be taught in public schools?
Yes. But it should emphasize abstinence. - In public schools, should it be taught that the book of Genesis in the Bible explains how God created the world?
Evolution should (also) be taught. - Are marriages equal partnerships, or are men the leaders of their households?
In many cases, women are the leaders of the household. - Should women work outside the home?
It’s up to them. - Should contraceptive use be outlawed?
No. - Do you believe the birth control pill is abortion?
No. - Do you consider abortion to be murder?
In some cases, yes. - Do you believe the only way for an individual to go to heaven is through Jesus Christ, or can one make it to heaven through another faith?
I respect all faiths.
It’s tempting to give him credit for getting a number of answers right, but frankly, this is such an easy test that no one should get any answers wrong. Yes, I’ll spot him the questions on whether abortion is murder and whether illegal immigrants should have a path to legality. I’ll concede that there’s room for informed honest disagreement on those. But if he thinks Sarah Palin is as qualified to be president as Barack Obama, he’s wrong. If he thinks there’s any doubt as to whether gays should be allowed to teach, he’s wrong. Sorry if my bluntness offends, but there it is.
We have the “Wichita Wingnuts”, too bad that isn’t referring to the local pro-life movement. LOL
The whole “Is he a socialist?” thing is just… wow. Over here (Europe kinda way), the question would most likely produce a “Dunno, duncare, next question” response. Is it really such an issue in the US?
And just to follow up my generalisation there… I guess that “dunno” response wouldn’t be so likely if you’re asking a passionately zealous right-winger. Perhaps I’ve answered my own implied question.
JohnF:
You remind me of some other European remarking that the US doesn’t have a liberal party: it has a conservative party, and a reactionary party.
And now the Teabaggers are complaining that the reactionary party is too liberal.
At any rate, I think very few people here have a good idea of what socialism is (or, for that matter, communism or fascism. And please don’t ask us about the diffference between Social Democrats and National Democrats. We have no clue). “Socialist” is just a generic derogatory term, much like “asshat” or “pigfucker”. It doesn’t matter whether Obama agrees with all or most of the positions in a European Socialist party’s manifesto. All that matters is whether the label will stick.
C’est la vie…..he is very cute!
So are Brad Pitt and Ashton Kutcher. Do you want them running your state?
“A few timid people, who fear progress, will try to give you new and strange names for what we are doing. Sometimes they will call it ‘fascism,’ sometimes ‘communism,’ sometimes ‘regimentation,’ sometimes ‘socialism.’ But, in so doing, they are trying to make very complex and theoretical something that is really very simple and practical…I believe that what we are doing today is a necessary fulfillment of what Americans have always been doing – a fulfillment of old and tested American ideals.” – FDR Radio Broadcast
the question would most likely produce a “Dunno, duncare, next question” response. Is it really such an issue in the US..