Texas President Chuck Norris And Conservative Talkers’ New Leap
What is someone to DO if they don’t like the fact that there is now a Democratic administration, a Democratic Congress and moderates and liberals are seemingly on the ascent — all during a time when conservatives are split and battling each other over Rush Limbaugh, Michael Steel, Newt Gingrich and David Frum?
Here’s an idea: suggest — half jokingly (which means part serious?) of course…that it may be so bad now and that the threat to the America of our childhoods is so enormous that perhaps it’s time for your state to succeed from the union. And do it on an increasingly popular multi-media right wing talk show whose host is increasingly warning his audience how the Obama administration could mean the end America as we know it.
Does this sound outlandish? Not really, former movie and TV star Chuck Norris (whose movies and shows I loved) has been doing just that — suggesting to talk show host Glenn Beck that since Washington is moving farther from what he contends is the founder’s vision (a vision apparently still maintained in the pronouncements of Beck, Limbaugh and Sean Hannity but not shared by apparently uneducated or insidious independent voters, RINOS or Democrats) he has jokingly suggested that it maybe time for Texas (the state where Norris filmed his addicting action TV show) to exit the U.S. of A — and that he’d run for President of it.
Here’s a roundup about this latest twist.
The problem is: since Obama’s inauguration some of conservative talk radio has not just jumped the shark, but jumped Shamu at Sea World. Obama is not just a political foe, but being painted as a dangerous political figure and virtual bogeyman.
It began with Limbaugh and Sean Hannity making it clear before Obama was even sworn in that there would be no let up — and, indeed, if the purpose is to gain audience share, why should there have been? Talk show hosts are there to entertain and gain and deliver an audience demographic to advertising clients. The good ones on the left and right know that they can’t succeed if they’re emulating C-SPAN or PBS hosts. So…fair enough.
But next came Limbaugh’s “I hope he fails” which became an actual litmus test of party loyalty in the GOP for some.
Yesterday, on a six hour off-and-on drive from San Diego to Santa Barbara, I had the chance to sample a variety of conservative talk show hosts. In this world, where hosts and callers often talk in angry, shouting or mocking tones, Obama is a “madman” and a “socialist” or a “Marxist” who is danger to the United States, you savings and homes, education free of political indoctrination — who wants to destroy a health care system that has worked beautifully. Conservative talkers who made a huge issue of Bush opponents not referring to George Bush as “President Bush” now sometimes use derisive terms for Obama, rather than even mentioning his name.
Obama, in this world, in case you don’t know, is now getting ready to soon start a civilian corps of police– green-clad thugs similar to Nazi Germany’s brown shirts, who could go into houses and take people’s guns away (a caller on one show did indeed say that). The Democrats don’t want to fix the economy — that isn’t their intent. They want to impose socialist and big government policies, even if it means bringing the country down to do so.
The tone has been not marked by just a rightward shift (as Jerry Seinfeld would say “Not that there’s anything wrong with that…”) — but a shift away from criticizing policies to suggesting to listeners that their way of life and perhaps their very freedoms could are threatened by Obama and by the Democrats. The shift is further right from what was on the talk shows just one year ago and the tone is increasingly strident.
Which brings us full circle.David Frum and to the New York Times new columnist to be Ross Douthat — conservatives who show the real 21st century flag,…the flag of thinking younger conservatives who place the emphasis on “thinking to .” as opposed to demonizing. Their analysis adds to the options and ideas that’ll shape the future America; conservative talk shows now suggesting that America As We All Know It and our freedoms are in danger stirring up some of the less desirable forces out there, forces mired in resentments, stereotypes and hubris of the past.
In some of Norris’ great action movie and TV work he has ridden a horse, and he pulls in its reigns. Now it’s up to serious, younger conservatives not mired in baby-boomer us versus them hubris to pull in the reins as American heads in the 21st century so that conservative Americans don’t buy into the tone and direction of some broadcast conservatives who are galloping ahead as they whip their horse to go into areas that could prove perilous for conservatism, solution-oriented debate and the traditional American idea that someone who disagrees with you on policy is not necessarily your mortal, dangerous, ill-intentioned enemy.
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24 Responses to “Texas President Chuck Norris And Conservative Talkers’ New Leap”
Chuck Norris is a really a moron. He and the extreme right have little or no clue of what reality is. A progressive says the US is wrong for torturing and all of the sudden they are labeled as unpatriotic. A freak of nature like Norris wants to secede form the United States and he is a hero. What a joke. No wonder there is a total lean towards the progressive point of view in the states.
Please do secede. Then we can get on with the business of re-building this country from the years neglect the Republican Party sowed.
[...] The Moderate Voice Not really, former movie and TV start Chuck Norris (whose movies and shows I loved) has been doing just that — suggesting to talk show host Glen Beck that since Washington is moving farther from what he contends is the founder’s vision (a vision … via themoderatevoice.com [...]
My brother's wife's family derides me for not watching Rush Limbaugh. They denigrate any other media and claim that only Rush tells the truth. Of course these same people loved the media when Bush was popular.
As far as seceding from the union… Only a Republican can claim that Obama wants to destroy this country… then that same Republican turn around and ardently support (and vote for) someone who strongly supports a political party whose main purpose is to get Alaska sto secede from the union. Then those Republicans think it's alright to suggest that Texas secede from the union.
I don't know where or how they were raised but I was taught to believe that the US consisted of 50 states and that we should all stick together, through thick and thin.
These same inlaws who are Republicans sent me an e-mail yesterday, meant to be humorous, about breaking up the US into the Republican section and the Democratic section. I bet if Obama even mentioned, jokingly, about a state seceding the right would use it as proof that Obama is a terrorist and wants to destroy the US.
These Republicans are such hypocrites. It suits them to say that Obama is a terrorist and wants to destroy the country, but then they'll turn around and support candidates, such as Palin, who support seceding from the US.
“secede”, not “succeed”. I correct this mistake in my undergraduate students' essays all the time.
Chuck Norris once commented, “There are few problems in this world that cannot be solved by a swift roundhouse kick to the face. In fact, there are none.”
Chuck Norris is a man of few words. Chuck Norris is not a man of few roundhouse kicks to the face.
Chuck Norris sleeps with a night light. Not because Chuck Norris is afraid of the dark, but the dark is afraid of Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris has never blinked in his entire life. Never.
When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
Chuck Norris counted to infinity – twice.
In fine print on the last page of the Guinness Book of World Records it notes that all world records are held by Chuck Norris, and those listed in the book are simply the closest anyone else has ever gotten.
Chuck Norris invented black. In fact, he invented the entire spectrum of visible light. Except pink. Tom Cruise invented pink.
AR wins.
Also: I've had a few Texan friends ask me why the rest of the country feels that Texans are fair game for being ridiculed. This article is why.
Screw that. I'm running for President of Texas. Chuck Norris got is butt whipped by Bruce Lee. I kicked Bruce Lee's a** in my daydreams 50 times over. Daydreams are more powerful than movies!
C'mon folks! T-Steel for Prez of Texas. All the caramel apple pecan pie you can eat.
My vote is for T-Steel… now hand over that pie…
T-Steel, you had me 'til you hit the pecan part of that.
Chuck Norris has taken one or two too many kicks to the head. He's daffy.
And unless he's planning to bring Oklahoma along when Texas secedes, he's not eligible for the Top Dog office anyway. He's an Okie.
:>
Aw Jim! Caramel apple pecan pie is like crazy decadent! Unless you hate pecans. But no problem! Caramel apples FOR ALL!
T-Steel for President of Texas!
Interestingly, one of the right-wing sites that I periodically visit is hosted by a guy from Texas. And he threw a topic up concerning this very topic. If you're interested, my comments (as always) are under the same nickname that I use here. Anyway, after pointing out that it's bat shit crazy to contemplate an armed insurrection in the first place, in the second place most of those so inclined are getting a little long in the tooth. And it's kind of hard to navigate a walker and aim a rifle at the same time. And then a funny occurred to me: instead of Walker, Texas Ranger, these guys wanted to be Walker Rangers of Texas!
C'mon, that's funny, right?
T-Steel for President of Texas!
Yay! And Kinky Friedman for VP! Caramel apples — and cigars — FOR ALL!
“…instead of Walker, Texas Ranger, these guys wanted to be Walker Rangers of Texas!
C'mon, that's funny, right?”
Yes it's funny! I'd find it funnier yet if these bozos would find another state to highlight next time, though. It's seriously embarrassing to have the state in which one resides hosting such idiocy.
How about “Walker Rangers of Wisconsin” or something?
I told you it was the pecans, T-Steel. There is such a thing as a delicious caramel apple pie. You've got a bit of caramel mixed in with the apples and drizzled over a crumb topping. Yum.
Growing up Texan, I had learned from various people that because Texas joined the US as an independent country, they had the right to secede from the United States (Not True – just a Texas urban legend) and that Texas also had the right to divide into five states (Turns out this *was* true, and seriously considered in the early decades). All just part of the state's colorful history.
Anyway, reading online I was surprised to see that there have been various minor/major/serious/non-serious efforts at secession in virtually every state of the country over the past 200 years. An exhaustive list here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state… – for example, there have been no less than 27 attempts to break up California since it became a state. We're a fractious nation, to be sure.
And for more info on Texas seceding (NOT related to Chucky Norris) : http://www.texassecede.com/faq.htm
Not to be all Buzz Killington, but the overwhelming majority of secession efforts listed on that wikipedia article were for regions seceding from the state they're currently a part of (in order to create a new state still within the Union), not seceding from the Union entirely, though there is a section of the article devoted to Confederacy-related secession efforts. To conflate one type of effort with the other and then suggest that virtually every state of the country has considered secession is potentially a bit misleading.
I didn't mean to imply that only Texas wingnuts are contemplating armed insurrection. As Joe intimated in his sampling of conservative talk radio during his drive through SoCal, it's all over the place. Even some guys I generally respect have caught the bug. If it weren't so disappointing it'd be funny. Okay, it's still funny — so far. But unfortunately, Chuck Norris didn't star in “Walker, Wisconsin Ranger”. So my options with respect to “Walker Rangers of …” was limited. And as luck would have it further, one little wingnut beehive I am aware of is centered in Texas as well. So there you go. Anyway, I didn't mean to impugn the great state of Texas (I lived there for several years and love the place, by the way) or the saner people in it.
The door is wide open, please don't let it hit in the ass on the way out.
Oh, and while you're at it can you take the rest of the confederacy with you…
Good Luck, and Good Riddance.
It is not so much serious talk of Texas succession as it is currently of reaffirmation of the State's rights underneath the 10th Amendment of the Constitution. I invite you to view the following article: http://www.judgingtruth.com/2009/03/03/a-state-….
HCR 50 and HCR 66 currently in the Texas State House of Representatives declare the State's right under the 10th Amendment to all rights not specifically enumerated to the Federal government or prohibited to the States by the Constitution and orders the Federal government to cease and desist all actions that reduce the liberty of Texas or her citizens.
This is what Texas is considering along with 23 other states, nine of which have already passed these laws. By the way, this has nothing to do with the Confederacy as the illiterate comment above would suggest. These states are scattered all around the union and there are nine more that are expected to introduce legislation reflective of this sentiment. This is about returning this country to the method of government which was framed under the Constitution. It is not about Democrats or Republicans or right or left. It is simply about realizing that our Federal government has grown in such scope and power that is has strayed so far from the Constitution as to be almost unrecognizable when compared to that document. Most of what the Federal government does cannot be legitimately justified under the Constitution and is likely prohibited it under the 10th Amendment, those rights and duties being relegated to the States themselves. This extends from this administration, back through Bush and Clinton all the way down to the line to Washington himself who warned of the very actions we have taken that have weakened this nation over the past 200 years. In his final address to the nation, George Washington warned us not to engage in multiple things that have become common place within our government today. This is about returning to that dream and restoring this nation upon its founding principles.
Texans have never been used to being supressed, from what ever source. Texans do have the right to secede, and if they do, I will vote wholeheartedly with them. Why shouldn't we? We are totally ignored by Homeland Security who should do something about our open borders with Mexico and the surge of illegals who cross there everyday. It is almost as if the US government wants Mexico to take Texas back. Texas provides oil, cattle, agriculture, space industry, movie industry, medical industry computer industry, just to name a few – we have ranches here that are bigger than the WHOLE state of Rhode Island, and our state is bigger than the whole country of France. We were a Republic once, and we could be again. Then you yanks and democrats would be envious of us, and you would all want to move to Texas. We can do it.
Remember the Sovfet Union, Cuba, Chevez, North korea…………..
Oops! Typo on Soviet Union. Just overlook us dumb Texans who are misguided in believing that freedom,
and an accountable government with integrity who views themselves as employes of the people they represent instead of the other way around is a good thing!
IKay Bailey coming back to Texas to stop secession?