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meegbear

(25,438 posts)
Wed Sep 23, 2015, 07:02 AM Sep 2015

The Rude Pundit - Why Do GOP Candidates Hate the Constitution?

On The Late Show last night, Stephen Colbert was doing his usual slice-'em-so-they-don't-know-they've-been-diced interview with a Republican, in this case nattering, nasal-voiced, Cubo-Canadian Texan, conservadouche Ted Cruz, who happens to be running for president. Talking about same-sex marriage, Colbert challenged Cruz on whether or not marriage-defining should be left to the states. Cruz said, as he often does when a Supreme Court decision goes against his dickish beliefs, "I don't think we should entrust governing our society to five unelected lawyers in Washington."

Cruz knows better. He has to know better. He clerked for Justice William Rehnquist, under whose leadership the Supreme Court invalidated dozens of state and federal laws, you know, the kind passed by elected legislators.

But apparently Cruz, like most of the Republican candidates, doesn't give a shit what's actually in the Constitution. They are living with some fantasy Constitution, one that apparently is merely toilet paper to whatever political whims some jack-off GOPer can come up with. 'Cause, see, Article 2, Section 2 of the real Constitution is pretty goddamn clear: The President "shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law."

That right there means that it isn't some crazy notion that "unelected" lawyers (or, more precisely, judges) make the decisions on the laws. In fact, Article 3 of the real Constitution specifically empowers the Supreme Court to do that. If you have a problem with the Supreme Court being unelected and deciding the constitutionality of laws, then you have a problem with the very thing you proclaim you'll protect. And this shit's in the Articles, not in the bonus Amendments.

We've had Donald Trump, Chris Christie, and Rand Paul want to shitcan the 14th Amendment to end birthright citizenship because of all the Mexican babies clogging up the playgrounds or something. We've had Ben Carson seeming to not understand that there is an Article 6 that specifically prohibits a religious test in order to hold any office in government anywhere in the United States. At what point will Lindsey Graham want to suspend the 3rd Amendment so that Marines can forcibly quarter themselves at his home ("Ya'll go ahead and use mah showah. I'll just stand heah and watch you a-scrubbin' your loins and pecs&quot ? The candidates then say that they want to appoint to the court an "originalist" who doesn't view the Constitution as adaptable to the times, like Antonin Scalia, who, by the way, is an unelected judge.

This is not even getting into the right's high, hard love for the 10th Amendment above just about everything else in the Constitution. Cruz, Mike Huckabee, and Bobby Jindal are all 10th Amendment in your face about same sex marriage or Common Core or whatever the federal government does that they think sucks. Jeb Bush got himself into trouble with gun nuts because he said to Stephen Colbert that the 10th Amendment gave states the right to regulate the 2nd Amendment, something he quickly backtracked on because, hell, nobody says anything even vaguely sane about the completely misinterpreted 2nd Amendment and survives the GOP primary.

And yet, time and again, these candidates will proclaim that President Obama has destroyed or shit on or wiped his taint sweat with the Constitution. Yet their own words show, time and again, that, at best, they don't actually understand what's in it. At worst, except for the 2nd and 10th Amendments and the ability to use the military, they actually, actively hate it.

(The Rude Pundit believes in a living Constitution. Amend that bad girl. Get money out of elections. Revisit the 2nd Amendment.)

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http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2015/09/why-do-gop-candidates-hate-constitution.html

18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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The Rude Pundit - Why Do GOP Candidates Hate the Constitution? (Original Post) meegbear Sep 2015 OP
Democrats also seem quite capable of ignoring the Constitution. Seems to be a gubbamint thang more merrily Sep 2015 #1
Respectfully disagree. Many conservatives never believed in the Constitution Hortensis Sep 2015 #2
I repeat: Democrats are also quite capable of ignoring the Constitution and have indeed done so. merrily Sep 2015 #3
Perhaps a few examples might help.... blackspade Sep 2015 #5
Jackson was VERY CONSERVATIVE. The Tea Party loves him. Try again. Hortensis Sep 2015 #10
He was still a Democrat. blackspade Sep 2015 #14
I'm not a schoolteacher, Blackspade. Hortensis Sep 2015 #15
No worries. blackspade Sep 2015 #18
Your second paragraph nxylas Sep 2015 #9
OH, yes! Obviously, you've been there. Hortensis Sep 2015 #11
Indeed I have nxylas Sep 2015 #12
And very often are among the least efficient and profitable managers? Hortensis Sep 2015 #13
K&R stonecutter357 Sep 2015 #4
Because it was actually pretty well-written... malthaussen Sep 2015 #6
So glad someone finally saw the goldmine behind judging Republicans Baitball Blogger Sep 2015 #7
K&FuckingR..... daleanime Sep 2015 #8
They think the voters are stupid Retrograde Sep 2015 #16
K&R! I like the term 'conservadouche'. Enthusiast Sep 2015 #17

merrily

(45,251 posts)
1. Democrats also seem quite capable of ignoring the Constitution. Seems to be a gubbamint thang more
Wed Sep 23, 2015, 07:11 AM
Sep 2015

than a party thang.

FYI, those who argue for a "living Constitution" believe in broad interpretation of its existing provisions. Everyone believes that amendments are possible. BTW, IMO, the first thing that should be amended is the Constitution's amendment provision. Even Scalia suggested it's too hard to amend.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
2. Respectfully disagree. Many conservatives never believed in the Constitution
Wed Sep 23, 2015, 07:29 AM
Sep 2015

because it was written to secure a society of free and equal people. Strong conservatives are not wired to believe in equality. They believe in a naturally "just world" in which inequality is an inevitable product.

Conservatives have a naturally darker view and fear of humanity than others. If you've ever worked for a strongly conservative boss, you'll probably remember all the safeguards to keep employees from stealing, etc.

Social and religious conservatives, especially, believe that too "free" a society is a dangerous one that will inevitably destroy itself. They call for "small" government but actually want a hugely powerful one that will force everyone to behave like them.

As for liberals, the Constitution reflects the liberal ideology of those who fought to get it passed. We believe all men were created equal; in life, liberty and justice for all; in government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Oh, yeah. As you'll have noticed many times, strong social cons also really hate that "justice for all" notion.

merrily

(45,251 posts)
3. I repeat: Democrats are also quite capable of ignoring the Constitution and have indeed done so.
Wed Sep 23, 2015, 07:37 AM
Sep 2015

Claiming otherwise seems bizarre.

blackspade

(10,056 posts)
5. Perhaps a few examples might help....
Wed Sep 23, 2015, 08:25 AM
Sep 2015

I'll start: the Democratic lion himself, Andrew Jackson; traitor to the Constitution, a conspirator to one of the great land thefts in the early 19th century, and genocidal maniac.

Go.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
10. Jackson was VERY CONSERVATIVE. The Tea Party loves him. Try again.
Wed Sep 23, 2015, 09:52 AM
Sep 2015

BTW, Jackson's party started out with the label "Republican," dropped that, and ended up keeping the "Democrat" part. But under any label it was the party of rhose people who most supported genocide.

blackspade

(10,056 posts)
14. He was still a Democrat.
Wed Sep 23, 2015, 11:53 AM
Sep 2015

And part of a party that evolved to where we are today.
He has been lauded for years by many Democrats as the founding father of the party.
Did you not know this?

nxylas

(6,440 posts)
9. Your second paragraph
Wed Sep 23, 2015, 09:44 AM
Sep 2015

Oh yes, and the constant micromanagement to ensure that you aren't mooching on the company's dime.

nxylas

(6,440 posts)
12. Indeed I have
Wed Sep 23, 2015, 10:25 AM
Sep 2015

I generally support small businesses over big corporations, but Republican small business owners often make the worst bosses.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
13. And very often are among the least efficient and profitable managers?
Wed Sep 23, 2015, 11:22 AM
Sep 2015

I'm guessing you have some pretty good stories. I know what you mean about some small businesses, and a few large for that matter. I have no idea how one might convince this type of manager that large amounts of money spent solely so they can feel reassured their employees are "under control" might be wasted.

malthaussen

(17,187 posts)
6. Because it was actually pretty well-written...
Wed Sep 23, 2015, 09:05 AM
Sep 2015

... to keep the fascists out. And they didn't even have fascists.

-- Mal

Baitball Blogger

(46,700 posts)
7. So glad someone finally saw the goldmine behind judging Republicans
Wed Sep 23, 2015, 09:07 AM
Sep 2015

based on their lack of adherence to the Constitution.

Retrograde

(10,133 posts)
16. They think the voters are stupid
Wed Sep 23, 2015, 12:13 PM
Sep 2015

They have to be - they elected them, after all.

My dislike for Cruz crossed over into contempt after I saw that interview. *Five* unelected judges? Leaving aside minor details like there being nine Supreme Court justices, does that mean rulings like Hobby Lobby and Citizens United are now invalid by Cruz-logic?

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