New Book: 'Over the Cliff: How Obama's Election Drove the American Right Insane "

[activa8tr]

"Compiling example after example, the editors of Crooks and Liars, a popular blog, examine the torrent of right-wing kookery—the eager willingness of conservatives to fervently believe things that are provably false—and its ramifications both for our national discourse"

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982417179/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp

Maybe worth a look? Sounds like an interesting read.

[depakid]

1. The American right has believed jawdropping falsehoods for as long as anyone can remember

which is why today, even more than in the (fairly recent) past when "trees caused pollution" and "ketchup was a vegetable" -that they need to be ridiculed and actively relegated to the fringe, not enabled and legitimized.

[activa8tr]

2. Add in some global warming denial myths, and a few anti-evolution theories

and you have a perfect storm for our first black President.

[depakid]

4. They were going on about global warming, fundy business and more when Clinton was in office, too

Difference is that Clinton actively ensured that they'd have a much louder voice through his media policies.

Not to mention, giving them the mighty Clenis to focus their obsessions on.

[LiberalFighter]

15. The internet was still in its infant stage. It wasn't until after Gore was elected that it matured.

[Bitwit1234]

6. The American HAS MANUFACTURED THOSE jaw dropping falsehoods

[jonnyblitz]

3. i may use my 40% off Borders coupon and go grab it.

my local Borders online inventory check claims it's in stock! thanks for posting about this book.

[activa8tr]

16. You're very welcome! I think it will be interesting to see the righties decry

this book. Call it all sorts of ugly, feel like they are being "vicitmized"!!

[jonnyblitz]

17. Well, I bought it. there's a great pic of Michelle Malkin on the

cover!! :rofl:

I got it for $10 and some change!

[givemebackmycountry]

5. John Amato wrote this book with his long time friend...

Crooks and Liars is in my TOP 5 daily must check websites.
Right behind DU.

[Arkana]

7. Heh. Sounds like a good read.

[nichomachus]

8. The American "Left" is a little loopy too

[starroute]

11. What "Left" would that be?

The actual progressive left? People who believe that global warming is real and that disaster capitalism does not have our best interests at heart?

Or the grab-bag of conspiracy theorists and leftover wanna-be 60's-style radicals who sometimes get labeled as "left" because there's no easy way to categorize them?

Or the trolls who occasionally show up at DU to spread right-wing memes about the Bilderburgers and the Trans-Continental Corridor, knowing that anything that looks sufficiently anti-corporate will catch a few suckers?

If you're trying to suggest that the media do their best to manufacture a fake "left" which they can paint as being as loopy as the Tea Baggers, I'm with you there. But if you think you're making a statement about the actual left, you're probably in the wrong place.

[nichomachus]

14. What I mean

is the "left" that consists of people -- numerous even here on DU -- who claim to be progressive, but who buy into the meme that "illegal" immigration is a horrendous crisis that needs to be dealt with. They just disagree with the right wingers on how to deal with "this issue." "Illegal immigration" is a manufactured issue that is meant to create a scapegoat class and deflect attention away from the real causes of our national decline.

The people on the so-called left who believe the meme that Iraq was a "bad war" that distracted us from the "good war" in Afghanistan.

The people on the so-called left who believe that things like the health care reform scam, the DADT "compromise" etc. are "better than nothing" and repeat the bullshit statement that we shouldn't let the "perfect be the enemy of the good." In fact, I believe the last words of the BP safety engineers -- just before the well blew --were, "Well, our safety procedures aren't perfect, but they're better than nothing. They're an important first step. We can adjust them later."

[starroute]

24. Then please do me a favor and don't call them the "left," even in quotes

Referring to a "loopy left" is too reminiscent of Rand Paul complaining that his appearance on the Rachel Maddow Show was an ambush by the "loony left." It suggests an attempt to conjure up a category of left-wing extremists which can be painted as equivalent to the Tea Baggers on the right.

The people you're actually describing certainly deserve your condemnation -- but they're neither leftists nor loopy. The see themselves as the sensible middle, always splitting the difference and priding themselves that catching flak from both sides means they must be doing something right.

The real left is better than than. Even the real "loopy" left -- if you want to use that phrase to describe the ideological fringes -- is better than that. And they should never be tarred with the sins of the DLC.

[Odin2005]

25. Nevermind, posted before I saw that you disambiguated your post...

[Lorien]

26. There is no American "Left".

There is a right wing party who loves free market capitalism, war, guns, low wages, wants to privatize schools, wants to force people to pay health insurance corporations to deny them health care, doesn't care that much about the environment...and then there's the Republicans, who are batshit crazy. Ask anyone else in the industrialized world about the "American Left" and they'll laugh at you. The Brits call our Dems "Good Tory conservatives."

[niceypoo]

27. Centrist Democrat 2010 = republican 1985

[Ned Bro]

9. Much of the right was already insane!

Remember when getting fellated was an impeachable offense?

[Jennicut]

10. Funny how the right is driven insane by moderate Dem Presidents

but we, as the left, manage to be quite sane with Reagan and W. We pointed out actual crimes.

[jonnyblitz]

12. a DEM could agree and try to promulgate the whole damn GOP

platform and they would still fight him and call him a communist/socialist. Anyway I am off to Borders in Waterford to get this book. It's a nice day here in CT, eh?

[Jennicut]

13. Been beautiful here lately, except for that 90 degree day last week.

In May, I am not prepared for that yet! Now, by July, I expect it around here. I had to get my air conditioners in the upstairs as we live in a cape.

[Cha]

18. Thanks..the skinheads are all

bruised from falling into the abyss as well.

[Forkboy]

20. I'm so old I remember skinheads before they were neo-nazis.

:cry:

[Forkboy]

19. Driving them crazy is a short ride.

[lovemydog]

23. ha ha

Good one!

[volvoblue]

21. put it in my cart. thanks for the heads up.

[Number23]

22. K&R That book title is so true it's almost not funny