I want to know what politics the shooter currently ascribed to

[Klukie]

I don't want to hear about his high school politics. I have changed my politics drastically since high school and I think it is important to know what this guys current thoughts were. I want to know what fueled his crazy behavior.

[rfranklin]

1. Sarah Palin and the Teabaggers...

created the atmosphere of hate.

[Tippy]

13. I said early on people were inciting violence

When the TP first, began to hold meetings it was clear to me this is what they wanted. I told all my family and friends something bad would happen....I know a lot of people who fit the bill, they are unhappy they want to do something to change things. And what better way to get the attention of others, talking tough gets attention..I remember the first time guns made an appearence at gatherings. These fools wanted people to fear them. People I have known all my life began making statemens I would have never thought I would hear comming from them. It is truly a sad day when our elected officials don't condem violence but instead join in to get votes....Killing grandma for instance. The blood of those who were killed or injured yesterday is on their hands.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. His writings make him appear to be a libertarian

[Dawgs]

14. Libertarians are worse than Republicans. n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. They are republicans who have lost their minds

and, according to Bill Maher, like to smoke pot.

[tabasco]

3. One thing we know for sure:

he hates a Democratic congresswomen enough to kill her.

[Jennicut]

9. Exactly, the question is why.

[Tippy]

17. The way I see it the young man who commited this horrible act

has a problem, a serious problem..and because of the vile retoric being spued by some in Congress and the media he saw a way to get attention he sought.

[cali]

4. He engaged in the politics of the psychotic.

[elocs]

5. If his behavior was "crazy" it is because he is mentally ill. We don't call them "crazy" anymore.

Mental illness is a disease and those who suffer (and they do suffer) need help and deserve more than to be labeled "crazy".

The shooter was either mentally ill or a complete zealot who believed and was inspired by the hate rhetoric. There is no middle ground here.

[cali]

11. thank you.

[elocs]

18. You are welcome. There is enough shame and stigma attached to mental illness as it is. n/t

[katnapped]

6. "Democrat politics"

Fox News will remind us soon enough (and over and over) how he was most certainly a Democrat. "The congresswoman was just an unfortunately victim in this deranged leftist's attempt to silence a Republican judge."

WATCH! It's coming....

[Warren Stupidity]

7. the politics of assassinating Democratic congresswomen. nt.

[Jennicut]

8. He was registered as an independent. He seemed to dislike people that

were not "literate" and speaking English correctly. He focused on the currency. He had nonsensical ramblings. Who really knows at this point? He didn't seem a major liberal nor a typical ultra conservative. He seemed slightly libertarian and nuts.

[warrior1]

12. The right have been stoking the fire

knowing full well this could happen. Hell the teabaggers come out a plain say it. They are a violent group of people and will never take responsibility for their words that cause what happened yesterday.

[glaeken777]

10. (almost) everyone changes...

I was (ashamedly) a conservative, Limbaugh-reading twit in high school. That stopped quickly once I became a bona fide taxpaying member of the middle class, and began reading beyond the boundaries of whatever reinforced those beliefs. Most healthy teens develop this "wandering" instinct to one degree or another.

What he believed in high school, long hair and all, is 100% irrelevant.

[Lucinda]

15. Independent according to this article

http://azdailysun.com/news/local/state-and-regional/article_663d67a8-0e82-569b-a2fe-46306174e1fe.html

"...Loughner registered to vote for the first time in 2006, said Chris Roads, Pima County's registrar of voters. He registered as an independent and last voted in the 2008 general election..."

[dkf]

19. Wouldn't his politics be dictated by his mental illness if he was paranoid?

Someone who is afraid of "big brother" would be anti government. It makes sense that he would be libertarian and paranoia would make him a gun advocate.

I think his politics were secondary to his illness. And It was probably his reading, and more fringe stuff like coast to coast, that influenced him.

[slackmaster]

20. He sounds far right. He took his politics and himself far, far too seriously

That can happen in any political ideology taken too far.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

21. All ove the map, both sides are blaming the other

He sounds more crackers than anything else.

[Warren Stupidity]

23. the set of people making this argument here is interesting

[Mink2]

22. Shooting

Does anyone know if the judge who was killed was democrat or republican? Democrat, probably.

[fascisthunter]

24. then go research