(I’m not about to reprint the letter. If you’re reading this you’ve probably already read it. If not, then feel free to Google: The Letter Everyone is Talking About!)
A lot of things bother me about this letter. I find it to be very disingenuous. I also see a lot of not so thinly veiled racism in it.
1. A lifelong Democrat switching her allegiance to the Republican party in the very year that the Democrats run a Black/African-American Presidential candidate??? (I don’t think I buy the notion that she was supporting a “native son”, or that she was a disgruntled Hillary supporter.)
2. Leading off this diatribe with the complaint about illegal immigration – any time someone feels they have to state: “I’m not a racist” very often means (not always, mind you) that they are. (Although, I personally DO believe that there has long been a big problem with illegal immigration in the US.)
3. Jumping all over ACORN. The things I’ve read about the ACORN “scandal” point more to individual misdeeds than to any systemic issue/problems. ACORN has become one the right-wing’s favorite whipping boys, for a quite a while now.
Things that make me doubt the veracity of this letter:
Complaining about “buzzwords” when most of her letter is filled with the currently popular right-wing buzzwords (and phrases): Czar, states rights, redistribution of wealth, speed-reading (or not reading) bills, politically correct, and we have the best health care system in the world. What does this tell you about the writer?
It’s pretty clear that she does NOT believe in global warming, and that she is AGAINST real health care reform.
Insinuating that TARP and the Stimulus Bill were all Obama’s ideas, when this whole mess started before the 2008 election took place. Sure, Obama voted for TARP, so did McCain, and almost everybody else in Congress. (I personally thought it was a huge mistake, back in October of ’08, and I wrote so on my blog, on more than one occasion.) But, that was only phase one. We all knew that phase two would come late winter/early spring of ’09. How was Obama supposed to renege on what had already been decided?
The general timing of her letter is very questionable. And why to Glenn Beck? Of the FOX News network??? They just happened to be the only network to air this? Just about everything she cites screams of conservatism, and not of someone who was (supposedly) a lifelong Democrat. Saying that she no longer feels the Republican Party represents her views is just a ruse, in my opinion. I think the entire letter was carefully crafted to paint the Obama administration, and the so-called Democratic congress * (it’s a very simple majority really), in a very negative light. These tea-baggers, and health care reform opponents, and congressional bashers (what-have-you) are the furthest thing from being grassroots movements. They are well funded, and managed, by conservative republican interests. These highly organized obstructionist tactics are only delaying our economic recovery, and fostering increased divisiveness. I don’t see how this kind of negativity can be viewed as constructive.
If this letter arrives in your e-mail I suggest deleting it, as opposed to forwarding it. It’s neither productive, nor healthy.
YUR
* (There IS a Democratic majority, but what I should have said was: Less so a majority, when you discount the Blue Dogs, sellouts and turncoats.) Sorry. My head was still with the 110th U.S. Congress! (Edited 11/23/09)
Unclerave's Wordy Weblog 
C’mon man, for someone who appears to be intelligent… you should know when something ain’t right… this letter has nothing to do with Republicans bashing Democrats… this is plain-old civil unrest, due to The Man screwing the people for too long now.
Both parties are completely corrupt… and a lot of us are fed up… this letter speaks for many, many, many people I know… and as a United States Postal employee, I talk to a LOT of people every single day.
Personally, I was truly excited to have a Black Democrat replace Bush and his cronies… but it turns out he’s no better, at all… Democrats come from the same scum pond as the Republicans… elitest dirtbags that are so out-of-touch with society, they look down upon us… they consider us cattle…. and yes, that even includes you.
Whether this letter is real or not is beside the point… I don’t know if you realize, but this is a revolution letter… it’s not about voting in a Republican… it’s about killing corruption… from anyone who’s administers it.
This kind of talk is very common among people these days… they just don’t know how to sum-it-up, as this letter has done… it’s frustrating… the government is totally corrupt, and the people really aren’t gonna stand for it anymore.
The fact that you felt compelled to take a defensive stand on the side of the Democratics and their current political agenda, clearly states that you missed the point.
It’s like the MAC vs PC war…
while MAC is still making commercials that bash the PC,
the PC has simply moved on, to more productive things.
Your fighting the wrong battle with this post.
Think about it…
The Straight Dope
P.S. Have you heard about the scientists who were just caught admitting that global warming is a hoax… seriously, “fear” just doesn’t sell very well anymore… nobody’s buying it.
Very nice! Do I call you Brutal Truth, or The Straight Dope?
Despite the swipes at my alleged intelligence, and despite the fact that I disagree with a lot of what you say, I really love your response! You took a good deal of time and effort in constructing this. Kudos to you, and thank you.
“The Letter” was written to give the *impression* of being non-partisan civil unrest, but THAT is just a smokescreen, brother. And, a poor one at that.
1. It would have made much more sense, and had more validity, if the writer had been a lifelong Republican who switched to Democrat – like many moderate and fed up Republicans did in 2008 – and was NOW fed up with (the perception of) Obama’s and the other Democrats’ inability to: right the economy, pass health care reform, end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, etc., etc. THAT would have made the letter more believable.
2. Making a big deal out of ACORN – a big Republican favorite!
3. Complaining about illegal immigration – another big Republican favorite!
4. Read by Glenn Beck? On FOX (Faux) News?? Hello!!! You can’t get more partisan (read Republican, T.S.D.) than that! C’mon yourself! Who do you think they’re (you’re) trying to fool?
What you have to ask yourself about this letter is: **Why now?**
Anybody who thought that our country’s monstrous problems were going to be turned around . . . in under a year . . . is either extremely naive, or a disingenuous insincere rabble-rouser. There has been nothing but a very carefully orchestrated pattern of obstructionism since the day that Obama won the Presidential election. (They didn’t even wait for his first day of office!) This letter is just a continuation of this obstructionism.
You are correct that both parties are completely corrupt, especially at this level. I am/have been a lifelong Democrat. I’ve never tried to hide that. But, I acknowledge that this two party system has become a bad joke. I mainly identify with the Democratic party just on social issue. The bigger issue here is that there ARE huge problems that our country faces, but instead of a concentrated effort to fix them we get this distraction and obstructionism from the Birthers, Tea-baggers, and health care reform opponents, and other supposed grass-root fed-up bashers. The point is that we’re pissing it all away . . . at a time when we can least afford it!
Be honest with yourself. Open your eyes. The letter was totally partisan, and at least partially racist.
And, get your facts straight with the global warming scientists. There was no admitting that it’s a “hoax”. They spoke about *censoring* some of their detractors. Something that the G.W. Bush administration forced the EPA to do . . . on a VERY regular basis.
YUR
BRUTAL TRUTH SAYS IT ALL FOR MORE PEOPLE THAN YOU WANT TO BELIEVE!
“WANT TO BELIEVE” is the key, Maryann. I DON’T want to believe that THAT many of my fellow Americans are either racists, or they are so partisan that they hope for – and actively work towards the – failure of our President, and in turn the failure of our country.
YUR
History always (always) repeats itself.
The same arguments were apparent with Kennedy.
People are people and there young and old.
Young always have the answer, the old have seen the answer.
Learn from history.
Don’t be young and stupid, but young and learn.
You don’t always have the insight that EVERYONE is looking for, you have the insight to try and lead cattle to slatter.
Don’t be mislead by the photo, sir or madam. I’m not exactly young. The jury is still out on stupid though. ;~) But, I’ve always been a student of history. That’s why I recognize fascism when I see it. Obviously, there are some/many *good-intentioned* people that are participating in these Tea Party activities. But, unfortunately, many people with good intentions can get swept up by charlatans and bad policy.
YUR