You are browsing the archive for Politics.

by Cenk Uygur

Ann Coulter vs. Sarah Palin

8:30 pm in Politics, Republican Party by Cenk Uygur

I recently interviewed Chris Barron of GOProud, a gay conservative organization that believes that the Republican Party is welcoming of gay Americans. The issue was that some prominent conservative organizations were boycotting the largest conservative conference in the country because they allowed GOProud to attend. Seems very welcoming.

The interview was heated (you can see it here). I think it is absurd to vote Republican if you’re gay. The party ran their whole campaign against gay Americans in 2004 and 2006 — and bragged about it. The GOP just overwhelmingly voted against repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. And there are only a million other examples of how Republicans are against every gay rights issue. Of course a gay person can be conservative on economic issues or on foreign policy, but to say you’re going to vote for a party that hates you is beyond irrational.

Well, apparently Ann Coulter doesn’t agree. She watched the interview, then tweeted:

Though I’m flattered that Ann thought it was a great video, there seems to be another issue here. Coulter called me a “retarded person.” Now, I am not the least bit bothered by that. In fact, I am greatly amused at Coulter challenging anyone else’s intelligence or cognitive abilities. But I do know someone who should be steaming mad about this — Sarah Palin.  . . . Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
4 Comments »

by Cenk Uygur

Is Barack Obama Stupid?

5:49 pm in Government, Politics by Cenk Uygur

New CBS News poll out confirms every other poll we’ve seen on the topic – the American people are solidly against tax cuts for the rich.

53% of respondents said there should only be tax cuts for the middle class and no tax cuts for people making over $250,000. That’s the number most people in the media are using, but that’s not quite accurate. Another 14% said they don’t want tax cuts for anybody, including the top bracket. So, the reality is that an overwhelming 67% of the country don’t want tax cuts for the rich (including 52% of Republican voters!). Only 26% said that everyone should get a tax cut, including the rich.

So, let’s do the math for people who are a little slow. That’s 67% to 26%. That’s a crushing 41% lead. If it was an election, that margin would be so large they would think it was rigged. The group that doesn’t want tax cuts for the rich is more than two and half times the group that does.

If that weren’t enough, there is an internal memo being sent around to Democrats on the Hill by Anzalone Liszt Research that shows that 77% of Americans would let the Bush tax cuts for the rich expire if the extra money went toward helping small businesses and balancing the budget. 77%!!!

Now, as a politician, how stupid do you have to be on the other side of this issue?  . . . Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
45 Comments »

by Cenk Uygur

Why Are Democrats Going to Lose When They Are More Popular?

1:10 pm in Elections, Politics by Cenk Uygur

There is a fascinating disparity in these 2010 elections. When asked which party will cope better with the issues facing this country over the next couple of years, Democrats win 42-38%. When asked who will handle the economy better, Democrats win 44-37%. When asked which party you approve of more in Congress, Democrats win 36-30%. Yet, they’re about to get wiped out.

Why? Obviously, it has nothing to do with the Republicans because they are the only thing that has lower approval ratings than the Democrats. A gigantic 67% of the country disapproves of the Republicans on Congress (a Congress they’re about to hand them). Nearly every poll shows general disdain for the Republican Party.

So, if it’s not that the voters like the Republican Party or find their answers to our problems particularly appealing (they lose on almost every issue in the polls), what is causing this possibly enormous electoral shift? I think the answer is two-fold.  . . . Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
50 Comments »

by Cenk Uygur

Ban Glenn Beck from Ground Zero

10:03 am in Culture, Media, Politics, Republican Party by Cenk Uygur

The logic, if there is any, of the conservative critics of the Park51 Project is that a mosque anywhere near Ground Zero would be terribly offensive to the 9/11 victims’ families. Well, you know who is a lot more offensive to the families of 9/11 victims — Glenn Beck.

Beck has said in the past that he "hates" the 9/11 families. He said on his program in 2005 that he is "so sick of them." That they should just "shut up" because they are "always complaining."

That seems so harsh that it literally seems unbelievable. Well, listen for yourself:

MSNBC: Glenn Beck Ground Zero Ban

So, if we’re banning things from near Ground Zero, then banning Glenn Beck makes more sense than anything else. The Park51 Project is actually trying to heal wounds, spread a moderate form of Islam and reach out to everyone in the community. And they certainly have never said anything nearly as offensive about the 9/11 victims or their families as Beck has.

Plus, Beck works for the man who apparently funded the Park51 Project, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. So, if the same man who is funding the mosque is funding Beck (as the second largest shareholder in Fox News, Prince Alwaleed is in essence signing Beck’s paychecks). And if Beck thinks that the mosque should be banned from the area because of its questionable funding, shouldn’t Beck also be banned under the same logic?

So, for all of these reasons, it makes all the sense in the world to start a movement now to Ban Glenn Beck from Ground Zero. I hope you’ll join me. So, if you see him anywhere around there, tell him to "Get! Get!"

Sign our Twitter Petition to show your support: http://act.ly/2c0

Watch More Young Turks Here

Follow Cenk Uygur on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheYoungTurks
Become a Fan of The Young Turks on Facebook: www.facebook.com/tytnation

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
6 Comments »