Michael Tomasky has a good article on The Daily Beast about Ron Paul and the type of people who support him. A couple of lines stood out:
Some people take great comfort in backing candidates they know will never win – they prefer, on some deep level, to fall short and be angry about it. It encases their loserdom in a carapace of purity and righteousness. I had a friend, a hard-core leftist …. who liked to say: “Vote for the loser, he’ll never let you down.” ….
…. the paradox of Ron Paul is that if he gained any actual power, most of his base would desert him, because it’s not power they want but a vessel for their resentments.
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Never mind Ron Paul supporters, what a truly perfect description for the ‘pure’ left! (Although, of course, the two groups have a habit of overlapping).
The Obama Diary 
A great deal of thought went into Michael Tomasky’s article, but I couldn’t get past the first few paragraphs. Too cringeworthy. Will try to read the full piece later.
The “loserdom” analysis is exceptionally telling. We all know people like that! My latest pet peeve: people who want you to think they are victims, not responsible for anything they personally have done or not done. However, many are not victims; they are just greatly adept at manipulating you into thinking they are victims.
I’m not talking about people who really deserve our empathy, if ya know what I mean.
That made me sound like a grouch, but I like to pal around with people who think they are winners, who – even if they’ve lost a few rounds – keep trying!
Here’s a winner now on the teevee: President Obama in Minneapolis!
The PL would have no identity if they “won.” I see no difference between them and the emotionally “disabled” children I sub for. Attention is needed, any kind, “pay attention to ME.” Sometimes I think this could have been averted if Obama HAD given them a seat at the table from the beginning (constant whine of former DK mod) But then, what? That would have been reinforcing, leading to more and more demands. I’ve always believed their behavior was psychologically motivated, not politically, and Obama cannot fiix neurotic, nor is he obligated to.
An absolutely perfect description of the left.
Thanks Chipstick. Very enlightening piece. It can so easily be applied to PBO. In far left minds Obama was seen as the man who would destroy everything the shrub had done to this country and its reputation. Their expectations that PBO could change the world was naive.
The right has Ron Paul and the left has Nader. Reading at the Kos, it is pretty obvious that many of them will in deed vote for Nader. For all I know they probably voted for Nader in 2009.
What a bunch of losers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a little off topic but I segued from the Ron Paul reference to a new way I like to think about those that want to do away with all government functions. I think its a Right wing form of anarchist. Now that I think of Ron Paul as an anarchist and the increased influence anarchy has gained on the right I can frame it better for those I am trying to discuss this with. I think Ronald Reagan really appealed to anarchism even though he was absolutely not a true believer like Ron Paul. I know we have always tended to think of anarchists on the left. Its time, I think we recognize the similarity. Maybe that’s why some of the far left seem to gravitate to some of the libertarian (shall hence forth be called anarchist) leaders on the right. It seems at first blush a strange combination, but that is perhaps the link that they have to one another.
It seems a lot of the emoprogs had their political awakening during the Bush Presidency, so all they know is how to attack. This of course is pushed by the nutroots sites who came online during the Bush presidency and their business model is to keep the fringe ginned up and attacking, because even if it is a small niche, it’s big enough that if you can get them to open their wallets, you can make a nice living slinging outrage of the moment.
I can’t get this brilliant Tom Toles cartoon out of my mind. I can’t remember who posted it, but it should be prominently displayed as a reminder to some whiny and hard to please folks on the left. As Tally said the other day, the selection of the next supreme court justices alone should be enough to get the emoprogs on board with PBO. They should be asking themselves who do I want to select the next justices to join Justices Sotomayor and Kagan? President Barack Obama or a Republican who admires the work of the Roberts court??
The cartoon shows Sarah Palin being sworn in as president of the United States while the left sits like a bump on a log. The cloud over the left’s head says “Guess We Showed Obama”.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/tomtoles/2010/12/palin_comparison.html
Haven’t read the article yet, but people needing a vessel for their resentments just answers so many questions for me. I just couldn’t figure out why certain people who worked so hard to elect our President deserted him the moment he won. Now I see. You are a saint for bringing this to us, Chipsticks. That untangles a knot in my thinking. Whew…I feel like I can breathe now.
I’m with you on that Tien Le. It loosened a couple of knots for me.
This perfectly describes the professional left and the emoprogs. All they know how to do is rabidly and senselessly attack the one who is working his damndest to make this country a better place for us and the next generation. They whine or attack. That’s all they do. When one invites them to lead, make decisions or contribute proactively to the progress of the nation; they come up with blank expressions. They’re all pretty much empty barrels.