If I didn’t know better, I would think the whole “No Labels” movement was a giant, self-parodying prank.
I tuned in to the webcast of the group’s kickoff to hear a woman saying, “You just have to look to Arizona to see extremists who are trying to divide us.” I guess I know how the group feels about the Arizona immigration enforcement law. Of course, I thought the point of the group was to stop labeling people; but I guess it’s okay to label the overwhelming majority of Arizonans “extremists.”
Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, introduced himself “a proud Democrat… who is also proud that he grew up in a no-labels house in a proud no-labels town.” He continued to sing the joys of the label-free lifestyle in a manner that probably should make his constituents look to their shoes in shame: “The most important place I go every day is the House gym. Because there are no labels in the House gym.”
I can’t help but notice that the Republicans involved all lost primaries or fled the party: Bob Inglis, Mike Castle, Charlie Crist, Michael Bloomberg.
Well, after all, some of the best and funniest self-parody is completely unintentional. :-)
This bunch is almost too sad and pathetic to be funny, though.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI don't totally disagree with their stated goals, but their "no labels" reminds me a little too much of the "No Logo" Naomi Klein book, which I definitely disagreed with.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSo if something doesn't have a label, isn't that an indication it's reached it's expiration date?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseFunny how the people behind "No Labels" seem to be people that were sporting labels that Americans rejected in a resounding manner.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLabels are not the problem. It is the worldviews and ideals that they themselves imbued said labels with! Ditching the labels is a short term solution.
"So if something doesn't have a label, isn't that an indication it's reached it's expiration date?"
No, it's an indication that it's a generic off-brand, not good enough to hold up a reputation for quality.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNot only did all Republicans lose primaries or flee the party, but out of the 16 Featured Speakers on the site there are four Democratic Senators, two MSNBC employees, one NYT columist/NPR commentator and one person who is chair of a group (formerly) funded by ACORN. An additional three are the aforementioned primary-defeated Republicans.
Is this the latest group handing out scarlet letters if one doesn't agree with their views?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseFunny -- I grew up in a Democrat household where one of the things we were taught was specifically to look for the union label.
It's incidents like these, which make The Onion and Iowahawk look like more reliable hard news sources than The New York Times or the broadcast networks, that make me think Douglas Adams Douglas Adams wasn’t joking when he said the answer to the meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything is ‘42’.
If you’ve ever played The Sims and marveled at how much more realistic The Sims 2 was over the original, and how much further advanced The Sims 3 is, you can begin to believe that we are all characters in a rollicking game of The Sims 42.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Is this the latest group handing out scarlet letters if one doesn't agree with their views?"
At last! A group that firmly stands for firmly standing against firmly standing for anything!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLook for the union label?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe new "no labels" is looking suspiciously like the old bipartisanship - squishy Republicans kissing the feet of liberal Democrats.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBloomberg is not a moderate anything. He is a hard core leftist through and through and he ought to be enough of a manto admit it. He would make the perfect president............for Venezuela.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe no labels movement starts right after Democrats are shellacked. This is nothing more than a way for liberals to push for socialism without being labeled as such.
Epic fail.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSounds a lot like Jon Stewart's "Rally To Restore Sanity" doesn't it?
"We're not liberals, just REASONABLE PEOPLE who have studied all the evidence, really thought things through, and come to reasonable, non-judgemental conclusions whose truth should be obvious to all . . . except for those crazy/evil/stupid jerks who disagree with us of course. They're not even human!"
Labels for thee, not for me.
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