“The Waterboy”: The Rick Snyder Vision, The Republican Vision, If You Don’t Have Money, You’re Not Really A Citizen
May I suggest the ideal Republican vice-presidential candidate for whichever wingnut secures the GOP nomination this year: Michigan Governor Rick Snyder.
Is there any doubt that America’s worst governor would be the perfect partner for the 2016 Republican nominee? Snyder’s handling of the Flint water crisis succinctly symbolizes the GOP’s vision of government: penny-pinching, cold, scornful of the weak and vulnerable, operating with reckless disregard for future generations. The Republican base wants a truly conservative ticket: a Trump-Snyder or Cruz-Snyder pairing would deliver that dream.
Ever notice that Snyder doesn’t seem to have any real remorse or sorrow for his actions towards Flint’s residents? His “apology” in his January 19 State of the State address was a pathetic joke, one that failed to convince any sentient from America. Snyder never gave a damn about the residents of Flint, and still doesn’t. The Snyder vision–the Republican vision–is that if you don’t have money, you’re not really a citizen.
Eight years ago, in an interview with Thomas Frank about President George W. Bush’s failures, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow observed:
[T]his is a problem of conservatism. This is a problem of letting people run government when they believe that government can’t work and ought not work.
No wonder Maddow has been so outraged by Snyder’s human-rights abuses, as we all should be. Maddow understands that Snyder is conservatism. He is continuing the dark tradition Ronald Reagan gave birth to 35 years ago when he declared, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”
Yet government is not the problem per se. Government run by people who hate government is the problem. Government run by people who regard certain citizens as worthless moochers undeserving of the basic necessities of life is the problem.
We hear so much about the compassion so many Americans feel for the victimized residents of Flint. Yet we must acknowledge the sad reality that there are far too many Americans who simply don’t give a damn about the residents of Flint…who couldn’t care less that they’re drinking contaminated water…who turn a blind eye, a deaf ear and a cold heart to those whose health has been damaged for life as a result of Snyder’s deranged decision-making.
Those are the very same Americans who are embracing the hate-filled messages of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Those are the very same Americans who probably think Snyder is the real victim in the Flint crisis–the victim, of course, of “political correctness,” “race hustlers” and the “liberal media.”
Recall the repulsive running mates Republicans have selected over the decades. Richard Nixon in 1952. Spiro Agnew in 1968. Dan Quayle in 1988. Dick Cheney in 2000. Sarah Palin in 2008. Paul Ryan in 2012. Considering this track record, would Snyder really be that far-fetched of a choice?
Think about what animates the right today: Contempt for the mainstream media. Contempt for racial minorities. Contempt for government. Contempt for those outside of the right-wing tribe. Snyder would appeal to all of the right’s darkest impulses: selecting him as VP would be the ultimate bleep-you to progressives, the “political establishment” and the Fourth Estate. I wouldn’t put the selection of Snyder past this radicalized and reckless Republican Party. Would you?
By: D. R. Tucker, Political Animal Blog, The Washington Monthly, February 6, 2016
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mykeystrokes.com 
We should not need an Erin Brockovich to police every environmental catastrophe. We need a great degree of faith that our elected officials will endeavor to do the right thing. And, if they mess up, let’s embark to fix the problem. The disenfranchised already have so little voice.
I sit in NC where Duke Energy had the coal ash spill through an old pipe next to the Dan River. It turns out they knew about this pipe for about twenty years and yet did not want to fix it (this is from their internal documents). Plus, their other coal ash sites are leeching into the water in nearby neighborhoods, after they denied it for years. Our governor is a former Duke employee.
In PA, fracking is causing water problems, yet the healthcare officials have been told to not track calls that would indict fracking. The previous PA governor was very much pro-fracking and did not want to hinder that effort. And, in this case, someone in the office of our pro-fracking President guided his EPA to sanitize their executive summary and press release to indicate the water problems were less severe, which betrayed what the report actually said.
The last comment may surprise folks, as did Josh Fox when he told Fox Business that fact, but our President has been supportive of fracking.
But, let’s look at the bigger picture. We cannot waste our water, whether it is bad piping, coal ash leeching, fracking use and poisoning, dissipated steam from fossil fuel energy creation, evaporated water from reservoirs which will get worse with climate change or extended droughts. In 2015, the global water crisis was the #1 risk per the World Economic Forum Global Risks survey, followed by not acting on climate change.
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Great points. Also, may of the adverse effects of these ill advised practices may not manifest themselves for years.
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Agreed.
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