Are they liars or do they actually believe it?

[Stinky The Clown]

This morning, on the CBS Morning Show, I heard Florida guv Rick Scott make some outrageously false claims about why he says he won't expand Medicaid. Since he was a former actual CEO of an actual big company, it is inconceivable to me that he actually believed what he was saying.

It may be inconceivable, but it *is* possible that he really thinks he's right.

What do you think? Do these wackadoodle right wing intellectual freaks now holding elected office really believe what they say? Or do they say this to entertain the obviously ignorant haters who vote for and elect them?

[hobbit709]

1. The cynic in me says they are lying,

Psychopaths know full well what they are doing.

[KurtNYC]

2. talking point stuff to frame the issue

there has been a script for this stuff for months while they waited for the SCOTUS decision. Now they just follow the script.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Depends on the IQ of the Republican.

The dumb ones are True Believers; the smart ones are psychopaths. I would put Scott in the latter category.

[ananda]

12. Brainsmart but heartstupid.

RW politicians like Scott lack heart and empathy for
anyone but the one percent.

[Larry Ogg]

17. Exactly right...

And stupid people are attracted to psychopaths, like flies are attracted to shit.

Unfortunately, the magical thinking skills of stupid people, i.e. conservatives, is the perfect place for psychopaths to plant their seeds of deception.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. Did he mention that parts of his state were declared a disaster area

by the President due to damage from Hurricane Debby? Did the interviewer ask?

They generally use lies for their talking points but some eventually do start believing that their lies are the truth.

[zeemike]

5. They don't care if it is a lie or not.

the end justifies the means...that is what this is about...manipulation and control are the stock and trade of the sociopath.

[JoePhilly]

11. Correct ... they do not want to govern, they want to RULE!

And they will do or say anything to obtain the power.

[Voice for Peace]

6. I think they don't even stop to think about it, the truth of what they say

or what they really believe.

[Overseas]

7. Rick Scott ran a company involved in the nation's largest Medicare fraud case

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-05-20/news/fl-rick-scott-governor-hca-20100520_1_medicare-fraud-case-hospitals-in-el-paso-hospital-giant-columbia

So I am still surprised that Floridians elected him as governor.

[permatex]

8. I think they actually believe what they say.

[JustAnotherGen]

9. I 100% think

That they believe in the nonsense they spout. It is their reality. And it goes to the core of WHO they are and WHAT they believe.

[1StrongBlackMan]

26. I don't think they care ...

whether what they are saying is true or not. And so long as they are not challenged regarding the vercity of what they say BY THOSE LIKELY TO VOTE FOR THEM (which is extremely unlikely), they will continue saying whatever makes their point. Truth be damned.

[DCKit]

10. What bothers me (scares the crap out of me) are the true believers.

I've got a couple in my family. Thankfully, they seem to be coming around since I've decided to be less strident in my own beliefs and lay off the politics. Being a bit conciliatory seems to have worked wonders in a very short period. It's amazing what happens when you say "I agree with you on that point." It's also of benefit that the new Republican party has taken them too far down a road they aren't ready to travel. They may have played at it for a while, but they don't want to be Teabaggers - too extreme. They're not all mentally challenged. They want an out, and we have to give it to them.

They want a road back to sanity, and we've got to be gracious and give it to them, without crowing about it. Quietly, with dignity. That's how we're going to re-take the House, keep the Senate and WH, by being generous and subtle. I've got the urge too, but we've got to be the adults this time. There's too much riding on this next election for us to play the asshole card. Jeebus, I think I must be growing up, or something.

While it may come back to bite me in the ass, I recently pointed out to two of my sisters that they should be the best of friends, and there's no excuse not to be. It's the politics (and only the politics) that get in the way, and that's bullshit, when it's family. I've got plenty of Republican friends (old school Republicans, people who would do anything for you), but family is way more important, and I'd rather have them on my side any day. I'm going to work on that. A lot.

I'm feeling a lot better about the future than I was six months ago. People are basically good, and we've been allowing TPTB to divide us. I've got my Republican friends, and I'm going to bust my ass trying to heal the rifts in my family. They lose their power when we do that, and I'm not going to quit until my sisters are best friends again. We could cause an earthquake in the foundations of power if we all did this, but I'm not asking. I will try to set an example, but I'm not dragging anyone along.

Remember, the tactic is to divide and conquer. We have far more in common with the sane Republicans and Libertarians than we're willing to admit. They are not the enemy of the people.

Kit

[ChazII]

15. Excellent points, DCKit.

Your next to last paragraph sums up what needs to be done in our country. If more folks tried to heal the rifts between family and friends our country would be better and TPTB would lose some of that power.

[DCKit]

18. That's where I'm going. TPTB are useless if we don't play along. We're such suckers.

What we've been doing isn't working. Like a lot of you, I've been against my family. We're better than that. I'm giving in to get back with them. Y'all make your own decisions. I want my bitches back.

The rest of it is all BS, I want my family back. That could go a long way toward repairing our country.

[Stinky The Clown]

19. We were talking about this yesterday, at a neighborhood gathering.

We have common ground, even with the teabaggers. To be sure, there is a divide. Even a chasm. But if we start with that common ground we can start to effect some change. If that common ground ever takes hold as the basis for an alliance of electoral power, ALL elected officials and all the puppeteers of TPTB will be a little more nervous and a lot more attentive.

[DCKit]

23. that's my boy.

We do have more in common than our differences.

I'm working on getting my family back together, I've already got a hell of a Republican family out in the Virginia hinterlands, people who would do anything for me.

I think we could fuck up TPTB just by being better.

[unblock]

13. neither. the statements they make serve their purposes, so they make them.

whether the statements are true or false is not something that's really pertinent to their worldview.

they're not lying because it doesn't even occur to them to consider the veracity of their statements. not that reckless disregard for the truth is an improvement, but it's not the same as lying.

nor do they believe what they're saying, they just believe that saying it will produce more contributions and/or more votes.



in short, they view running for office an wielding power as their "job" and the moneyed interests as their employers. they simply do what they're told.

they're not paid to think.

[DCKit]

25. Me and Stinky have moved along. You're looking at it all black and white.

I want those family members who might come around to be back with me. I think they can be saved.... just not Dad (Insane Teabagger, from before there were Teabaggers.)

My sisters? Mom and Dad (for God knows what reason) set us against each other, and let it run until we were into middle-age. I'm going to want to talk with any and all of you who have such dysfunctional families. That shit needs to stop.

[Wounded Bear]

14. He probably believes it all....

after all, he will probably never really experience the full brunt of the evil the policies he proposes cause.

If the bad shit happens to someone else, for him it doesn't happen.

Pretty simple, really.

[DCKit]

30. I should post this somewhere else, anywhere else, but it's so you....

We were watching the weather move in on Friday night, after dark, the S.O. noticed one of our old apple trees moving a bit much, clapped his hands and a chubby, baby bear (three years old) fell out. We love dogs, cats, bears, bobcats, sheep and goats, so it was not out of spite. We could hear his claws scraping down the tree from two hundred feet away If he want's to live with us, he's going to have to get used to us. I could get used to him.... what a cutie.

We're not so happy with the groundhog that has trashed the barn and half the buildings on the property.

The storm on Friday was epic, never seen four parallel bolts of lightening before or double V's of lightening attacking each other..

[Javaman]

16. at first it's a lie, then they keep repeating it until the believe it...

it's the only way they keep the nightmares of being a repuke at bay.

[Ichingcarpenter]

20. 'To be Fair' and all things being equal

Is what these morons on the media let slide on a 'balanced opinion' show.
The right wing is not stupid and knows they won't get called out on lies, misrepresentation and other logical fallacies.

CBS got rid of Dan Rather on purpose.

[hifiguy]

21. The ones with power know they are lying

The idiots who vote for them are too goddamned dumb to scrape dogshit off their own shoes and actually believe the lies they are so relentlessly fed by the reichwing and the M$M.

[flamingdem]

22. They are tribal

Whatever pushes the tribe forward they'll do. 80% lies. 20% denial.

[dtom67]

24. I'm a believer...

he truly believes that what he is saying will get him elected again.

[Time for change]

27. They are liars and psychopaths. They say these things to attract big money from

their fellow wealthy psychopaths. And their lies are very successful in accomplishing that.

[j-c-p]

28. Remeber this

"Its not a lie if you believe it"

George from the Seinfeld show. And thanks to The Last Word show for that.

[madokie]

29. The latter

with some of the first thrown in for good measure

[HiPointDem]

31. liars.