The Hobbits Win! Tea Partiers live in a Fantasy World.

[Feuer Frei!]

The Wall Street Journal editorial page has taken sides with the establishment and Maureen Dowd. The WSJ editors are calling the newly elected conservative members of the House Hobbits, the name for the diminutive human creatures from J.R. Tolkiens book The Lord of the Rings. This is not a term of endearment. What the WSJ editors mean is that Tea Partiers live in a fantasy world. This isnt much different from how the New York Timess Maureen Dowd describes Tea Partiers. Dowd has used alternative universe, eye of newt, witchcraft and, of course, Hobbit in relation to the Tea Party.


The WSJ editors say that these Hobbits will empower Nancy Pelosi. They deride the Tea Partiers for a pointless crusade of futile fiscal gestures. The WSJ makes fun of them because they had a fantasy plan to make Obama capitulate, adding that, This is the kind of crack political thinking that turned Sharron Angle and Christine ODonnell into GOP Senate nominees. The editors want these conservatives focusing on budget reform (like getting rid of baseline budgeting), rather than a balanced-budget amendment.
All of this may seem like fun and games, but it really signals something more deeply interesting. It seems like our political process is trying to turn everyone into an establishment player. Even the WSJ editorial page, which was once a voice of true conservative change back in the 1980s and 1990s, has apparently slipped into this abyss.
After all, the founding fathers were Hobbits. They foresaw a new land, with new opportunity, free of the bondage of the past. Todays WSJ editors would probably tell them their crusade was pointless and would backfire. Their efforts would end up giving the king more power.


Why bring up Angle and ODonnell? Why not Dole and McCain, who were pounded in presidential elections? Does that not damage, and raise questions about, the Republican brand? Its hypocritical to argue one and not the other. And why didnt Republicans reform the budgeting process between 2003 and 2007, when they controlled the House, the Senate and the White House, instead of using their power to pass massive new spending plans like Medicare Part D? And, of course, the WSJ editorial page supported TARP and the first $180 billion stimulus bill back in 2008.
The newly elected conservatives did not vote for any of this. They say they were elected to clean it up. When called into Speaker Boehners office to get their arms twisted, they said, I didnt come here to be on a certain committee or get earmarks. You cant buy my vote; you can only earn it by doing the right thing. Whether you like their politics or not, you have to say, how refreshing! Moreover, they were rolled in the appropriations process shortly after they arrived on Capitol Hill. Boehner told them to trust him and then passed a smoke-and-mirrors budget. The conservatives said, This will not happen again.


And in the end, they won another impressive victory. The Reid-Boehner compromise bill has no tax hikes (a miracle), it trims spending growth over 10 years by about $2.5 trillion and it includes a promise of an up or down vote on a balanced-budget amendment.

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[Torplexed]

Ack! I wonder if Sauron is still hiring Orcs. I might sign up.

[Falkirion]

Wonder if they've ever heard the song "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!"

[Stealhead]

I have a very good friend that is massively into Glenn Beck which is odd to me because he is a smart and well educated person(my friend that is)

I actually read though one of Becks books(it was not the most recent one but I do not recall the title off hand) while at my friends house during a NFL season multiple game viewing session (I am quite the multitasker).I must admit after reading though this book I am quite unsure how a rational person can agree fully with much of what Beck has to say I don't really have much faith in any "major" American party to frankly honest.

I don't know what to say really I mean I believe in this country and the rights granted to all to express their political opinion I even served for 12 years in the USAF and I honestly would not have done that if I could not accept the fact that people are free to have any political view and possibly vote the person that they support into office.How could you possibly die in combat or on dangerous duty and not honestly?

That being said I still laugh my ass off at ideas that I think are wrong.

Glenn Beck looks very very convincing as a hobbit.

Why bring up Angle and ODonnell? Why not Dole and McCain, who were pounded in presidential elections?

That should be obvious, the article is about the loony fringe and current events.
I suppose McCain could get a small sidenote over his "populist" loon of a running mate and Dole could get a vague reference mention about Pat B or the newt.

I have a very good friend that is massively into Glenn Beck which is odd to me because he is a smart and well educated person(my friend that is)

While not smart or well educated I am also massively into Glenn Beck, he is great. His script writers must be among the best comedians working in TV nowadays and the way her portrays an unhinged loon on a slide into complete mental breakdown is surely worth a golden globe for best actor in TV comedy show

[Growler]

Jesus. Tolkien's doing barrel rolls in his grave.