Friday, August 6, 2010

Politics of fear defeated: TN Teaparty candidates lose in Congressional primary

Tennessee rejects teabagger candidates

Republican teabagger candidate Lou Ann Zelenik who made national news by heading a hate march against the Murfreesboro Islamic Center, lost in a close primary in TN's 6th Congressional district to Diane Black.

Zelenik, who continuously deleted comments from her facebook page and ignored questions regarding her personal experience with area Muslim families (probably zero), campaigned on the politics of fear, stoking the fear of area residents for the new Murfreesboro Islamic Center. The politics of fear came up a little short this time.

A recent article on Hispanic Nashville.com showed the unmistakable parallels between Zelenik's teaparty march against the Islamic Center, and the KKK's march against St. Rose's Catholic Church in the 1920's.

Judging by the comments received on this blog and Zelenik's facebook page, her constituency consisted largely of white fundamentalist Christian dominionists, and fans of professional wrestling and nascar.... the type of people who are hellbent on "taking America back" from those who don't look or pray like they do. They have no respect or regard for higher education.
Teabagger Robert Robinson commented: ‎"Higher education" equals "Liberal/'progressive' propaganda"
Such conservatives here in middle Tennessee suffer from a lack of religious tolerance, ignorance, likely resulting from a simple lack of diversity, as was pointed out in the Washington Times:
"The average person in the United States and in the South, who might not be subject to a whole lot of diversity, tends to skew and color their impression of the Islamic world."
--Richard McGregor, associate professor of religious studies, Vanderbilt University
I received a comment from a Zelenik teabagger who is a self described 'young earth creationist'... proof the religious dogma and fear will alway trump logic and critical thinking. We need intelligent, logical and clear thinking leadership, not dogmatic fundamentalist Christian dominionists. Fortunately, the Tea Klux Klan received a set back and the so have the politics of fear and ignorance.

Tennesseans also rejected Teaparty candidates for Governor - Zack Wamp (who talked of secession), and Ron Ramsey (who called Islam a 'cult') ... they lost to mainstream GOP candidate Bill Haslam.


As a further commentary on how America is rejecting the extremist Teaparty - Harry Reid was only given a 23% chance of reelection by Intrade oddsmakers before the Teabagger Sharon Angle was nominated by the GOP. Now, Harry Reid has a 58% chance for reelection on Intrade and continues to lead in the polls. Thanks teabaggers for givng us a candidate Harry Reid can beat.

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