Voldemort And Out-of-touch Republicans

Hitler and Nazis are the Voldemort of American politics.  Saying their names always cause great problems.  Republican State Representative Nate Bell doesn’t get that basic concept and is so out of touch that the concept of apologizing for saying stupid things escapes him.

This morning, I read my fellow blogger Jason Tolbert’s post that takes issue with the Democratic Party of Arkansas’ highlighting Bell’s recent statements comparing those who disagree with him as Nazis. Tolbert believes the DPA’s press releases about Bell are hyperventilating and an overreaction. 

We disagree on this issue because Bell’s comments and subsequent reaction reveal his true colors.

Here’s a political fun fact for you: When it comes to political party press releases, they all have a tendency of hyperventilation and often use hot rhetoric.  That’s their job and I wrote my fair share of them over the years. 

Review this week’s state GOP’s press release in response to Mike Ross’ retirement which is a classic example of hyperventilation, with a huge scoop of "no class."  No matter how the DPA writes the release, it highlights that some in the Legislative GOP Caucus are out of touch of with Main Street Arkansas.

For further proof on the importance of Nate Bell’s statement, read today’s John Brummett column.

Public officials, like the rest of us, sometimes say things we shouldn’t say, but normal people apologize when they make inappropriate remarks.  Nate Bell never apologized for his out of touch rhetoric that invoked the name of history’s worst mass murderer.  That is what makes Nate Bell’s already vile statements worse since a lack of apology means he’s so out of touch that he believes he did nothing wrong.

Bell’s statements come on the heels of Republican State Representative Jon Hubbard’s ridiculous questioning via email of Attorney General Dustin McDaniel over the issue of why the AG’s office has a website translated into Spanish.  Hubbard was disgusted that McDaniel had the audacity to have his government website translated into Spanish and accused McDaniel of "pandering to Hispanics" for having a website that Arkansas’s fastest growing minority population could easily read.

Reading between the lines of Hubbard’s emails, it appears that he has something against this growing population, although if asked I’m sure he’d say some of his closest friends are Hispanic.

Nate Bell’s and Jon Hubbard’s statements show they’re too ideological and out of touch with Main Street Arkansas.  Hubbard’s and Bell’s constituents needs and concerns are local: Area state roads need paving, public schools need fixing, etc.  Rail against government spending all you want, but when the local fire department needs a new fire truck, where do they go for the funds?  

But Bell and Hubbard are all talk and no action when it comes to working for their district.  Their steady stream of asinine comments relegate them to the legislative backbench because State Legislators, Democratic or Republican, don’t want to deal with out of touch ideologues.

Remarks like the ones made by Nate Bell and Jon Hubbard, without apologies, should be highlighted by Democrats. Public officials should be held accountable for their words and actions and voters deserve to know.