Its OK If You're A Republican

In his column over at the The Hill, Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas sheds light on the double standard that is republican politics.

IOKIYAR.

In Internet circles, that’s the acronym for “It’s OK if you’re a Republican,” the recurring phenomenon in which Republicans get a pass for the behavior that would doom Democrats.

And in the past couple of weeks, there’s been no shortage of IOKIYAR incidents.

Once upon a time, teen pregnancy was bad. “Bearing children out-of-wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences for the child, the child’s parents, and society,” wrote Christian Right leader James Dobson. But that was before one of their own was involved. With unwed 17-year-old Bristol Palin’s pregnancy suddenly in the news, what had previously been a societal ill became the most wonderful thing in the world. Bristol had “chosen life”! All other teen mothers also “chose life,” of course, but they don’t have the good fortune of being born to the Republican vice presidential nominee.

....

What about qualifications for the office of vice president? When Tim Kaine’s name was floated as a potential Democratic vice presidential pick, top GOP strategist Karl Rove mocked his experience on “Face the Nation”: “He was mayor of the 105th-largest city in America […] it’s smaller than Chula Vista, Calif., Aurora, Colo., Mesa or Gilbert, Ariz., North Las Vegas, or Henderson, Nev. It’s not a big town.”

Richmond has a population of 200,123. Wasilla, Alaska, had a population of 6,000 during Palin’s mayoral term. Not a big town. But IOKIYAR.

Finally, how many flag pins did McCain and Palin wear during their convention speeches?

None.

IOKIYAR.

Simply put, this is probably the best explication of republican political ethos I have heard yet this election cycle. I mean seriously, tell me you were nodding your head yes the entire time you were reading this as well?