A writer at Salon wonders
what exactly is the connection between the political climate and a crazed fellow like Loughner:
We know that no connection between Loughner and Tea Party politics has been established, and what we have learned about him strongly suggests that he lacked a recognizable political identity. He looks to be a deranged young man and it's unclear if he was even aware of the political debate/conversation that the rest of us follow every day. There's just no evidence of any connection between Loughner and Palin, the Tea Party and conservative movement.
...What specific evidence is there that the "climate" was relevant to Loughner's thinking? When was the moment that the tone set by Palin and the Tea Party kicked in and turned his obsession with grammar, literacy and "currency" into something lethal? Where's the evidence that he was even aware of the "climate" in the same way that those of us who watch cable news and read blogs all day are? All I've heard so far is evidence-free, non-quantifiable speculation.
Even with the little we know so far, there is already one straightforward connection visible. As I
posted yesterday:
Loughner would occasionally mention Giffords, according to Tierney: "It wasn't a day in, day-out thing, but maybe once in a while, if Giffords did something that was ridiculous or passed some stupid law or did something stupid, he related that to people."
How would an apolitical person, as Loughner appears to be, feel comfortable asserting Giffords' stupidity without considerable help from Giffords' opponents?
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