Posted on 12/15/2014 9:31:26 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
I hate Republicans. I can’t stand the thought of having to spend the next two years watching Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Ted Cruz, Darrell Issa or any of the legions of other blowhards denying climate change, thwarting immigration reform or championing fetal “personhood.”
This loathing is a relatively recent phenomenon. Back in the 1970s, I worked for a Republican, Fred Lippitt, the senate minority leader in Rhode Island, and I loved him. He was a brand of Republican now extinct—a “moderate” who was fiscally conservative but progressive about women’s rights, racial justice and environmental preservation. Had he been closer to my age, I could have contemplated marrying someone like Fred. Today, marrying a Republican is unimaginable to me. And I’m not alone. Back in 1960, only 5 percent of Republicans and 4 percent of Democrats said they’d be “displeased” if their child married someone from the opposite party. Today? Forty-nine percent of Republicans and 33 percent of Democrats would be pissed.
According to a recent study by Stanford professor Shanto Iyengar and Princeton researcher Sean Westwood, such polarization has increased dramatically in recent years.
What’s noteworthy is how entrenched this mutual animus is. It’s fine for me to use the word “hate” when referring to Republicans and for them to use the same word about me, but you would never use the word “hate” when referring to people of color, or women, or gays and lesbians.
And now party identification and hatred shape a whole host of non-political decisions. Iyengar and Westwood asked participants in their study to review the resumés of graduating high school seniors to decide which ones should receive scholarships. Some resumés had cues about party affiliation (say, member of the Young Republicans Club) and some about racial identity (also through extracurricular activities, or via a stereotypical name). Race mattered, but not nearly as much as partisanship. An overwhelming 80 percent of partisans chose the student of their own party. And this held true even if the candidate from the opposite party had better credentials.
How did we come to this pass? Obviously, my tendency is to blame the Republicans more than the Democrats, which may seem biased. But history and psychological research bear me out.
Let’s start with the history. This isn’t like a fight between siblings, where the parent says, “It doesn’t matter who started it.” Yes, it does.
A brief review of Republican rhetoric and strategies since the 1980s shows an escalation of determined vilification (which has been amplified relentlessly on Fox News since 1996). From Spiro Agnew’s attack on intellectuals as an “effete corps of impudent snobs”; to Rush Limbaugh’s hate speech; to the GOP’s endless campaign to smear the Clintons over Whitewater, then bludgeon Bill over Monica Lewinsky; to the ceaseless denigration of President Obama (“socialist,” “Muslim”), the Republicans have crafted a political identity that rests on a complete repudiation of the idea that the opposing party and its followers have any legitimacy at all.
Why does this work? A series of studies has found that political conservatives tend toward certain psychological characteristics. What are they? Dogmatism, rigidity and intolerance of ambiguity; a need to avoid uncertainty; support for authoritarianism; a heightened sense of threat from others; and a personal need for structure. How do these qualities influence political thinking?
According to researchers, the two core dimensions of conservative thought are resistance to change and support for inequality. These, in turn, are core elements of social intolerance. The need for certainty, the need to manage fear of social change, lead to black-and-white thinking and an embrace of stereotypes. Which could certainly lead to a desire to deride those not like you—whether people of color, LGBT people or Democrats. And, especially since the early 1990s, Republican politicians and pundits have been feeding these needs with a single-minded, uncomplicated, good-vs.-evil worldview that vilifies Democrats.
So now we hate them back. And for good reason. Which is too bad. I miss the Fred Lippitts of yore and the civilized discourse and political accomplishments they made possible. And so do millions of totally fed-up Americans.
True that.
I love 70’s vintage land yachts. Always did. NOTHING drives or rides like them.
Pontiacs, Buicks, Oldsmobiles... big Chevies and Ford LTDs... they were thoroughly American.
I miss them.
When I was in HS, I bought a 1978 Ford LTD II for $225. Drove it for ~7 months and sold it for a $100 profit.
That car was a true land yacht. 302 V-8. 8 track player (still worked).
It also made a great bedroom on wheels. :)
Hmm.. land yachts I’ve owned:
1975 Pontiac Bonneville: 200 bucks, 46K miles. Pure Pimp Mobile...
1979 Chrysler New Yorker Police Interceptor; 475 bucks at police auction.
1967 Chevy Impala SS; 150 bucks. Never got it on the road, sold it for 300, with a messed up engine (bearing knock).
1967 Ford Fairlane with 289... LOVED that puppy. Garbage truck backed into it, bent the frame...
1972 Plymouth Fury, also cop car. Monstrous acceleration.
Other cars I’ve owned were muscle cars. 69 Malibu SS; 67 Mustang GT 390; 71 Mach One; 68 Mustang GT with 289 HiPo (not the original motor)...
I had a LOT of American steel over the years, when you pick them up for a couple hundred bucks.
Had an 82 Cavalier T-10 hatchback; that thing was a little rocket off the line, but it couldn’t maintain it at the top end. 4 cylinders... Yuck....
Miss them all.
WORST car I ever had: 73 Chevy Vega. Arrgh. Do NOT miss that one.
Khent calls bu****it. She says you owned VW Microbuses with aircooled engines in them and Village People 8 track cassettes.
HAHA!!! Nice! Tell Khent “it” can shove it’s Renault-clown-car-driving head up where the sun don’t shine...
The only VWs I liked were the old Super Bettels. I would have LOVED a Super Beetle, worked, and set up like a Baja Bug, but I never owned one.
Check out the Renault Alpine - 70’s super car.
Buggy conversions are AWESOME!!! Those 1.3L engines, with a fiberglass body weighing nothing were fast!
That would be a great project to undertake.
I remember the Alpines... awesome race car...
I was thinking more like THIS regarding Khent:
http://www.imcdb.org/i423259.jpg
Yup, the ol’ Race Bugs were neat. Dune Buggy conversions were neat too, but impractical unless you had a garage to keep them in (in the Northeast) and they were warm weather driving only.
“A brief review of Republican rhetoric and strategies since the 1980s shows an escalation of determined vilification...”
Yes, but the difference is, the left actually deserves the vilification. They have been taken over by anti-American Marxists, so we are just pointing out the truth.
On the other hand, the left simply lies, saying stuff like “all Republicans are racist”.
“When I was in HS, I bought a 1978 Ford LTD II “
I am truly sorry to hear that. About 8 miles a gallon, no?
Even with a small v8.
68 Pontiac GTO
69 Olds 442 conv.
Loved em both.
Tell ya what, Susan...
I’ve got a great idea.
How about we return to an era of State Sovereignty where the people who believe as you do can live with other like-minded folks in some states,
and those of us who want you to leave us the hell alone live in others,
and the policies of our states don’t affect yours and vice versa?
I bet you couldn’t stand the thought of people who want to live differently not being controlled, can you?
Yes, yes.
Khent says: “It’s shabby chic!”
Pretty sure it was better than that. I didn’t take the car on long trips.
Very, very nice!!!
” I didn’t take the car on long trips.”
A prudent move, methinks..
Confession: As a young undergrad I used to have to pretend to be a liberal to get over on the women. Do I feel bad? Naw...
Yes. Although my the classmate that I sold it to drive it for two more years.
The only problem the haters have is attempting their agenda.
No matter, I already have a List.
5.56mm
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