I must disagree. Democrats aren't that stupid and not intentionally evil. Democrats/Liberals think more emotionally than logically. Liberals love to believe they are higher thinkers, but they rarely consider the results of their arguements. Just look at Iraq. What possible good could come out of pulling out at this time? It would be a total disaster. Liberals are just responding to the emotion of hearing about dead soldiers, but aren't really thinking the whole situation through.
The typical dem on the street may be emotionally driven, but the XXX42/Hitlery/Terry McAwful wing of the party are coldly driven by power. They play on the emotions of those they sucker into voting for them, but I really don't think that the leadership is swayed by those emotions.
There are too many situations where they could do what is right (or Right) to aid those they claim to cry for, but they do the opposite because it helps them more. For example, school vouchers would aid the children the claim to love so much. However, vouchers would reduce teachers' union power and educate the masses who they would rather keep uneducated and dependant.
Agree with you on that. However, it does seem that the new crop of liberals are not offended by anything...except decency.
Precisely. That's why the dems are in favor of it. A disaster on Bushs' watch means that they return to power. Whereas, before the war, most of 'em were for it. Why? Opinion polls showed that they would get whacked in the 2002 election unless they supported the war. I think the venal and evil explanation fits pretty well.
Now, as to democrat voters (not the leaders), I think your explanation works well. They are bizarrely susceptible to glib one-liners like 'no blood for oil' and 'the rich get richer and the poor . . .' and 'the democrats are for the little guys.' Maybe emotional thinking plays into that.
Slogans are fine as long as they represent a shorthand for coherent thinking. But I have not been able to ascertain anything beyond the slogan supporting the opinions of most democrat supporters. The slogans are the opinions.