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Why Americans Hate Democrats—A Dialogue The unteachable ignorance of the red states.
Slate ^ | 11/04/04 | Jane Smiley

Posted on 11/05/2004 5:36:53 AM PST by ClintonBeGone

The day after the election, Slate's political writers tackled the question of why the Democratic Party—which has now lost five of the past seven presidential elections and solidified its minority status in Congress—keeps losing elections. Chris Suellentrop says that John Kerry was too nuanced and technocratic, while George W. Bush offered a vision of expanding freedom around the world. William Saletan argues that Democratic candidates won't win until they again cast their policies the way Bill Clinton did, in terms of values and moral responsibility. Timothy Noah contends that none of the familiar advice to the party—move right, move left, or sit tight—seems likely to help. Slate asked a number of wise liberals to take up the question of why Americans won't vote for the Democrats. Click here to read previous entries.

(Excerpt) Read more at slate.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Announcements; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Extended News; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: alreadyposted; bush; dncplaybook; godgap; hate; howtostealanelection; janesmelly; janesmiley; kerry; red; schadenfreude; state
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I say forget introspection. It's time to be honest about our antagonists. My predecessors in this conversation are thoughtful men, and I honor their ideas, but let's try something else. I grew up in Missouri and most of my family voted for Bush, so I am going to be the one to say it: The election results reflect the decision of the right wing to cultivate and exploit ignorance in the citizenry. I suppose the good news is that 55 million Americans have evaded the ignorance-inducing machine. But 58 million have not. (Well, almost 58 million—my relatives are not ignorant, they are just greedy and full of classic Republican feelings of superiority.)

Ignorance and bloodlust have a long tradition in the United States, especially in the red states. There used to be a kind of hand-to-hand fight on the frontier called a "knock-down-drag-out," where any kind of gouging, biting, or maiming was considered fair. The ancestors of today's red-state voters used to stand around cheering and betting on these fights. When the forces of red and blue encountered one another head-on for the first time in Kansas Territory in 1856, the red forces from Missouri, who had been coveting Indian land across the Missouri River since 1820, entered Kansas and stole the territorial election. The red news media of the day made a practice of inflammatory lying—declaring that the blue folks had shot and killed red folks whom everyone knew were walking around. The worst civilian massacre in American history took place in Lawrence, Kan., in 1862—Quantrill's raid. The red forces, known then as the slave-power, pulled 265 unarmed men from their beds on a Sunday morning and slaughtered them in front of their wives and children. The error that progressives have consistently committed over the years is to underestimate the vitality of ignorance in America. Listen to what the red state citizens say about themselves, the songs they write, and the sermons they flock to. They know who they are—they are full of original sin and they have a taste for violence. The blue state citizens make the Rousseauvian mistake of thinking humans are essentially good, and so they never realize when they are about to be slugged from behind.

Here is how ignorance works: First, they put the fear of God into you—if you don't believe in the literal word of the Bible, you will burn in hell. Of course, the literal word of the Bible is tremendously contradictory, and so you must abdicate all critical thinking, and accept a simple but logical system of belief that is dangerous to question. A corollary to this point is that they make sure you understand that Satan resides in the toils and snares of complex thought and so it is best not try it.

Next, they tell you that you are the best of a bad lot (humans, that is) and that as bad as you are, if you stick with them, you are among the chosen. This is flattering and reassuring, and also encourages you to imagine the terrible fates of those you envy and resent. American politicians ALWAYS operate by a similar sort of flattery, and so Americans are never induced to question themselves. That's what happened to Jimmy Carter—he asked Americans to take responsibility for their profligate ways, and promptly lost to Ronald Reagan, who told them once again that they could do anything they wanted. The history of the last four years shows that red state types, above all, do not what to be told what to do—they prefer to be ignorant. As a result, they are virtually unteachable.

Third, and most important, when life grows difficult or fearsome, they (politicians, preachers, pundits) encourage you to cling to your ignorance with even more fervor. But by this time you don't need much encouragement—you've put all your eggs into the ignorance basket, and really, some kind of miraculous fruition (preferably accompanied by the torment of your enemies, and the ignorant always have plenty of enemies) is your only hope. If you are sufficiently ignorant, you won't even know how dangerous your policies are until they have destroyed you, and then you can always blame others.

The reason the Democrats have lost five of the last seven presidential elections is simple: A generation ago, the big capitalists, who have no morals, as we know, decided to make use of the religious right in their class war against the middle class and against the regulations that were protecting those whom they considered to be their rightful prey—workers and consumers. The architects of this strategy knew perfectly well that they were exploiting, among other unsavory qualities, a long American habit of virulent racism, but they did it anyway, and we see the outcome now—Cheney is the capitalist arm and Bush is the religious arm. They know no boundaries or rules. They are predatory and resentful, amoral, avaricious, and arrogant. Lots of Americans like and admire them because lots of Americans, even those who don't share those same qualities, don't know which end is up. Can the Democrats appeal to such voters? Do they want to? The Republicans have sold their souls for power. Must everyone?

Progressives have only one course of action now: React quickly to every outrage—red state types love to cheat and intimidate, so we have to assume the worst and call them on it every time. We have to give them more to think about than they can handle—to always appeal to reason and common sense, and the law, even when they can't understand it and don't respond. They cannot be allowed to keep any secrets. Tens of millions of people didn't vote—they are watching, too, and have to be shown that we are ready and willing to fight, and that the battle is worth fighting. And in addition, we have to remember that threats to democracy from the right always collapse. Whatever their short-term appeal, they are borne of hubris and hatred, and will destroy their purveyors in the end.

1 posted on 11/05/2004 5:36:54 AM PST by ClintonBeGone
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To: ClintonBeGone


2 posted on 11/05/2004 5:38:21 AM PST by traviskicks (Poverty has no causes. Only prosperity has causes. - Jane Jacobs)
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To: ClintonBeGone

now i really don't think that america HATES democrats. that is giving the dems victimhood to hide behind. we'ed really like to see them join us for a better america.

no hatred here. hate is what the libs do to us.


3 posted on 11/05/2004 5:39:33 AM PST by camle (keep your mind open and somebody will fill it with something for you))
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To: ClintonBeGone
Democratic candidates won't win until they again cast their policies the way Bill Clinton did, in terms of values and moral responsibility.

Tee hee hee.

:-D

[snort]

Bwahahaaaahaaaaaa!!!!!!

Stop it!!! Ahahahaaa! You're killing me!!

4 posted on 11/05/2004 5:40:28 AM PST by Coop (In memory of a true hero - Pat Tillman)
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To: ClintonBeGone
re: I say forget introspection. It's time to be honest about our antagonists. My predecessors in this conversation are thoughtful men, and I honor their ideas, but let's try something else. I grew up in Missouri and most of my family voted for Bush, so I am going to be the one to say it:)))

Oh, good grief. Another liberal finds the courage to congratulate herself!! It's so inspiring to see them willing to take a stand...

Is Jane Smiley the sob-sister novelist who's always writing about incest? Or is that another Jane Smiley?

5 posted on 11/05/2004 5:43:16 AM PST by Mamzelle (Nov 3--Psalm One...Blessed is the man...!)
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To: ClintonBeGone

America hates the Democrats (in part) because they push Whiny garbage like this article down our throats.


6 posted on 11/05/2004 5:43:36 AM PST by Homer1
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To: ClintonBeGone
STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES
(the self-anointed 'intelligentsia' and 'intelligence' are mutually exclusive constructs)

7 posted on 11/05/2004 5:43:45 AM PST by Mia T (Stop Clintons' Undermining Machinations (The acronym is the message.))
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To: ClintonBeGone

This is what happens when you make one too many trips to Starbucks before sitting down to write.


8 posted on 11/05/2004 5:46:50 AM PST by durasell (Friends are so alarming, My lover's never charming...)
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To: ClintonBeGone
The election results reflect the decision of the right wing to cultivate and exploit ignorance in the citizenry.

Ignorance and bloodlust have a long tradition in the United States, especially in the red states.


Bwaahahahaha! Just keep telling yourself that, elitist jerk...
9 posted on 11/05/2004 5:48:42 AM PST by Welsh Rabbit
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To: ClintonBeGone

"progressives(code for rat/liberals) have only one course of action now. React quickly to every outrage...."

Sounds like they just don't get it, we will be up to 60

in the Senate and looking over our shoulder at these

idiots. Even 45% of the Hispanic vote was ours, could be

50% next time, let them have their outrage,it works for us.


10 posted on 11/05/2004 5:49:01 AM PST by keysguy (Trust the media as far as you can throw them)
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To: traviskicks

Yea, the concentration of Democratic voters in the Los Angeles slums, in Detroit, Newark, Harlem, and Washington D.C. really reflects this difference: Republicans really appeal to the coarse and uneducated and Democrats to the enlightened. Do these people ever leave the Upper East Side?


11 posted on 11/05/2004 5:49:25 AM PST by anton
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To: traviskicks

Yea, the concentration of Democratic voters in the Los Angeles slums, in Detroit, Newark, Harlem, and Washington D.C. really reflects this difference: Republicans really appeal to the coarse and uneducated and Democrats to the enlightened. Do these people ever leave the Upper East Side?


12 posted on 11/05/2004 5:49:25 AM PST by anton
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To: ClintonBeGone
To paraphrase this lib:

"We're smart and you are ignorant, cheating savages."

13 posted on 11/05/2004 5:49:53 AM PST by Fudd (W1 W1 W1 W1 W1 W1 W1 W1 W1 W1 W1 W1 W1 W1 W1 W1 W1)
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To: ClintonBeGone

No wonder the rats lost.


14 posted on 11/05/2004 5:52:40 AM PST by Drango (NPR- When government funds a "news" outlet that has a bias...it's no longer news...it's propaganda.)
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To: Coop
Kerry was trying to "cast his policies the way [c]linton did." He only lost because because he's an inept liar.
15 posted on 11/05/2004 5:53:04 AM PST by cloud8
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To: ClintonBeGone
William Saletan argues that Democratic candidates won't win until they again cast their policies the way Bill Clinton did, in terms of values and moral responsibility.

Wow! These people are really blind.

Clinton campaigned on middle class tax cuts and the image of a poor boy made good. Once elected with 43% of the publics support, he proceeded to push through Universal Healthcare and gays in the military. He never passed the promised tax cut but increased them instead. He was bitch slapped down by the public 2 years later losing the House dramatical. He was impeached in his second term after winning 49% of the publics vote and was so bad his Vice President couldn't even campaign with him for fear of losing.

Bill Clinton lied to get into office and most people who were suckered by him are much wiser today.

Hey Dems! Want to win? Become a real party not beholden to freak shows and Communists/ UN one worlders and be honest what you are.

16 posted on 11/05/2004 5:53:13 AM PST by normy (Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft.)
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To: ClintonBeGone
I love watching the misery of the liberals. They still don't get it, as this piece proves.

"We're smart, they're stupid" is what cost Kerry the election. Keep it up, Ms. Smiley, and the GOP will add another 20 seats in 2006.

Do you realize you're shrinking into irrelevance?

17 posted on 11/05/2004 5:53:43 AM PST by sinkspur ("It is a great day to be alive. I appreciate your gratitude." God Himself.)
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To: Fudd

...and he calls it a "dialogue". Uh-huh.


18 posted on 11/05/2004 5:54:31 AM PST by ctdonath2
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To: ClintonBeGone
(Well, almost 58 million—my relatives are not ignorant, they are just greedy and full of classic Republican feelings of superiority.)

Jane, you ignorant slut, you're too stupid even to see the irony in what you wrote.

19 posted on 11/05/2004 5:55:31 AM PST by CaptRon (Pedecaris alive or Raisuli dead)
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To: Mamzelle; All

They still don't get it, do they?

The American People do not appreciate being lied to. The Dem party has been lying to the public since 1995. Forget Clinton. Most of the US knows Bush wasn't AWOL, we are not going it alone in Iraq, where there was some evidence of both WMD's and Alquada ties, and TheRAYuh and John only paid 12 percent taxes.

When given a choice, the American people will not vote for raving, foam at the mouth, lunatics. The democratic party's finest moments in this campaign were Dean's primal scream, Gore's rants, and Michael Moore's 9/11. The democratic party did nothing to distance itself from these folks.

Finally, when given a choice, at a time of war, the American people are not going to vote for a guy who already has a proven record of trashing the troops.

BTW, folks ... did anybody else hear the Pelosi chickie on CNN this morning ... proclaiming herself a devout Catholic who goes to church on a regular basis! It was a hoot!



20 posted on 11/05/2004 5:55:50 AM PST by Tilly (I'm not paid to be stressed!!!)
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