Why Americans Hate Democrats—A Dialogue The unteachable ignorance of the red states.

Slate ^ | 11/04/04 | Jane Smiley

[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.

[samtheman]

Whew! Every time I read one of these "why we lost" articles, I'm afraid they're actually going to get it and change. They are still so off the mark, it's actually hilarious.

Don't worry. They can't get it. They're too ignorant.

[lepton]

Apparently this author should avoid attempting complex thought...at least until he masters a few of the basics.

[anton]

They simply don't get it.

[Fredgoblu]

Two comments:

1. If this is how I'd end up if I were 'enlightened', I think I prefer ignorance.

2. "Jane, you ignorant s***!"

[7thson]

Jane Smiley herself.

[schu]

Thanks for the post, it continues to amaze me that these people really believe what they write. I cannot fathom the depth of their hate, arrogance and ignorance, this just puts it out on display for all to see.

If this is their reaction to losing the election, what common ground is there between them and the rest of the country? I do not believe there is any, they will not compromise, but when/if they ever get power, watch out, Reichstag (sp) fire here we come.

[Jokelahoma]

My dear, dear Jane. How right you are! Oh, not with what, on the surface, appears to the be gist of your article, but rather with the underlying premise.

You see, Jane, I too grew up in Missouri. Unlike you, I chose to stay there, or very close to there. I was raised in Missouri on the Kansas border, and now live in Kansas on the Missouri border. On the face of your article, it would seem that I'm just too stupid to leave. But is that truly the case? Let's examine this further, shall we?

You call us "ignorant". By the definition I was taught, that means we possess as "willful neglect or lack of desire to learn". A willful neglect... hmmm. It appears to me that your party, the party of intellectuals, learned scholars, and generally the wise sages of the world, have lost a large preponderance of recent elections. After each loss, the superior minds of your party gather and claim they must do some "soul searching" to determine what caused this calamity, to figure out just how they can better reach the American people. They then proceed to fail miserably. In other words, they fail to learn, Jane. And when they fail to learn with such regularity, one has to assume that their failure is intentional. It's ignorance, Jane.

Your party, and apparently you especially, are the ignorant ones here. You fail to learn that your policies are out of touch with the rest of the country. You fail to grasp that your haughty condescension stands in the way of your ever being able to see the error of your ways. You refuse to understand that where you see a jumbled mass of red, green, gold, and browns, all scattered willy-nilly over the landscape, we see trees. You fail to comprehend that over-complicating a simple problem is not a sign of higher intellect, but is instead indicative of a glaring weakness, the inability to breakdown issues into their simplest parts. So while you and your party are debating how to first correct the browns, then the reds, and so on, we have already cut down the tree and made firewood. While you are freezing throughout the winter, still debating, we are in our log cabin, toasty warm. And yet, we're the ignorant ones.

I would feel sorry for you, Jane, but you wouldn't see it. Or worse, you'd see it, and detect it as some sort of simpleton trying to win back the good graces to rejoin your high society. You are, in fact, suffering from the kind of ignorance that is nigh on to untreatable. The ignorance that comes from being far too smart to see just how stupid you are. A wise man once said that the true measure of wisdom isn't in how much you know, it is in understanding how much there is which you do not know. You and your ilk will never, ever comprehend that, Jane. You'll continue to profess mental superiority right up to your own extinction as a party, as a school of ideological thought. And we simpletons, us "igernt doofuses back on around these here parts"? We'll simply bury the corpse of your ideology and use it to fertilize our own.

Find a mirror, Jane. Use it. Try to learn that sniveling arrogance and condescension is preventing your ability to understand what makes this country tick. Try to understand that complexity for the sake of complexity simply confuses the issues and makes you about as useful as tits on a bull. Try to grasp the idea that constantly looking down your nose will make you go cross-eyed. And lastly, relearn the old adage, the one that states anytime you are pointing at someone, three other fingers are pointing back at you. I'm sure your snarky article got you a few "huzzahs" from your assembles crowd of fellow commom-senseless high thinkers. But make certain you file it away where you can find it, Jane. In another four years, when your party loses again, pull it out, dust it off, and see if maybe then you can start to understand why that keeps happening, over and over and over, with you and yours showing a willful neglect or failure to learn.

[Fredgoblu]

One too many bile lattes with extra p*ss and vinegar.

Excellent comment! Hope you don't mind if I file that one for personal use!!!

[DaveMSmith]

Reading this entire article critically, I've realized that like during the 2004 the left continues to give itself away. They have deluded themselves with 'politically correct' speech - changing the meaning of words so as not to 'offend'. Again, this is a big lie. Their speech and prejudices are transparent. The left are a stupid inferior people. They are self absorbed that they have some superior claim to conclusions drawn from historical context. Their 'tell' is the word 'ignorant' peppered throughout the article. Calling us 'ignorant' is indicating 'ignore' the conclusions drawn and the profiling.

The article goes on to discuss the Civil War. America's war to free dark skinned peoples from slavery. In a historical context, again this is very telling what is happening today. The left would like their dark SOULS to be free today. The left are enslaved by their own desires. They are in no way enlightened. In the privacy of my home, I refer to these far left people as 'darkies'. I sing Stephen Foster songs. Judge by the content of a man's character said Dr Martian Luther King.

In so far as the literal sense of the Lord's Word, certainly if you read it looking for what is 'wrong' with it, you will come away without God's inspiration. When I read and pray with the Word or attend church or Bible study and associate with those God wants in my life, He shows me miraculous things - He leads me on journeys I never could imagine. He puts examples in front of me to inspire me and make me feel good about myself. And most of all, He reassures me He is always there no matter what.

Why would I be critical of that? Who wouldn't want that? I've seen the world from their side and it's very freighting. It's dark. Wandering around seeking self affirmation and flattery to boost self esteem. That's the wilderness. No man's land.

The architects of this strategy knew perfectly well that they were exploiting

Newsflash. Listen to the Battle Hymn Of the Republic. The Lord is the architect.

[Publius6961]

Does anyone know of a "large-file" version of this map? Like suitable for a poster or a tee shirt?

[7thson]

The Dem party has been lying to the American public since 1860!

[7thson]

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.

This paragraph is chock full of historical ignorance. I guees Jane never travels to the inner cities of Dem strongholds. She should see what goes on in SE DC, Harlem, Watts, Detroit, etc. It would terrify her! Also, one of the biggest "progressive" hotbeds in this country - San Francisco - was very big with vigilantism back in the early 1900's.

[JWinNC]

What is the word (or words) that means "someone is what they despise?"

[DaveMSmith]

The majority of voting Americans will welcome into their home/country anyone who comes to the front doors, knocks, and asks for permission to enter, but for some unknown reason, don't take too kindly to someone who jimmies the back door while the home owner isn't looking, enters the house/country, eats all the food and then, gets a lawyer to inform the homeowner that a)he will have to give up more of his income to support the uninvited guest, and b) he will be arrested if he tries to make the uninvited guest leave.

I'm getting a divorce. You describe my wife to a tee ;)

[MSM Hater]

Found the Jane Smiley bio at:
http://www.neoperspectives.com/summary.htm

[1L]

>>red state types love to cheat and intimidate<<

Never fails how these rat bastards accuse Republicans of doing what they do or try to do.

[MSM Hater]

Sorry for the bad link. The correct link for Jane Smiley bio is at: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/smiley/author.html

[Fredgoblu]

We have any sociologists in the crowd???

I'd be curious to know if anyone has done any research into the underlying mindset of Republicans and Democrats...conservatives and liberals.

After listening to one of the nightly newscasts during the campaign season, my wife turned to me and suggested a good graduate level project...correlating Myers-Briggs scores with political philosophies and voting patterns.

Winston Churchill years ago said: "If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart, and if you're not a conservative at 40, you have no head." Clinton showed us how he connected with his base when he said "I feel your pain."

My wife suggested that there's got to be a strong correlation between the Myers-Briggs "Thinking vs. Feeling" personality characteristic and conservatives vs. liberals.

Anybody want to wager a guess which side Ms. Smiley falls on? 10-1 she's not a "Thinker".

[The Toll]

Actually ma'am "the worst civilian slaughter in American history" was on Sept 11 2001. It is no suprise that you forgot this and that is why you lost

[Dan from Michigan]

They got two of those two blue counties in Michigan wrong. NW Lower - Manistee County went for Bush - 17 votes. NE Lower - Alpena County, normally a dem stronghold, went for Bush by 259 votes.