South Park Republicans

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[bikepacker67]

Picture a typical Republican. Perhaps you see images of George Bush, John Ashcroft, Ronald Reagan, or maybe even Alex P. Keaton. Basically, many people think Republicans are a bunch of stodgy white guys with money.

Times are changing. The Republican A-list now includes Colin Powell, Christie Whitman, J.C. Watts, and Condoleeza Rice. Women and minorities have been making great strides in the party, but they generally dress, talk, and act like their predecessors. You are more likely to find them at a formal reception than a rock concert.

If Republicans are so different from mainstream America, then who voted for them? The nation has more Republican congressmen and state governors than any other political party, plus control of the White House. There are not enough Alex P. Keatons to account for these election results. Our nation is among the most diverse on earth. Half of the voters are women, a quarter are minorities. There are millions of union workers, retirees, immigrants, government workers, customer service employees, and individuals in low paying jobs, unemployed or on some form of public assistance. All of these groups are expected to lean left. Surely, the stodgy, affluent, religious white guys are outnumbered in the electorate by a huge margin. Yet Republicans candidates still do well. How is that possible?

The answer could very well be the "South Park Republicans." The name stems from the primetime cartoon "South Park" that clearly demonstrates the contrast within the party. The show is widely condemned by some moralists, including members of the Christian right. Yet in spite of its coarse language and base humor, the show persuasively communicates the Republican position on many issues, including hate crime legislation ("a savage hypocrisy"), radical environmentalism, and rampant litigation by ambitious trial lawyers. In one episode, industrious gnomes pick apart myopic anti-corporate rhetoric and teach the main characters about the benefits of capitalism.

South Park Republicans are true Republicans, though they do not look or act like Pat Robertson. They believe in liberty, not conformity. They can enjoy watching The Sopranos even if they are New Jersey Italians. They can appreciate the tight abs of Britney Spears or Brad Pitt without worrying about the nation's decaying moral fiber. They strongly believe in liberty, personal responsibility, limited government, and free markets. However, they do not live by the edicts of political correctness.

The South Park Republicans are an incredibly diverse group encompassing a variety of nontraditional conservatives, such as the Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bruce Willis supported Republicans because of their commitment to lower taxes and fiscal discipline. Rap artist and movie actor LL Cool J recently endorsed NY governor George Pataki.

The most important South Park Republicans are not famous. They are the millions of people of every age, race, sex, and religion that generally agree that government spending is usually not the best way to deal with the nation's problems. Many of these individuals can tell you why Ayn Rand should displace some other authors in high school literature classes. They know firsthand from endless hours at the DMV, at the post office, and preparing income tax forms that government wastes time and money. They know a nation cannot tax its way to greatness.

If he were alive today, John F. Kennedy could very well be a South Park Republican. He rightly proclaimed, "An economy hampered by restrictive tax rates will never produce enough revenues to balance our budget-just as it will never produce enough jobs or profits." You read that right. JFK was a supply-side tax cutter. His alleged private exploits would place him squarely within the South Park wing of the Republican Party.

Sound farfetched? There have been many Democrats that changed parties. Ronald Reagan, Senator Phil Gramm, and Mayor Mike Bloomberg were all once Democrats that became Republicans. The Democratic Party moved left, and the people that stood in the same place increasingly found their views shared by the elephants of the GOP. But not all elephants belong in the same herd. Pat Buchanan pushes a Christian/protectionist agenda that has absolutely nothing in common with the Libertarian folks who support free trade and complete separation of church and state. Depending on whom you ask, "Conservative" can mean smaller government of lower hemlines. (Hint: South Park Republicans are more likely to get Cosmo than the Weekly Standard.)

The South Park Republicans are not new, though they may now be more vocal. The party finally seems willing to embrace members that listen to the hard rock and rap music long denounced by the old guard. Heck, even vegetarians are welcome.

The media generally misrepresents Republicans as religious rich white males. This is patently false. Half of the voting public is Republican. They watch R rated movies, enjoy a few drinks at happy hour, and even go to the occasional Wrestlemania. Hopefully, the South Park Republicans will shatter the unfair stereotype and set the record straight. As Cartman would say, "That would be pretty sweet."

[MarkL]

I disagree with the term, "South Park Republicans," no matter how popular it is here...

I think that the mindset exspoused is closer to "Jeffersonian Liberal" or possibly a "small 'l' libertarian."

And by the way... The episode with the "underpants gnomes" criticized those who have a knee-jerk reaction to big corporations, but at the same time, it was highly critical of those blindly chasing "profit." I guess the author forgot that the "underpants gnomes" couldn't remember all of the steps they needed to get to "profit."

The funny thing about South Park is that it often criticizes both sides of an issue, but the supporters of one of those sides often don't notice, or at least ignore, the criticism of their views. Then again, sometimes the do criticize only one side (like in the NAMBLA episode.)

Then again, some of their episodes are just to see how close to the line of "really, REALLY bad taste" they can get, then take 3 steps back, to get a running start to vault across that line! The Mr Hanky episodes, along with "Scott Tenneman Must Die," "Red Sleigh Down," and "Woodland Critter Cristmas" episodes come to mind there...

Mark

[MarkL]

Whitman is barely Republican.

Well, that's the MSM's favorite kind of Republican!

RINOs that don't "blindly follow the party line." They're labled "mavericks," like McCain... Of course, if a dem doesn't follow the party line, the MSM will ignore them, or if they can't be ignored, say terrible things about them, as they did with Zell Miller!

Mark

[MarkL]

At 18, I THOUGHT I knew who I was, since then, I have learned a LOT about how much I didn't know! Take your time. To make a mistake young only means that you have a LOT longer to live with that mistake!

At 18, I was amazed at how little my parents knew... At 30, I was amazed at just how much my parents had learned in only 12 years!

Mark

[MarkL]

.... and Scott Baio gave me pinkeye !

And what ever you do, NEVER use Worchestershire sauce as embalming fluid!

Mark

[MarkL]

She's a vegetarian, too. Well, she says she is, but she eats chicken. Can't explain that one.

Well, if she eats eggs, then what's wrong with chicken?

Hey, you know, I could be a vegitarian too... When I eat a steak, I'm actually eating "processed grains and grass!" VEGGIES!!!! Yum! I'll have mine medium rare!

Mark

"I love animals... Chicken, beef, pork, veal..."

[GOPJ]

Thanks for the ping.

[Zeppelin]

I too am a proud SPR. And the biggest South Park fan out there!

[Zeppelin]

***Hey, this article pretty much describes me! :) And I have never even watched South Park.***

You should start! Better late than never!

[MadIvan]

I'm a South Park Tory.

Regards, Ivan

[Zeppelin]

The episode with the most shock-value (until last night's episode!) was Scott Tenorman Must Die. That was AWESOME.

[hosepipe]

Republicans are one thing...
RINOS are another thing entirely...

[tortoise]

Now that's just cruel. Oh, the humanity...


Is that a television with a genuine analog tuner on the left side of that picture? The whole scene is a bad B-movie prop.

[Rca2000]

May I give you a little advice, from someone who has BEEN THERE, DONE THAT(thought I could change a liberal woman, only to be hurt severly by her). FORGET IT. If you have that much that is diametrically opposed between the two of you, you are BEGGING for a world of hurt!! In my case,I thought a liberal,new age, pro gay, pro abortion woman I cared about(foolishly), would change,for me. And, to get what she wanted(another man), she ACTED like she would. BUT-- as soon as this was accomplished-- I was a pariah to her. I overheard her talking one day, that me and her were too different, and she would not change for me, and she knew I would not change for her. Once she found out that I was pro-life, pro-family, Christian-- that was ALL SHE WROTE. I ended up with deep emotional scars, from that experience. DONT , repeat, DON'T repat my mistakes, unless you desire to go through some really harsh treatment, over your beliefs and morals.

BTW--- I consider myself to be a "Clancy" conservative, NOT, a SPR. I do NOT watch South Park.

[Nataku X]

Hey, be nice to Helen Thomas. She and Robert Byrd are all that we have left from the Pleistocene age.

[tm22721]

Democrats label them Oreos because they are panicked that blacks actually have the nerve to leave the liberal plantation after 50 years of loyal servitude.

BUMP

[LauraleeBraswell]

The definition this article sets foward as a SP republican is ridiculouse. I don't think your role model is Christi Whitman right! hah (lord I hope not)

But to say that South Park Republicans are people who well basically can go out and have a good time, well conservative Republicans do that too. I can do that too. I consider myself a Conservative, I drink, smoke way too many cigarettes, watch rated R movies. By that general definition Bush was a South Park Republican in his party days I suppose.

[SuzanneWeeks]

Run, Run NOW.
Get out while you still can!
:)
Suz

[Phantom Lord]

All South Park Republicans are, are young Republicans who have yet to settle down.

Phantom Lord <--- South Park Republican, 31 years old, married, one son, 2 dogs, settled down

[cjshapi]

I'll chime in with my 2 cents worth and agree completely with Finny.

I'm a female and heartily agree with the majority of the opinions you've received from both males and females. Don't expect your gf to change. It's possible but not necessarily fair to expect. Picture yourself living with her current attitudes and opinions for the next 40 years. Ready to beat your head off a brick wall yet?

Your new friend may not be exactly who you are looking for either. Not sure if the "no kids" thing bothers you. I've seen that attitude change with age more than once. But she does have appeared to have opened your eyes to the fact that there are more compatible women out there.

[RockinRight]

Hmm. Well, that first night we really talked (the new girl), every other thing she said I was like "wow...me too." At first, I had no clue she was a Republican and figured she was a lib. Then found we have the same sick, South-Parkish sense of humor. Then out of the blue she says "well, it's hard to talk to some people because I am such a Republican." Mind you we hadn't talked politics at all at that point. Whatever it is, she was intriguing.