Trust me.

Jonny P :
Even the fiscally conservative side of the base is more emotionally reactionary than it is intellectual. The Republicans used to be the leader in ideas in the mid 90’s. Now they instead of pushing coherent proposals they are only able to take up positions that basically can be summed up as “whatever Obama says, don’t do that”. The “Tea Parties” were not pushing a Republican solution to the fiscal woes of the US. They were just venting anger at the policy of the democrats.

man o man, okay – before you go too far down on that – it’s not intellectual bit Jonny – you may want to research what the Tea Parties were about.

Anti-Democrat is not one of the items

By the way, you could also argue that this is also true of the Democratic base. Despite the Republican’s portrayal of all of them as elitists, I’d say the fervent anti-Bushism from the Dem base over the past eight years is a non-intellectual and highly emotional message.

Reading the “thoughts” of the hard-core conservatives is scary. I think we are really talking about the bottom-dwellars of society. There is no reasoning with these people, they are blinded by the right. Hate, anger, and ignorance are the dominent impressions. If this is the “base” they must appeal to they will be wandering in the wilderness for a long time.

Whenever I read these kinds of bigoted comments from one side of the ideological spectrum against the other, I wonder whether the real “hate, anger, and ignorance” lies with the author of the comments rather that the usually-misrepresented object of their ire.

In other words, look in a frickin’ mirror.

I would disagree with such terms as “unintellectual”, “rooted in emotions”, “simplified conservatism”. Such terms will only further divide. If a Christian conservative has a strong viewpoint on gay marriage and his/her Christian beliefs are mentioned at all in the justification for said belief many will claim that belief is “unintellectual”. I believe these fissures in the party cut many ways and not necessarily moderate vs conservative. I have no clue how they will be reconciled. The “Sophie’s choice” is between energerized voters/campaign workers vs general election victories.

Clearly, part of the process is to establish common values that all of the “factions” can agree to. My sense is that many in the party think we should downplay anything that “smells of religion”. I think that’s a mistake.

If you say so…

Even the fiscally conservative side of the base is more emotionally reactionary than it is intellectual. The Republicans used to be the leader in ideas in the mid 90’s. Now they instead of pushing coherent proposals they are only able to take up positions that basically can be summed up as “whatever Obama says, don’t do that”. The “Tea Parties” were not pushing a Republican solution to the fiscal woes of the US. They were just venting anger at the policy of the democrats. They were a strong emotional “No!” devoid of any coherent counter argument.

The Republican party is very much lost these days. I personally weep for the demise of the Republican party and have nothing but dread for where they are headed. I like a healthy opposition party led by intelligent intellectual leaders. Sadly, that Republican party died in 2000. They have replaced the intellectual giants like Newt Gingrich with brain dead folksy anti-intellectual morons like Bush and Palin. Personally, I fear that the crushing blows the Republicans have received is pushing the party deeper down the path of anti-intellectualism away from the Gingrichs and towards the Palins.