Do you assume a person is stupid if you find out they are a republican?

[ringmastery]

Is it being prejudice to assume someone is stupid because they are a republican?

How is assuming someone is stupid because they are a republican, different than assuming someone is stupid because they are black?

Isn't it just a different type of prejudice?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

1. I don't assume they're stupid. I assume they need mental help.

[Walt Starr]

2. No, I don't assume they are stupid

but I stand by my immediate reaction that there is no way they could be anything other than the most evil of beings.

[judge_smales]

3. Nope. Not the same.

Political affiliation is chosen.

[trotsky]

I assume they are either rich or ignorant...

or both.

Sure it's an unfair assumption, but so far I haven't found many data points outside those.

[elfwitch]

4. No but I assume that...

they are either greedy (fiscal conservatives) or heartless (social conservatives).

[ringmastery]

7. ok

but how is that assumption or stereotype any different than assuming blacks are stupid, lazy, whatever.

A stereotype is a stereotype.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

22. HUGE difference: they chose to be Republicans

either because they are selfish, greedy, angry or mentally ill.

[elfwitch]

34. prejudice

It means to pre-judge. Everybody pre-judges. It is human nature. From far away when you see another being you start making judgments. First you judge if it is human or not. Then probably if it is male or female. Then If it is young or old. All of these judgments set up your mind for some very basic reactions as soon as you make contact with that being. There is nothing wrong with that. it is how people interact.

Pre-judging comes from experiences in the past with others of whatever category you are putting them in.

So... In my past experience I have found fiscal conservatives (of the ones I have interacted with personally) to be a little greedy and social conservatives to be a little heartless (by my standards only).

[libertad]

40. That doesn't make sense, you can't determine a person's ideology

or determine what they believe or don't believe or how they conduct themselves based on ethnicity or skin color. You can determine what someone's political beliefs are based on what political party they choose.

[ringmastery]

8. dupe delete

[Hubert Flottz]

5. Stupid or greedy!

Or Both!

[mandyky]

10. Add to those two

or bigots or religious fanatics.

[alterfurz]

6. John Stuart Mill's observation:

Not all conservatives are stupid, but all stupid people are conservatives.

[jay-3d]

19. MY FRIEND

WAS TEST WITH A IQ OF 154. HE IS A REPUBLICAN. SO IN HIS CASE, i THINK HE IS JUST VERY GREEDY. HE IS DOING VERY WELL AND THINKS EVERYONE ELSE CAN DO THE SAME THING HE IS DOING. THEN THERE ARE STUPID REPUBLICANS THAT ARE POOR. THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT THIS PARTY DOES NOT REPRESENT THEM FOR THE MOST PART.

[Kanary]

9. I assume willful heartlessness

and so far, it's been proven correct.

Kanary

[trotsky]

15. "Willful heartlessness"... yeah, that's good.

Excellent description.

[Speck Tater]

11. I figure a poor repug is stupid, a rich Repug is just mean-spirited.

[libertad]

41. Some rich people are stupid. Gwbush* for example.

[Cleita]

12. Unfortunately I do, but I know it's wrong.

Perhaps considering them politcally naive would be better.

[Kanary]

How can it be "naive" when they know exactly what they're doing?

:shrug:

[Cleita]

52. The rank and file who vote I don't think really know what they

are doing. They believe all the lies told them, which is why my first instinct is that they are stupid, but then there are nice and intelligent people like my husband's nurse, who I think is naive, yet she's a conservative Republican.

I can't seem to make her understand that her wages comes from taxpayer's or government Medicare money. She truly believes she is earning this money through her hard work and there is nothing else in play there. She doesn't understand that most of the people whom she she administers to at the renal clinic wouldn't be able to pay for this unless we had Medicare because most private insurers refuse to cover end stage renal disease.

I haven't been able to bring her to a complete understanding of the dynamic involved because she is that brainwashed about liberal equals standing there with your hand out.

[lapislzi]

29. Plenty of politically savvy people are republican

There must be something else to it, but I'm damned if I can figure it out.

I have a cousin who's the same age I am. We grew up together, similar backgrounds, working class. Maybe she had a little more money growing up; I don't know, but it couldn't have been much.

Now she's a highly visible leader of an ultraconservative women's group and her very, very intelligent (PhD) husband is a bush appointee (well-placed, reports directly to Cheney). I just scratch my head when I talk to them. I want to say, "WHA HAPPENENED?"

These people are neither stupid nor naive. Nor heartless, that I can determine. What they are is rich. (Guess what? I'm not!)

[Cleita]

54. Well, there are those who are Republican for the social and economic gain.

However, they don't realize that their new friends will turn on them with no conscience once they become a liability in the social and economic climb up the ladder.

[gollygee]

13. "A vote for Bush is a character flaw"

I heard Janeane Garofalo say that on the Daily Show and I agree.

There are three possibilities if someone is voting for Bush:

They are stupid
They are ignorant
They are aware of what he's doing and they don't care

Now - if someone is a Republican generally but recognizes that the Neo-Cons are not moderate Republicans and is not planning to vote for Bush, I might not consider their Republicanism to be a character flaw.

[Tweed]

14. Misguided or careless

[4MoreYearsOfHell]

16. No, not always stupid,

but generally under-informed...

or greedy...

or arrogant...

or selfish...

[Virginian]

17. Not stupid -- uninformed or rich

Or they think they are rich with a $200,000 house and $20,000 car.
In which case, they are uninformed.

Rush's listeners are uninformed. He doesn't inform them, he brainwashes them.

[ringmastery]

21. but

isn't a person that allows themselves to be brainwashed, stupid?

[redqueen]

26. Maybe gullible is a better word than stupid? n/t

[LDS Jock]

62. agreed, difference between stupid and ignorant

Some people truly don't know any better. They haven't learned to think for themselves or look to see the truth behind the crap spoonfed to them by rush or fox news. Not stupid, they just need to be informed.

[Lerkfish]

18. I"m getting to the point where...

I expect them to be closeminded and blind to reality, in a massive state of denial, hyperbolic and vitriolic, bitter, egotistical, arrogant, cruel, incompassionate, foolhardy, naive, insensitive, and illogical.

I would never call them stupid.

They wouldn't understand me if I did.


:)

[Saltdog]

20. No

Race is an immutable characteristic. Political party affiliation is not.

I would not say they are stupid, but would agree that they are either woefully misinformed or at best of average intelligence or both.

[Brotherjohn]

People are driven by different issues.

Not so much with Republicans in general, but with Bush supporters (given all that he has done), I generally assume that either their faith or their financial situation leads them to forgive or ignore certain facts and arguments. If you really think abortion is a holocaust, then very few rational arguments on other grounds are going to get you to vote Democratic.

We all have bias, and this is their bias. To be a Bush supporter today, however, you have to forgive and ignore a lot more.

Fear is another thing that drives people... fear of terrorism, fear of crime, fear of that which is different (be it race, whatever).

I don't assume they're stupid. I do tend to assume they're uninformed, and driven by their biases. Many are also not particularly deep thinkers, but they are the ones taken advantage of by the appeals to fear, etc.

[redqueen]

28. What Brotherjohn said

Excellent post!

:toast:

[calico1]

23. No. Most of the ones I know are

"normal" Republicans which means they are not bible thumpers. Nor do they love war. The very right wing ones are the ones I can't stand but I try to stay away from them.

[BurtWorm]

24. What kind of stuipid question is that?

Are you a Republican? ;)

[libertad]

38. It is a stupid, offensive question, isn't it?

We know what Republicans believe, therefore we may or may not choose to consider those beliefs stupid.

[genius]

25. Stupid, ignorant or greedy

Prejudice is about things we cannot change easily. Allegiance to fascism is a choice.

[LoZoccolo]

27. Theres a big gulf between the congnoscenti and the masses.

I have a friend who is a pretty genuine neocon - knows about the think tanks and Grover Norquist and agrees with PNAC and all that. He is very very smart, and actually very hard to argue with as well, especially about the war (and I don't completely disagree with him on that issue actually).

But he's one of the only Republicans I know who I think is smart because he actually knows and understands what they're trying to do rather than just parroting the talking points that are meant to keep the masses in line with what they're doing. It's those parrots that drive me up a wall.

[Mike Daniels]

30. No, but I believe people who make blanket assumptions are jackasses

My wife, in-laws and most of my relatives on my father's side are Republicans.

And I can say that after reading this thread that they are without a doubt more tolerant and compassionate than any deluded, elitist, and self righteous jerk who posted on here and flat out dismissed a group of people because of their political affiliation.

This thread proves that the Dems have their fair share of idiots as well.

[jay-3d]

32. YOU

deluded, elitist, and self righteous jerk

[NoPasaran]

31. I don't assume they're stupid----I assume they're evil.

After all, they're on the side of evil.

So they've either made a conscious choice to favor evil...

Or they're supporting evil because they're stupid.

[MichiganVote]

33. I assume they'll

grow more brain cells as a Democrat.

[Gregorian]

35. Yes

Even if they are intelligent. A high IQ doesn't mean someone is smart. Greed is a form of stupidity. I have to ask what is the Republican party? Is it not lacking in compassion? And if so, is it not stupid to subscribe to that? Most Republicans I have met are bright. But they are ignorant. I call that stupid.

For example, I was standing on the sidewalk watching huge redwood trees on the backs of logging trucks. These were "old growth" trees. It is well known there are only 2 percent of those trees left. But when Governor Bush took office, he let the loggers have access to them. I said to this republican, "There are only two percent of those old trees left." She said, "Oh, there's lots of trees left.", in a stupid voice.

[West Coast Democrat]

36. I assume they are stupid if they have stupid opinions....

political affiliation is one factor.

[BlueStateGirl]

37. No. I wait to discover whether or not they are a Fundie. I don't

trust anyone who literally believes in the Creation.

[LoZoccolo]

60. Hey, me I don't trust people who won't eat pork.

Like Jews and Muslims.

:eyes:

[BlueStateGirl]

78. That's not how I meant it, but roll your eyes if you must. I simply mean

that I have a hard time taking anyone seriously who believes Creationism. Perhaps trust was the wrong word. But right or wrong, if someone tells me that he or she believes that the world was made in six days, complete with talking snakes and figs leaves, and that God whipped up females out a few of Adam's spare parts My view of them changes.

Nevermind believing it should be taught alongside or instead of evolution.

[maveric]

39. Like when I see someone buying the National Enquirer.

So Yes, I assume that they are a little light upstairs. Or racist. Or greedy. Or a religous wingnut.

[Piperay]

42. No assumption...

I KNOW they are stupid.

[Moloch]

43. Not stupid

just greedy and selfish

[RummyTheDummy]

44. YES!ABSOLUTELY!WITHOUT A DOUBT!

For instance, I saw a piece of shit car driving down the road with "W'04" stickers plastered all over the back of it.

Given the look of the car, what other conclusions am I to draw?

[otohara]

47. Here, Here

and stubborn to the core

[vetwife]

45. I assume they are greedy..Not one has let me down yet !

And screwed up priorties !

[oldcoot]

46. Supporting Republicans is stupid in most cases

If you make under a million a year, it is stupid for you to support the Republican Party because you are working against your own interests. The Republican Party has demonstrated over time that it is willing to ignore the well being of middle and working-class Americans in favor of corporations. Republicans have consistently favored tort reform, which would make it harder for American citizens to sue immoral corporations. Realize that the only reason most companies even care about consumer safety is that they fear bad publicity and possible lawsuits. Limiting the right of injured people to sue gives these corporations less motivation to take an interest in protecting their consumers.

If you are a woman, you are stupid if you are willing to support Republicans. Republicans are extremely hostile to women, especially working and single women. The 1992 Republican National Convention, for example, featured speakers who slammed working women. Moreover, the Bush administration has appointed religious extremists to the bench and to the FDA who will be responsible for making decisions that effect us all. One of Bush's most recent appointments, Leon Holmes, apparently believed that rape victims rarely got pregnant and he believes that women should be subordinate to their husbands.

If you are patriotic and care about the troops, you would have to be stupid to support Bush after his various lies about Iraq. Before the war, Bush successfully sold the American public a bill of goods about the Iraq War. He told us that Iraq had stockpiles of WMD and he linked Saddam Hussein to the 9/11 terrorist attacks (which he now denies). The Bush administration also claimed that the Iraqi people would welcome us as liberators and that Iraq would become a democracy. If you have been following the news, you know that most of Bush's claims are false. Now Bush is making some of the same claims about Iran. Is it really is the best interests of the American people to have another war?

[wadestock]

48. It's really quite logical.....and factually based......

You might want to change it more accurately to selfish, unfeeling, or detached from America?

You have to also qualify the remark to what the party has BECOME in the last 20 years since Reagan changed the political argument about taxes "you earned it so you deserve to keep it"....so that the right wing neocons could take power and spread greed and profit making through the economic and social landscape to the point that its embedded like cancer.

Quite simply....there's no EXCUSE for the GOP anymore...if that's who's controlling them.

So...if you support the party....you support the neocon fascist right wing approach....and you're either stupid for doing so or else you have very peculiar monetary interests.

Perhaps this is one issue to focus on.....

Yes they are STUPID....because they BELIEVE that if they vote Republican IT IS IN THEIR BEST FINANCIAL INTERESTS LOL LOL LOL

Fact is....their financial policies have created the most troublesome economic conditions FOR THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS.....AND FUTURE AMERICAS AS WELL....

So yes....it is totally accurate to say that they are stupid.
They are stupid, shouldn't be voting, and shouldn't even have a representative party at this point in American history.

[hyphenate]

49. I don't assume they're Repugs

As a matter of fact, I think they just might be stupid. A lot of people are stupid by choice, too, not by design. I think that those who choose to be ignorant are either unaware that they can make an impact, or are unable to make the connections.

An instance: I was watching one of those game show things on TV, and they were talking with people in a mall. The interviewers were asking people who the vice president was, and out of five or so people they asked, only one knew who the VP was! Another time, someone said they voted for Bush because he had "a cute butt." No fucking kidding!!!!!!! It was a blonde woman in probably her early 20s, and I have to admit, I would have bitch slapped her for saying that.

Take the average 19-25 year old, and skateboards, cell phones and other crap are far more important to them than who the VP or president is. It's sad, but true. The ones who care WILL vote, and the ones out of this "other" group who do, will vote simply for stupid reasons like Bush has a "cute butt" or because he's the dude you would share a beer with. They know absolutely nothing about politics, and they don't care, either.

[DrWeird]

50. Stupid or greedy.

Can you really not tell the difference?

One is judging a person based on the color of their skin, the other is judging a person based on the content of their character.

[Nadienne]

51. In all fairness,

One could argue that we merely don't see eye to eye... That they aren't stupid any more than I am stupid.

But at the same time it is fairly clear to me just how much of a mess is caused by the ideology which they, by their votes, embrace. They complain about the mess, same as Democrats. (By mess, I mean poverty, and other issues directly related to the economy.)

Republican moral issues - wedge issues - are just a scam, and those who get suckered into voting against their own economic interests - ie, many republicans - are ignorant, naive, etc.

Calling them "stupid", "greedy", "selfish", etc... well, they earned it.

While some may say that calling Republicans "stupid" is partisanship, which is similar to racism, I disagree. Other people who get stereotyped - black people, gay people, lesbians, even women - well, first of all, they didn't choose to be black/gay/lesbian/women; and secondly, there are many black (etc) people who are intelligent, and well-informed... who clearly don't fit the stereotype; and thirdly, those stereotypes seem based on racism (sexism, etc) or are used to justify racism (sexism, etc).

[DelawareValleyDem]

53. Stupid? No

I just assume they have an unavoidable tendency to see what they want to see.

[skypilot]

55. I assume they're stupid if...

...they're Bush-supporting Republicans. I'm sorry, I just do.

[Tight_rope]

57. I agree with you 100%.

I don't think all republicans are stupid. Many know that Bushco are lying murderous crooks. If they support it then that makes them stupid.:spank:

[drdigi420]

56. no, ignorant or greedy or a combination of the two

sometimes just plain mean

but not always stupid

[Independent_Minded]

58. it is equally ignorant

to believe that someone is stupid because of their political affiliation, as is the visa-versa.

Though it may be difficult to perceive at times, an informed thinker must realize that both the Republican and Democratic Party are two sides of the same coin.

The vision is almost certainly different, but by and large we're all on the same side.

[Butterflies]

59. stupid, greedy, stubborn

[bagnana]

61. I never assume anything

although I do admit to an automatic negative reaction. I generally resent moralizing fundamentalist republicans more than the "small government" fiscally conservative republicans, but these days the "I'm a patiot who supports our troops and wants to kick butt in Iraq as payback for 9/11" republican is the most annnoying.

[Blue Gardener]

63. They have an unwillingness to learn or listen to facts

I think for a lot of Republicans it's just easier for them to do what their church, family, spouse, Faux News, or whoever, tells them to do. I think, at least for some, if they would take a little time to dig around and find out the truth about what is going on in this country, they might open their eyes a bit. I know there are many that have, including my brother. I've heard many stories here on DU of people that have finally figured things out.

[RandomKoolzip]

64. Do you assume anyone who posts only flamebait on DU is a republican?

n/t

[ContinentalOp]

67. Not necessarily.

The idea that DU trolls are all republicans is an unfortunate stereotype. Some of them could be paid provocateurs with no fixed political affiliation. :)

[RandomKoolzip]

72. Well, then I'd assume them to be evil.

And in today's political climate, the line between "republican" and "evil" is verrrrry thin.

[ContinentalOp]

73. Verrrry thin? That's generous!

So you're saying there IS a line? I would have to disagree with you there ;)

[Senior citizen]

65. Doing irreparable or very long term damage for short term gain

IS STUPID!

And so is supporting those who do it, or not educating yourself about what is going on.

The most intelligent Repugs I know of are the ones who think whatever they do is okay because they're bringing about Armageddon and will be raptured. At least they have the excuse of faith-based stupidity. The rest don't even have that excuse.

[ContinentalOp]

66. Oh god, this talking point keeps coming back again and again.

"How is assuming someone is stupid because they are a republican, different than assuming someone is stupid because they are black?"

This right-wing talking point is a variation on the "isn't the left's blind hatred of republicans the same as the right's hatred of black/gay/muslim/female people?" It's a ridiculous attempt to portray conservatives as a poor persecuted minority as a means to stifle any criticism of the right. This is merely another step toward outlawing liberalism. The next step is to convict anti-war demonstrators of "hate crimes" and classify liberals as terrorists.

If you truly can't see the difference between someone who is black and a republican than I'm going to have to assume that you are stupid. Is that wrong of me?

[Sterling]

68. Stupid or evil, or both.

Not a lot of other possibilities.

[JohnLocke]

69. No, just uninformed.

[Mr_Spock]

70. YES and NO - DELIBERATE IGNORANCE is what they are guilty of

The more people are educated in an open learning environment (where all viewpoints are allowed), the more likely (I believe) a person will be more liberal. WHY IS THAT?? I often give them the benefit of the doubt to Repukes and they inevitably turn out to be too bigoted and ignorant to understand that I am trying to be fair. Ignorance (and bigotry) allows the evil manipulators to succeed - there is NO excuse for ignorance. This applies to a large number of Dems too unfortunately. Bigotry on the other hand is rampant among Repukes - these folks are simply scum and I hold no hope for them.

[LSU_Subversive]

71. I think there are many different types of republicans:

A) Typical middle-class Americans who ASPIRE to the values that republicans represent (i.e., wealthy, white-collar, country-clubbing, golfing, cigar smoking fat-cats). Wannabes basically.

B) Overworked, short attention span, poor memory, struggling to make it folks, with poor exposure to alternative news sources, who vote/think republican because that's what they and their families and friends have always done.

C) The willfully ignorant and lazy.

D) The stupid.

E) Lastly, the greedy, wealthy, and self-indulgent who are voting according to their own best interests.

These groups can probably be broken down even further and probably overlap to some extent, but I'm just too damned tired after my long day to do it.

[osaMABUSh]

74. My reaction often is: "how can someone so smart be so stupid"

Example, I have this friend who has a PhD in Science I've known about 8 years and politics are never discussed. He saw the John Kerry sticker on my wife's car and couldn't believe it. Apparently, he is pro Bush all the way, including the war.

I just don't understand how he cannot see the light. He drank the Kool Aid somewhere along the way.

[guitar man]

75. Stupid or rich

The only two reasons they could possibly vote for them.

[NuttyFluffers]

76. depends on the person. check the cheerleader factor.

i'm a registered republican. several of my liberal relatives and friends are registered republicans. we chose it because either we

a) believed in the *old* original ideals of the republican party (back when they were liberal) and want to kick these new posers out

b) wanted to vote in the primary to put up a better, more liberal GOP candidate

c) waste their (nigh-endless supply of) money

d) insurance against the bigots in upper management in the workforce

e) insurance against fascism/totalitarian regime. being GOP would grant access to escape and stow loved ones away from coming dark ages

f) survival tactic in frighteningly republican area

we stand out because we don't wrap ourselves in the flag every five minutes, giggle our pom-poms, and shout mindless slogans. we judge slowly, letting people show their true colors.

[whistle]

77. No, not stupid, but most definitely closed minded...

...in other words when it comes to points of view that are different from republican ideas, they practice contempt before examination.