Do Republican politicians really believe the crap they peddle?

[Cyrano]

I have many acquaintances from my years working in corporate America and I still keep in touch with many of them. The majority are Dems, and others keep voting for Republicans. Most of my Republican acquaintances, (but not all), were in senior management and therefore were more highly paid.

I've spoken with many of them on the phone this past week and unintentionally ended up with a totally non-scientific poll. The majority of Dem voters believe that Republican politicians are opportunists who get and keep office by scamming enough people into voting for them.

Many Republican voters with whom I spoke were aware of the scam that was being run, but they were profiting from it so they didn't care. (None used those words, but it was fairly obvious to the casual observer that this was their position.) Others, mostly at lower level jobs, were "true believers" who bought the propaganda they were being sold hook, line and sinker.

I personally believe that most Republican politicians don't believe the bullshit they're selling, any more than do most of us. I believe they are opportunists who will say or do anything necessary to hold onto power.

So what's your opinion? Do most thug politicians really believe the crap they peddle? And for that matter, how about pundits such as Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hannity, Coulter, etc? Do they really believe the garbage that comes out of their mouths? Or is it just an easy way to make mega bucks?

[devilgrrl]

1. No. If they did believe the BS, abortion would be illegal by now...

so why is it still legal? :think:

[bryant69]

2. It's hard to broadbrush them

Like I believe that Ann Coulter and Hannity are bullshit artists who've found a good good - on the other hand I think Cal Thomas and Dennis Prager genuinely believes the insanity he spouts. With Glen Beck or Rush, it's mostly crap, but there's about 40% that they genuinely believe.

As for the politicians - I think it runs the same way - some believe, many don't. I will note that Republicans don't see corruption the same way we do, because they don't expect the government to work anyway.

Is believing the crap you say a benefit or a negative in politics?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[enid602]

3. Rush

It appears that Ruch didn't believe it, after all was said and done.

[Bitwit1234]

4. Rush making overatures

to the democrats. Dobson doing the same....they think since the democrats control the congress and are liable to for years they better get on the good side of them and make their money with them. BOTH WILL BE FOOLED.

[DaveJ]

5. No, they are in it for themselves.

The ideology about Republicans these days largely revolves around the 'get rich' mentality. But smart people know that not everyone can get rich, certainly not the majority needed to elect them.

So the one's who profit from Republican government devise tricks and schemes to obtain votes. They develop skills at getting segments, Anti-abortionists, Evangelists, gun fanatics, racists, war mongers, all these segments that no real political party would spend much time on, not that these groups are all bad....

So overall, yes, I agree, and they know exactly what they are doing.

[jobycom]

6. Nope. They know they are lying.

There may be some at the local level, or even in the House, who really believe some of what they say. But they just aren't in on it. Some voters understand that, but the vast majority of Repub voters aren't in on it.

[nealmhughes]

7. No, they are power-lovers and Ayn Rand disciples. The "little people"

receive an anal screwing with sand mixed into the lube by them and they ask for another to keep their precious little white girls from sitting beside big buck...oh, no, to keep the evil gays from corrupting their children and their marriages a sacrament.

It is a simple game: tell people what they think you want them to hear and then you get votes and when you don't deliver, wrap yourself in the flag and wave the Bible some more while proclaiming that "I tried, but the Liberals were too strong! So you need to vote for my friends in the next election for the state house and the Senate...Together we can take us back to the morality that was once our hallmark..." ad infin., ad naus.

One or two may have a fetish for a desert blood cult's ancient tribal taboos, but I find it hard to believe it is true for the majority. It was the fact that they were able to confound laisser-faire economics and attempt to dismantle S.S. for their own cargo cult's sake.

[Kali]

8. I think you could leave the "repug" qualifier out of your

observation and still cover the majority of politicians, they are more similar than different in my opinion.

[DaveJ]

9. I prefer not to believe that...

Maybe I'm wrong but I think that Democrats really do want to make great social strides but as long as the 'second party' doesn't care then it's going to be hard for anything to get passed. Universal healthcare is one example. What party other than Rethugs would be against something as basic as that? Other initiatives such as living wages and alternative energy are also ways we could go if we had both parties behind them. The problem is that Democrats are so open minded that they take too much consideration for anti-social right wing con artists.

[Kali]

10. I agree, the priciples of the Democratic party are much more altruistic

but the bottom line is much support is pandering by career politicians just trying to stay in power. Not all of course and I would rather have that than the pandering by right-leaning politicians that is much more aimed to the rich and warmongering types of votors/donors.

[DaveJ]

11. Right, the need to keep their job and maintain the status quo is a problem

We need Democrats who are willing to destroy the ideological foundation of the Republican party, which involves bringing in 3rd parties to run against, in such a way as not to split votes, but I'm afraid they think doing that would be a risk to their job security.

Actually I'm amazed Democrats won with all the campaign maneuvers the cons had up their sleeves. Maybe Dems know what their doing. Maybe we will get lucky and they will actually follow through on something this time.


But, back to the topic, I look at the rhetoric... Republicans seems to espouse things that not only will they not fulfill, but logically make no sense. Building a wall on our border, lowering taxes for the rich during wartime, refusing a minimum wage increase, none of these things even make sense. Republicans lie and brainwash the public into getting them to support things that are against their own best interest.

While Dems may not be able to follow through with everything, at least what they envision makes sense.