Republicans vs. Repugniks

[Mythsaje]

I can sympathize with the average Republican. He probably has a small farm equipment dealership and struggles to get by, to feed his kids. He probably takes his oldest boy out with him come deer season to maybe get a couple of bucks to help them get through the winter. He's grown up with guns and sees nothing wrong with a responsible adult owning them. He doesn't know much about drugs other than what he's been told, but he knows that if his cousin Ted gets all drunk and stupid at the local watering hole, he's usually right as rain in a couple of days on the outside.

He doesn't have time to dig for news. He gets it from the television, or maybe the local paper. He turns on Fox News because they say things he agrees with in general. He's afraid of terrorists, even though they'd have no reason to blow up ANYTHING in his little burg. He remembers when he was little and prayer was allowed in schools. Kids didn't come in and shoot up the place. There were probably more guns around back then, he thinks.

He doesn't know much about world politics, or history. He knows that we were attacked, and thought he knew who did it. When the President said "Iraq," he said "okay," and talked to his oldest son about doing his duty.

But now he's starting to really wonder. People are lying, and getting caught at it all too often. The war is a disaster and cousin Jed, who joined the National Guard so he could go to college and stay at home to keep an eye on his wife and newborn kid, has gone back for his second tour.

He doesn't know that much about healthcare, but he knows his Aunt Delores is pushing sixty, and she can barely afford her medication, much less her monthly trips to the doctor. He's not looking forward to being in HER shoes in a few years.

He's pissed about the price of gas and isn't sure who to blame that on. The "ragheads?" Or the environmentalists? That's what they say on Fox, but who listens to environmentalists? The oil companies, from what he hears, are making really good money. Too bad they're not passing a little of it back to the people who really need it.

He wishes he had enough time to pay attention to everything being said. He wishes he could hear some different point of view on television, someone saying "there's more to it than that." But he doesn't. He's not even sure he wants to vote Republican next time around. They talk a good game, but so does Frank, the guy who owns the local auto shop. Last time he managed to soak him for five hundred bucks for something he's not even sure he needed.

It'll be time to elect a new President soon. He's not sure he can even tell the Republican candidates apart, 'cept for that one who was on Law and Order. He pushed Jack McCoy around an awful lot, and McCoy's a good joe. A real law and order type, but with heart. His boss fella was a politician, and never really seemed to care about justice.

He knows who McCain is, but he's just a little too chummy with that damn-fool in the White House now.

Maybe he just won't vote this time. What'll it hurt?



The Repugnik has more money than he knows what to do with. He donates some of it to his favorite Republican candidate and comments on a bill he knows is coming up in congress soon. He expects concessions. If he doesn't like the bill, maybe it could be pursuaded to crawl off and die.

The war? Well, his company makes widgets the military needs. The war's been good for business. It's not as though he knows anyone over there fighting.

Healthcare? He doesn't see the problem.

Gas prices are annoying, but, hey, if he drives his jag rather than his SUV, he doesn't have to spend all THAT much money.

As long as HE'S doing okay, screw everyone else.

Works for him.

[Sadie4629]

1. I really hate stereotypes

of all kinds.

[NavyDavy]

2. then you shouldn't read these kinds of post

[Sadie4629]

3. You're right

We should all only read posts with which we agree.

[annabanana]

4. I think you're right.

There is the third group, however. They are the truely clueless base, the ones that take what they hear on OReally & Limbaugh, and regurgitate it undigested at the bar that night, and dare anyone to disagree with them...

[Sadie4629]

5. Let me tell you about my brother-in-law

He is a salesman. He has the exactly right personality for sales, so he does pretty well. Doesn't have "more money than he knows what to do with," but is solidly middle class.

He is also a self-proclaimed "gun nut." He hunts, not because he has to lay him in a coupla bucks to tide 'em through the winter, but because he loves the sport. I don't understand it, but he doesn't understand why I love to knit, either. Takes all kinds, I guess. He also shoots competitively, and collects guns.

I used to argue gun control with him. He reads--a lot--and knew his talking points. For every statistic I could come up with, he could rebut with another. Made me think of that old saying (Mark Twain?) about lies, damned lies, and statistics.

We don't talk gun control any more. There is no point. He is just as sure of what "the right of the people . . . shall not be infringed" means as I am of what "a well-regulated militia" is. He isn't going to change my mind, and I'm not going to change his.

He will ALWALYS vote Republican because he sees the Democrats as a bigger threat to his way of life and what he love than the Republicans. So what? He's still a good person, a good husband, good father, and good friend.

I really don't know how he feels about Iraq. I'm guessing he is as disgusted as the rest of the sentient population, but probably he would come down on the side of turning Iraq into a sheet of glass.

But assuming that all Republicans are either mouthbreathing knuckledraggers, or fat cats does nothing to further Democratic interests. It merely makes the assumer look ignorant, arrogant, and condescending. It adds nothing to the debate.

[Mythsaje]

6. Do you really think the first fellow is a "knuckledragger?"

No, just an average guy who works too hard to pay attention.

[Sadie4629]

7. If that's not the image you wished to convey--

--then maybe you shouldn't have used phrases like:
"He probably takes his oldest boy out with him come deer season to maybe get a couple of bucks to help them get through the winter"
"He doesn't know much about drugs other than what he's been told"
"He's afraid of terrorists, even though they'd have no reason to blow up ANYTHING in his little burg"
"He doesn't know much about world politics, or history."
"He knows that we were attacked, and thought he knew who did it. When the President said "Iraq," he said "okay," and talked to his oldest son about doing his duty"
"cousin Jed, who joined the National Guard so he could go to college and stay at home to keep an eye on his wife and newborn kid"
"He doesn't know that much about healthcare"
"He's pissed about the price of gas and isn't sure who to blame that on. The "ragheads?" Or the environmentalists?"
"He pushed Jack McCoy around an awful lot, and McCoy's a good joe. A real law and order type, but with heart. His boss fella was a politician"

Republicans are, for the most part, just people with different opinions from Democrats. People tend to form their opinions based on what they choose to read. Republicans are selective about what they read, just as we are. They may get their news from lucianne.com, or National Review, or townhall.com. or jewishworldreview.com. You may not like their sources, or consider them "legitimate new sources," but guess what? They don't like our sources any better!

"He's afraid of terrorists, even though they'd have no reason to blow up ANYTHING in his little burg"
But maybe he does have a son, daughter, cousin, etc. who does live in one of the cities that is a terrorist target. Maybe his wife flies on business. Maybe he knew someone who worked in the WTC. Maybe his experiences have formed his opinions.

"He doesn't know much about drugs other than what he's been told"
What would he need to know about drugs to form an opinion? Can't someone who hasn't personally taken drugs have an opinion? Or maybe he knows what meth can do to a person.

"He doesn't know much about world politics, or history."
Or--maybe he does.

"He knows that we were attacked, and thought he knew who did it. When the President said "Iraq," he said "okay," and talked to his oldest son about doing his duty"
Or maybe he thinks Al Quaeda attacked us, and since they are now in Iraq, maybe that's a good place to fight them.

"cousin Jed, who joined the National Guard so he could go to college and stay at home to keep an eye on his wife and newborn kid"
Cousin Jed? Keep an eye on . . .? It sure seems to me that you have painted a picture of an ignorant hick.

"He doesn't know that much about healthcare"
Maybe he thinks tort reform would be a good first step toward making healthcare affordable for individuals and small business. Maybe he thinks HSA's would work. Maybe he thinks that many of the uninsured are uninsured by choice.

"He's pissed about the price of gas and isn't sure who to blame that on. The "ragheads?"
Maybe he never uses racist and demeaning terms like "raghead."

"He pushed Jack McCoy around an awful lot, and McCoy's a good joe. A real law and order type, but with heart. His boss fella was a politician"
Maybe he can tell the difference between reality and fiction.

I'm just saying that you have made some assumptions that may not be true of more than a fraction of Republicans. It makes me wonder, how many Republicans do you actually know well?

Can't we all just get along?