How come Republicans can just make crap up and people believe it?

[Cyrano]

Whether it’s Fox “News,” Limbaugh, wingnut members of the house or senate – whatever they say becomes instant “TRUTH.”

Why?

Why can they spout any piece of pig crap that enters their heads and have people believe them with no facts, proof, or backup any kind?

If a Democrat tried that, he or she would be ridiculed, made to look like a fool, and then run out of town. This can happen even if a Democrat is actually telling the truth.

So why the double standard?

(And if the answer is “the corporate-owned media,” then we might as well pack it in and admit that our country no longer exists.)

So what’s your answer?

[piratefish08]

1. consider the audience.

[peggygirl]

39. Consider that the media pundits rarely call them on their lies.

The media is to blame for most of the crap the GOP gets away with.

[Cosmocat]

49. The MSM has two prime directives ...

1) D's, liberals, progressives are to always be marginalized, questioned and painted in some negative manner, arrogant, elitist ... ect ...

2) Rs are not to be directly challenged, and framed in some positive manner if at all possible, ie, middle america, JR was resolute ...

There are clear personality differences, and process differences ...

Someone who makes the choice or is by nature inclined to be a "conservative" has their mind made up, the facts are in, they reference everything from the end point, then argue from there, so it does not matter ONE FRIGGEN itoa if it is truthful, or even for that matter if it makes sense - the end is already determined ...

GENERALLY, those who are not "conservative" kind of think things through from start to end, though, the more rooted to "liberalism" someone becomes they fall into the same trap of drawing the conclusion based on ideology, then working backwards ...

[old mark]

2. Many people are stupid to begin with, and our "education" system does not

emphasize independent thinking or reasoning - it concentrates on job prep for low end jobs.
RW media also has HUGE budgets thanks to investors like Rupert Murdoch.

mark

[mod mom]

3. Media Consolidation was an aim of the MONEY Party to control the message:

February 8, 1996 President Clinton signs the Telecommunications Act of 1996. It is generally regarded as the most important legislation regulating media ownership in over a decade. The radio industry experiences unprecedented consolidation after the 40-station ownership cap is lifted. Clear Channel Communications owns 1200 stations, in all 50 states, reaching, according to their Web site, more than 110 million listeners every week. Viacom's Infinity radio network holds more than 180 radio stations in 41 markets. Its holdings are concentrated in the 50 largest radio markets in the United States. In 1999, Infinity owned and operated six of the nation’s Top 10 radio stations.

-snip
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/moyersonamerica/net/timeline.html

BTW there is a good timeline at the link giving the history of media consolidation, but we need to be aware it was not all enacted by the GOP, but also by the corporate controlled wing of the Democratic Party as well.

[Cyrano]

8. Then we're screwed.

As was apparent in the book "1984" whoever controls information controls the past and the present.

The future is up to us, but I don't see anyone in the streets with pitchforks and torches.

Buh-bye the America that once was. -- Or is there some "Great Leader" out there who will rise up and save us all. At that point, my question would be, "Who will save us from the Great Leader?"

[mod mom]

18. on a positive note, younger people ignore the traditional media (tv, newspapers etc)

in favor of the internet (WHICH IS WHY WE NEED TO INSURE NET NEUTRALITY!)

Also we can elect progressives (remember just because there is a D after someone's name doesn't mean they're on our side) to will fight this corporation domination. It's why I'm no longer a straight ticket voter but only will cast a vote for those willing to fight corporatism.

[City Lights]

4. Pack it in.

IMHO, the biggest obstacle to solving the problems we face is the corporate media.

[surrealAmerican]

5. It's not just random crap they make up.

It's lies that their audience wants to hear.

When you tell people what they want to hear, they don't usually question it, even if it's not true.

[Arkansas Granny]

15. And if you tell the audience what they want to hear, your share of the

market rises along with the advertising dollars you can attract.

[reformist2]

42. Exactly. Many people out there simply hate Democrats and will believe

anything they hear that makes them look bad.

[Cyrano]

17. Perhaps, but some awfully weird stuff comes out the mouths of

Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin.

I don't know what type of alien beings they're talking to, but no one ever imagined the snake oil they're selling, no less wanting to hear it. (e.g. "I can see Russia from my porch.")

Nonetheless, you've really got to wonder how many people really believe she can "see Russian from her porch?"

Scary.

[Dulcinea]

35. Because most people are too dumb or too lazy to think for themselves.

If you repeat a lie often enough & loudly enough, it will be accepted as truth. That's worked for demagogues & dictators throughout the ages.

[BreweryYardRat]

50. Exactly correct.

The corporate media is pandering to pre-conceived notions of angry ignorant people who were brainwashed into Republican beliefs in their youth.

You notice we don't see a lot of young Republicans these days?

[NNN0LHI]

6. An unelected frat boy who let 9/11 happen on his watch had a +90% approval rating for a while

Can't do that without a complicit media.

Don

[mod mom]

9. and a tainted election system.

[KittyWampus]

7. Corporate media PLUS a few guys at the top create and package the talking points

and then distribute them.

google Grover Norquist and Frank Lutz.

The Republicans understand the importance of symbolism while too many liberals think all you have to do is make a dry, intellectual argument.

I once started a thread on DU lamenting the fact the Left has no one disseminating talking points to our spokesmen and was widely criticized. Apparently our side doesn't need to be organized or equipped with soundbites that get our message across.

[Cyrano]

11. Oh, I know who Norquist and Luntz are. They took turns playing Big Brother in "1984."

[ChoppinBroccoli]

10. I Don't Know What You're Talking About

Oceania has ALWAYS been at war with Eastasia.

[WillyT]

12. Have You Ever Met A Republican ???

:shrug:

[eShirl]

13. most people "think with their gut," Republican propaganda is designed for gut-level thinking

that is why they are always getting people riled up and stirring up fear
get people all agitated and thinking with their gut, not relaxed and thinking with brain

[Cetacea]

14. They are the IDIOTS that the MEDIA take them for

Any other questions?

[waiting]

16. Their supporters aren't after the truth

They only care about their agenda and their ideology. The truth doesn't appeal to those types.

[moondust]

29. +1

"White supremacist ego gratification and reinforcement."

[Orsino]

19. Anything the TV pimps hard enough will be believed by many.

The networks have an obvious interest in promoting the GOP--this much isn't complicated.

[Barack_America]

20. Because Republicans extol stupidity as a virtue. nt

[Skidmore]

21. It's all in the presentation of said ignorant deceiptful crap.

If you are strident and angry and threatening then people fear to question you or your motives. It's the tactic of bullies. Think about * and Cheney, and Limbaugh and Beck, and Coulter and the like. In your face and no one confronts them.

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. Because people who listen to them and believe them are stupid

[Lydia Leftcoast]

28. Not necessarily--brainwashing WORKS

One of my brothers turned into a wingnut after he started working in sales for a talk radio station. He's still in sales, although not for the radio station, but he drives around all day listening to that garbage. It's the functional equivalent of brainwashing.

He's not stupid, but expose a person to one particular line for long enough, and they'll start to believe it.

Do you think all those North Koreans who talk rapturously about the Dear Leader are stupid? No, just thoroughly propagandized. Their radios and TVs are manufactured to tune in only government stations (because many of them certainly live within the range of South Korean stations), and they're not allowed to travel or have contact with foreigners.

[Cleita]

23. News sources used to be reliable so people got used to trusting that what

they said was true and if they were in error that they would rectify that by making a correction. So people don't question the disinformation being dished out to them. I find myself correcting people on various things that have been made up or presented with a bias all the time because they heard it on the news. I find it maddening.

[upi402]

24. Corporate TV News propaganda machine n/t

[sudopod]

25. It's a fundamental flaw in the way we interpret our environment.

Our ability to believe Big Lies is a vulnerability that up till now was not affected by natural selection. It is open to exploitation by anyone willing to lie often and loud enough in combination with the proper stimuli (sex, danger, a sense of belonging, etc).

[Brother Buzz]

26. I have been thinking that I would make a proposition to my Republican friends...

I have been thinking that I would make a proposition to my Republican friends... that if they will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them. - Adlai Stevenson


Accuracy to a newspaper is what virtue is to a lady; but a newspaper (media) can always print a retraction. - Adlai Stevenson

[Lydia Leftcoast]

27. The Republicans are complete evil geniuses at devising propaganda

They know what people's prejudices are, and they know that, thanks to the general anti-intellectualism of our culture, most people don't read anything but the sports pages and get all their "information" from the broadcast media.

Their job as propagandists is to take the real and justified anger that ordinary people are experiencing and channeling it toward the people who are NOT responsible for the mess that America is in: liberals, gays, feminists, teachers' unions, dark-skinned people.

They have demonized liberals on their own, but they also know that large segments of the population are homophobic, sexist, resentful of a teacher they once had, and racist.

Their ability to deflect anger was most clearly illustrated in the bank bailout.

At first, I was astonished to see that the usual wingnut suspects on my local newspaper's website were just as opposed to an unconditional bank bailout as I was. They were ready to get the pitchforks out.

But in a few days, the wingnuts' tone had changed: They were all declaring that it was Barney Frank and Christopher Dodd's fault for "forcing" de poow wittwe bankie-wankies to lend to "unqualified" dark-skinned buyers. Furthermore, the banksters "deserved" their huge bonuses because they had "worked hard," and anyone who objected was engaging in "class warfare" and was just a lazy bum who was "envious of people who make this nation work."

All it took was a reference to "unqualified minority buyers," and the wingnuts did a 180.

Evil PR geniuses. I wish we could get some of them over to our side.

[rudy23]

30. They know exactly what their base wants to hear, & how to tap into their fears.

Much of their base is afraid of outsiders taking control of their lives, and of running out of resources. They are VERY afraid of outsiders controlling their resources. So they tap into this fear.

Obama has been painted as an outsider in every way--race, country, ideology. He has been painted as that outsider who wants to control the Republican base's resources. People believe the lies they were already inclined to believe. So the R's in charge of propaganda are really good at reaffirming their bases fears.

"You were right to be afraid all along. Now your fears are coming true, just like you said they would." Believe it or not, this is a very affirming message to a Freeper. It shows them that they have a great deal of wisdom and common sense because their predictions about the downfall of society are coming true. A bunch of outsiders defaulted on their mortgage, so they installed another outsider into government to loot hard working Americans and give their resources to the threatening outsiders.

[quiet.american]

31. Good question. George Lakoff seems to have nailed the answer.

In short: Because facts are not of any importance to "conservatives." What's important is whether what's put out there supports the conservative objective that the world must be made to reflect their image, not that they must adapt to a changing world. (At least that's my interpretation of Lakoff's excellent essay). And my own thought to add to it is, for those who don't identify themselves as conservatives, conservative language and attitudes allow them to indulge their worst qualities because conservatives demonstrate that what used to be absolutely unacceptable is now not only "acceptable," but "American."

A Good Week for Science, or What Eating Worms Reveals About Science
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lakoff/a-good-week-for-science_b_470500.html

<snip>

False Reason and Real Reason: The Obama Mistake

It was entirely predictable a year ago that the conservatives would hold firm against Obama's attempts at "bipartisanship" -- finding occasional conservatives who were biconceptual, that is, shared some views acceptable to Obama on some issues, while keeping an overall liberal agenda.

The conservatives are not fools. Because their highest value is protecting and extending the conservative moral system itself, giving Obama any victory at all would strengthen Obama and weaken the hold of their moral system. Of course they were going to vote against every proposal and delay and filibuster as often as possible. Protecting and extending their worldview demands it.

Obama seems not to have understood this -- or wants to appear that way.

We saw this when Obama attended the Republican caucus. He kept pointing out that they voted against proposals that Republicans had made and that he had incorporated, acting as if this were a contradiction. But that was to be expected, since a particular proposal that strengthens Obama and hence weakens their moral view violates their highest moral principle.

Such conservative logic explains why conservatives in Congress first proposed a bipartisan committee to study the deficit, and then voted against it.

[Kablooie]

37. Great article. I wish Obama would read this. It clears up a lot.

Seems logic and reason are two different things.

Liberals use logic. Facts that explain things.

Conservatives use reason. With reason, values explain everything. Everything is evaluated relative to a held value. Pure logic is irrelevant. This fits with evangelicals and others that don't care about objective facts. They simply believe what supports their values.

[Vincardog]

32. According to you 'we might as well pack it in and admit that our country no longer exists'

Too many people get their information from “the corporate-owned media,” and believe it.

[Doctor_J]

33. This is a rhetorical question, right?

The media work for the repukes. That should be crystal clear to all but the dimmest of the teabaggers.

[JamesA1102]

34. Because the MSM doesn't correct them nt

[hfojvt]

36. nobody seems to know

I think it involves a weltanschuung. Part of that worldview is a lie as well, taught at an early age. See, for example, "Lies my teacher told me". However, this early training builds a structure composed of several foundational beliefs. I am not gonna try to be inclusive but they would include some of the following:
1. Government is evil, it is full of waste and tinhorn bureaucrats
2. Free enterprise works best
3. America is #1
4. anyone can find a job if they look hard enough
5. poor people are poor because they are lazy and/or stupid and/or immoral
6. anyone can get rich if they work hard enough
7. rich people deserve the riches they worked so hard to get

Most of the lies that Republicans tell fit right into that worldview like a hand into a glove. They support the kinds of things that many of the listeners already believe. Republicans also sell magic beans. Since Reagan, they have been selling the idea that 'tax cuts are good for the economy' and thus even for the government. This is the kind of lie that people WANT to believe, because it puts money in their pocket. So they support that - "yeah, give me some money".

Another problem is that there is too often no pushback from the Democrats. At least what I have seen since the 1990s is that major Democrats have embraced the Republican worldview. Consider Obama in the SOTU bragging about how he cut taxes. Consider Clinton in the SOTU proclaiming that 'the era of Big Government is over'. There simply is no alternative worldview and also no serious pushback to Republican lies. The pushback that exists often goes like this
step 1: First agree that the Republican premise is true
step 2: then offer some complicated and difficult alternative to the Republican view which is simple and easy

so that's what I see
1. lies that fit a worldview
2. lies that people want to believe
3. lies with a premise that is accepted by the 'opposition'

[muffin1]

38. The media sucks,

and frankly, dems suck at framing an issue.

[Kitsune]

40. Because they've spent the last 30 years destroying education in this country.

[lpbk2713]

41. It's all about conditioning.

No one really expects anything close to the truth from rethuglicans because
they have gotten accustomed to nothing but lies and fabrications from them.


In recent times it probably started with the notorious Nixon and Agnew bullshit team.
Then of course it snowballed from there with RayGun and the evil BushCo crime family.

[Stinky The Clown]

43. Pack it in. Move it out. We're screwn.

It IS the media. I've been saying that for years. If we fix the media, EVERYthing will get fixed.

If not ..... then pack it in and move it out.

[butterfly77]

48. That is why we are the media...

and the media know it they finally discovered that we can pass information to many people that they don't think about,and everytime.

I see something that I think that can be informative to certain communities I spread it around..

[Greyhound]

44. Because they control the American God-Box. n/t

[tom_paine]

45. Admit our country no longer exists, I'm afraid.

And we are still far from hitting bottom.

The RW Lie Machine and the Corporate M$M are essentially one entity. The National Mind
and National Dialog have become as poisoned as Weimar's and as detatched from reality.
Corporate control and the vast concentration of wealth and power keeps this fusion on
track, with just enough "plausible deniability" to keep the Plebs from asking questions.

The only question left is will the American Corporatists lose control of their puppets
as the German Industralists lost Hitler.

Even in the "best case" scenario, truly bad times are coming, and Inverted Totalitarianism which rules the American Empire may morph back to it's more classical roots.

[spanone]

46. the media presents them as legit...voila! they're legit

[Festivito]

47. Because it's repeated and repeated from various sources.

They all get a memo. The contents are spewed by Rush, FOX, ... People hear it repeated, unchallenged -- it must be "true."

[anonymous171]

51. Because they repeat it endlessly. nt