American stupidity, no question.

Good Morning Charles,
Nope. It isn't about race. The Republican Party has been around roughly since 1854. Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan were all Republicans. Like the Democratic Party, it has morphed to accomodate Americans of different heritages/ethnicities (I actually think there is no such thing as "race" but for the human race, yeah, I know an unpopular idea). I don't believe the American political system or either major party tolerates racists.

On the other hand, I can believe that a far greater division between the parties is manifest by "Class". That, I will concede. Pres. Obama who is now a millionaire and just recently negotiated the extension of the Bush era tax cuts is indeed, in my opinion is a member of the ruling elite whether GOP or Democrat.

No, I don't think Americans are stupid and the Democrats necessarily soft. Politics is tough business for those who want to listen and participate in this country, you win some and you lose some. Pres. Obama is finding out just how tough it is.

One word: Selfishness.

When it comes down to it, most human beings would rather advance themselves a little bit even if it costs others greatly. It takes a lot of willpower to fight that. Most people don't have that willpower. Republicans prey on that: "Helping others would cost you too much... why don't we just let you keep all your money and if you personally feel like helping others, then that's your choice, we won't force you." They don't bother adding that if we didn't force people to help their neighbors, our society wouldn't exist as it is today. It would look more like a feudal kingdom; with the wealthy owning and controlling everything and doling out pittances to the diseased serfs who fight amongst themselves for the scraps. That scenerio, however, is exactly what republicans want. They tell the wealthy that's what they're trying to acheive for them and they tell the middle class and the poor that everyone has a chance to be that king, everyone has a winning lottery ticket in their pocket, but that the liberals are holding them back, the liberals won't let them cash that winning ticket. The republicans have convinced their followers that everyone can be a millionaire, contrary to the reality that less than 1% of the population controls most of the wealth. The republicans keep preaching the "American Dream" to their flock of sleeping idiots who believe everything their leaders tell them.

It's sick, really, but it works.

Combination platter: Stupidity+Racism+religious fanaticism. And a heaping dose of selfishness on the side.

that's one aspect

When I talked to my 85-year-old mother last night, I asked her what she thought about all this. Her response? "Oh, I don't care - it doesn't affect me."

And there you have it.

6-
hopefully she doesn't vote, does she?

Oh, yeah. Straight Republican.

Does it ever get exhausting passing every single bit of information that enters your brain through the lens of a Marxist racial minority? There are actual financial and moral consequences behind each of those bills that have nothing to do with race.

As an aside, when my brain envisions the poor people who might be helped by socialized health care it isn't a black family. It's a fat white woman in a dirty trailer.

Selfishness, greed, and a complete lack of any sense of community whatsoever. That's American conservatism. And it is also what a majority of American voters are apparently in to right now.

@10 - Lack of sense of which community? The entire United States of America? The Federal Government has long overstepped the bounds that they were originally granted. If they are going to try to solve all the problems of everyone in the entire country it is them that are responsible for destroying whatever sense of community we used to have.

DISCIPLINE. That's how they do it. They have the discipline to target specific goals and they don't care if they are made to look bad going after what they want. The Dems aren't just undisciplined, they are proud that they are.

They are also cowards in a way you don't see in the Repubs. They could have had their shot at ramming through the tax plan they wanted, but they chose to wait till after the election to try to protect vulnerable D's. What did they get? Massive losses at the polls an a tax plan that gives the R's most of what they want. The R's have the discipline to threaten filibuster, and the D's lack the spine to call their shit when they do it.

@9,11: Had a bowl of these this fine morning?

@13 - I don't think that word means what you think it does. Not seeing eye-to-eye with the original post and asking for clarification about another commenter hardly qualifies. I'm certainly not above it but I don't see it here.

yes. many many amurkins are stupid, lazy, selfish, obstinate, and spiteful. basically, no different than people in other countries. just more proud of it. "american exceptionalism", you know - god chose us to be #1.

Sorry...what does "GOWP" mean?

@16 "Grand Old White Party", I think.

You are right @2 and Charles, It is ALL ABOUT RACE. There is still a huge, HUGE population of people that totally hate black people and people of other races.

But It isn't about party, The racist party will mold itself into anything, and it will always be there until teens everywhere continue to not give a fuck about race. It's getting better, it's definitely a temporary thing, Racism can't survive forever.