I know it appears like it’s just an inflammatory rhetorical question, but I am trying to be serious here. Why do Conservatives and Republican Party members insist on being habitually misinformed and ignorant?

Nearly all of my extended family members are proud card-carrying Conservative Republicans. Consequently, I have lived my entire life with an imitate perspective into how Republicans think and into what makes a Republican a Republican. What I found is that the beliefs, attitudes, and motivations of my Republican family members  dovetail almost seamlessly with those of the national Republican Party at large – much more so that those of Democrats I know (who generally tend to think more deeply about the issues and are far more nuanced in their acceptance of the national party platform).

There are essentially only 2 main factors that drive the Republican Party and drive Americans to stay Republican or become Republican – even when it’s clearly against their own best interest. Those two factors are Fear and Ignorance. Allow me to provide a few examples of what I am talking about. 99.9% of Republicans are Republicans are one-issue voters who can be categorized as follows:

1.   EVANGELICALS – These are Republicans who vote Republican based solely on Abortion and Gay Marriage.
2.   REDNECKS – These are Republicans who vote Republican based solely on Gun Rights.
3.   RICH PEOPLE – These are Republicans who vote Republican based solely on Tax Policy.

99.9% of Republicans are one or two issue voters that can quickly and easily be separated into one of the 3 categories above. Luckily, for Republicans, all 3 groups are extremely fearful of Muslims. Evangelicals are afraid of Muslims because they view Islam as a dangerous threat to Christianity. Rednecks are fearful of Muslims because they don’t know any Muslims, are ignorant of Islam, and as a result are racist against Muslims. Rich people are fearful of Muslims because the threat of terrorism and our dependence on foreign oil threatens their checking account, their investments, and their overall personal wealth.

 Consequently, getting  their base to turn out on election day is a no-brainer for Republican leaders. All they need to do is continue fostering this misplaced fear and ignorance among their constituency.  Don’t believe me? In the last two campaign cycles (2004 & now), look at all the Republican and/or Conservative emails you have received in a mass distribution list, then look at how many of them were not fear-based. I am certain the answer is zero. In 2004, it was that a vote for John Kerry was a vote for another terrorist attack on the United States. Today it is that Barack Obama is a radical Muslim and a vote for Barack Obama means putting a radical Muslim in charge of the country.

Such a strategy would never work in the Democratic Party because such a ludicrously stupid and false suggestion about the opposition candidate would never stick – regardless of how badly Democrats wanted to believe it. Democrats, as a whole, are simply too well informed for such tactics to work. 

Yet in the Republican Party, despite well documented and widespread overwhelming evidence to the contrary, false accusations stick like glue – because their party members are so ill informed, uneducated, and generally ignorant. My question is why?

Wow...where to start. Just a few highlights...


As opposed to...Democrats? If you don't believe me, show me the last pro-life elected Democrat you've met.


Really? I don't fear muslims. I've got a pool of friends, all conservative, and we've never...I'll repeat, NEVER have had a single conversation about muslims.


Would this be same kind of 'misplaced fear' that said Bush would bring back church burnings and slavery? How about telling old people Bush was going to stop their social security checks? Is that 'fear' or 'ignorance?' Or both?


How about the charge that Bush was AWOL? Dan Rather wanted to believe it so badly, he made up a story to go along with it. Yikes!


Looks like the Democrats have some house cleaning to do, as well. Seems like some Democrats just aren't as 'nuanced' and are too eager to accept the national party platform. Just not enough deep thinking.

Republicans will take away your SS

Republicans will tak away welfare...

Yeap dems lead by scare tactics.

For 40 years democrats have scared old peopel into thinking republicans will take away thier ss benifits and the poor that thier welfare will be taken away as to ensure a solid voting bloc of ignorant people and you want to talk about republicans scaring people.  Clinton was in power for 8 years as this country was systimatically attacked by fundemental extremists and he did nothing.  Yes we should be afraid that democrast will do the same if elected again.

Bush was in power for 8 years and before him Bush 41 and Reagan were in power and did any of tghem take way SS benifits or even suggest taking tghem away?  As a matter of fact the last person to REDUCE welfare beneifts was the first black president.....

After his win in 2004, Bush barnstormed the country for six months trying to translate the bounce he earned from his victory into privatizing (i.e., destroying) SS.

It's not a scare tactic. Destroying SS is one of the leading goals of Neocon Republicans. The incredible success and popularity of Social Security repudiates the most cherished ideologies of Neocons.

So they hate it. And try to destroy it every chance they get.

  I always find it amusing when someone tries to promote one party by degrading the other.    Sure, party members at times think alike, but such a wide percentage (what was it 99.9?) only tells me that you need to get out more.  Ignorance spans all partisan lines.  All colors, creeds, genders, age groups, sexual orientation, race....you name it.  Posting a topic like this only proves your ignorance of the human condition.  Why not just say "why are people that think differently then I do so stupid?", because that is what really pisses you off, isn't it?