Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Pat on January 8, 2012 at 10:49am

Perry, Santorum, Romney, Gingrich, et al., pander to the one great motivator that's guaranteed to garner votes from the older, mostly white, active voters. The motivator is fear. And, it works. Fear of muslims, fear of gays, fear of non-whites, fear of foreigners. and fear of non-heterosexual and non-monogamous people.

Here's a question. Quickly think of those things these candidates are against. Not too hard, is it? Now, think of some positives they are in favor of, that does not demonize others. Not so easy, is it?

Selling fear works. It worked for Lyndon Johnson in 1964 with his TV ads showing a little girl picking daisies followed by a nuclear detonation, with the warning not to vote for Goldwater. It works for religions that sell fear of death. And, it works in US politics today with the demonization of anyone who does not fit the Ward, June, Wally and the Beaver picture of America.

Unfortunately, fear works.

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Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on January 8, 2012 at 11:44am

How about fear of theocratic extremism?  Gets me almost peeing in my pants.

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Permalink Reply by Pat on January 8, 2012 at 1:40pm

The fear of non-existent boogeymen will motivate people to vote against their own self-interest, and turn the keys of the palace over to the real evil threat.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Sarbeck on January 9, 2012 at 3:00am

Years of reading fundraising appeals from political organizations have persuaded me that:

* Conservative organizations use fear of the future to raise money,
* Progressive organizations use anger at the past to raise money, and
* Liberal organizations use guilt arising from present comfort to raise money.

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Permalink Reply by Pat on January 9, 2012 at 11:00am

That is one of the most succinct, and accurate, assessments I have seen.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Fleming on January 8, 2012 at 3:43pm

Yes,

Mr. Frothy only has a chance because the mainstream religious right view Mormonism as a cult. Honestly, I hope he gets the nomination so he can get spanked in the general election.

The religious fundies have manager to co-opt the Republican Party, but I don't think their desire to institute a theocracy will fly with the majority.

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Permalink Reply by Sandi on January 9, 2012 at 9:10am

The most scariest part is that he is even in the race at all. Letting a nutjob run in the first place is where this country is going. A sigh of relief all around when Cain and Bachman let go of their grab for power, now we just have to wait for Santorum to drop out as well.

Have you googled 'santorum'? - The first popular result says it all....

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Permalink Reply by booklover on January 9, 2012 at 9:39am

Yeah, that description of what the name Santorum means? Ewwww. lol.

I am actually ashamed and embarrased (sp?) for our country when other countries see the GOP candidates and hear the things they say.  I'm sure many people are laughing at us.  I am GLAD I am an American, but I'm not especially PROUD.

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Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on January 9, 2012 at 3:25pm

I'm pretty sure people are laughing at us – hell! I'm laughing at us. When I look at the republican aspirants I can only think, WTF are they thinking?

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Permalink Reply by Susan Stanko on January 9, 2012 at 3:30pm

I saw a really funny skit about that.  Don't remember the name of the show, but it was from the UK.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Sarbeck on January 10, 2012 at 1:01am

Soon after we re-elected Bush 43 in 2004, an Englishman asked me what could we have been thinking. I told him we weren't thinking; we were emoting.

I added that unlike the English, we can get rid of rulers without assassination.

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Permalink Reply by matthew greenberg on January 9, 2012 at 3:28pm

take a look at this link (http://www.atheistnexus.org/group/ffrf/forum/topics/new-hampshire-r...)

 

this is the type of person we are fighting with.  this is America.  this is why Santorum has a chance. 

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