Why are so many republicans/conservatives so angry and fear-based?
455917
Fear is a powerful tool which is appropriate because the leader of the republicans (GWBush) is also a powerful tool. The supporters of the idiots in office are angry for good reason. I would be angry also if I was always so focused on avoiding the inevitabe confrontation with reality. By the way squidgirl check out the www.powersquid.net.
487290
Julia Robert said something like that.\nShe said Republicans can be found in a dictionary between Reptile and Repugnant or something...\n\nIt's a myth that Neo-liberals are tolerant and inclusive.\n\nYOU NOTICE MOST OF THE NAME CALLINGS AND EMOTIONAL/IRRATIONAL ATTACK COMES FROM LIBERALS...
1028716
Because the neocons are interested in staying in power and in control. that includes certain business leaders who benefit from the climate of fear. It is sad because it causes people to alter their life choices do I really want to send my kid to Italy this summer? Should I worry about going to Canada? I wonder if it will be safe flying to Hawaii? That sort of thing. they are counting on continuing the perception that they are the only ones able to keep us safe. They brand anyone who disagrees with them as anitAmerican and/or liberal. At some point they will no longer be able to maintain the level of fear to keep the huddled masses in control. When another political philosophy is in power, there dang well better be investigations into the nonsense of the past five years.
23449
Its an age related thing. People grow more and more conservative and in line with republican beliefs as they grow older. Not to say that everyone does, but most of your democratic supporters will be younger and the old granparents will often be Republican.
1070034
The source of their anger is ignorance. They just don't know any better. They blame all the wrong elements for the problems in our social system.\n\nFor example, "Taxes are too high!"\n\nWell, why aren't wages too low? \n\nOr, "The immigrants are taking our jobs!"\n\nBut, you guys keep voting for Republicans who ship jobs overseas!\n\nOr, "Welfare is theft from the working people!"\n\nBut, jobs don't grow on trees- you're working because they aren't.\n\n...etc. It would be funny it it weren't sooo sad.
801863
Seriously, that is one thing I noticed a long time ago about Republicans and part of what made me switch parties to democrat. \n\nThere seems to be this mentality in the Republican party to constantly blame ANYTHING or ANYBODY else you can for whatever downfall you see in the country at that moment.\n\nThat could be gays demoralizing our nation to those darn anti-patriot treasonist liberals. LOL
1123756
I find that frustrating as well. They seem to behave like spoiled bad-sports about everything, and they just argue the surface points with as much justification as they can muster (even to the extent of bringing in conspiracy theory) rather than adding depth by getting to the deeper causitive details. Very Immature!\n\nI really don't understand why they hate Bush so much PERSONALLY. You could hate all his policies & so much of what he's done, but why is it personal? And, just for the sake of argument lets say a Republican wins in 08, are they then going to hate that guy like this too? Why all the hate? Is it about not being able to win an election? That might have something to do with running liberal candidates that swing voters won't go for, or the fact that most of America doesn't agree with their agenda. At some point they have to accept reality and shift their party closer to the center. In the meantime, how many elections do they have to lose before they realize they aren't the mainstream? Those are all serious questions by the way.
753101
Just Republicans taking things too far AGAIN.\n\nActually, Republicans are sort of like Islamic Extremists in a way; always pointing the finger at stuff that doesn't really matter at all.\n\nThey were just looking for a Democrat to blame for anything, because their entire party is exploding with controversy.
1127369
I completely relate.  I'm a Republican because the Republican party WAS the party of small government.  We now have two parties that are both for big government and third parties have almost no chance of winning.  I think there are many Americans who feel as we do, and I hope that our voices will be heard.  We have the power to vote them out, and I hope we exercise that power.
1015100
Just look at what's happening right now.  Politicians -- and especially the Republicans right now -- have perfected the evil art of manipulating the emotions of ignorant, uneducated people.  Everything the Republicans do is bad for 99% of the population.  They give tax cuts to millionaires, while the debt rises and the public schools are screwed (and the people you ask about send their kids to public schools).  And how do they get the very people they're screwing to vote for them?...\nThe Republicans get people in Red States riled up about stupid issues.  Gay marriage, for instance. How does gay marriage affect anyone who isn't gay?  It doesn't.  But they manipulate people's emotions, and get them all angry about stupid issues like this, all the time convincing them that the Democrats (who are also sleazy & corrupt, but no where near the level the Republicans are) are crazy liberals who want to burn their bibles and make their kids gay.  It's so obvious -- they always trot out the gay marriage issue around election time!  It's just a big distraction! \nThere's no doubt that the Dems would be better for regular people, but the bad guys have painted them as liberal, weak, communists who think they're smarter than the working class.\nSorry this is such a long answer, but it's a topic that disgusts me greatly.
216748
To me it seems that right is more angry as whole. There may be some moderates that have common sense and are thinking about is good for the nation, but overall I feel that the right is more angry than the left. \n \n There should be anger at this administration and it spin machine. This machine has gotten us into a unnecessary war in Iraq that has took away resources to finish a necessary war in Afghanistan. \n \n To be fair, the left is pretty wishy washy and doesn't stand for much. It seems like they are just against everything the republicans are for. This why the country will never move forward until there is a second party,since the Dem's and the republicans are the same party.  \n\n So in response to your question, I believe that the left and the right are the same party. So all of the battle between them are just smoke and mirrors design to keep focus away from the fact that the country is really run by big business. Isn't capitalism grand?
521930
I'm not entirely sure the two are related. Personally, I think the problem is this cardinal sin in our culture, and that is to never be wrong. People dread it terribly, and will spin and ignore and do whatever they can to avoid admitting they were wrong about anything. This is what accounts for the division in our culture. \nBut I could be wrong.\nFactors accounting for the formation of attitudes: the 2 big ones I can think of are the peer groups and information sources. Odds are if you're a liberal, you have liberal friends and listen to liberal news. Same if you're a conservative. And both groups are real quick to tell you how the other side is evil and destroying America.\nBut again, I could be wrong.
471121
Americans. A dangerous precedent has been set by the recent criminal republicans that question any form of dissent and if you are brave enough to disagree with their ideology, you are labeled as anti-American, or subversive. This hysterical reaction starts with Bush and his Goons and trickles down to the local levels of government. Of course this is more pervasive in certain areas of the country, i.e. bible belt. Their will be a lot of healing needed with our next president as this one has caused our country serious damage with his flawed ideology. The deprogramming of America begins in 2008.
527916
I think there are plenty of legit conservative republicans out there, but I think many people get so worked up about issues like gay marriage and abortion they ignore everything else and vote republican cause they dont like boys kissing.\nElection time they roll out what works for them, hot button social issues that only get attention every 2 years to get their base riled up and out to vote.\n\nOh yeah, this is from rnc.com, their 2004 platform.  I guess they havent rolled out 2006 officially, but I expect it to be almost exactly the same.\nhttp://www.gop.com/media/2004platform.pdf
528788
Not me, but I know others who report similar reactions.  (And you know now where your anger came from, don't you? -- it was fear, as it always is.)  \n\nAnd I suspect you may be right -- after that initial flash-over of fury, many people will stop to wonder "hey, wait a minute," and that's where curiosity begins.
752462
Republicans have a wonderful knack for making people feel good about them, even though they are genocidal and destructive anti-moral degenerates.\n\nThe best thing about Republicans is that they are causing many people of all stripes to pull together to kick them out and save democracy.  People are fearful of the dismantling of the US Constitution, of the upcoming laws which prevent people from traveling without permission from the government, of the wiretapping of phones and computers, of the 2007 National ID card which will have infra red tracking.\n\nCitizens worry about imminent domain and the 800 brand new concentration camps that the conservative right has complained are placed around the country and up and running with staff already.  The Republicans have painted a smiley face on all of this and now it's gone to far.  Join your fellow Americans, even the Neocon's Christian Conservative Base for vigils at the polls.  Monitor what happens when you vote in the hackable, glitch-filled Republican voting machines.  Help everyone take America back.\n\n(Social Conservatives Questioning Past Support for GOP as Evidence of Large Numbers of Gay Republican Leaders Grows):\nhttp://www.proudofwhoweare.org/story8.html
1021001
at the root of the political institutions of the left and right, there are simple human emotions.  Because of this, what those institutions eventually achieve or fail to achieve is ultimately beyond the reach of such institutions to predict, no matter how much the followers of a particular philosophy want it to be otherwise.  \n\nto sum up the emotions I'm referring to: If the status quo benefits someone, they tend to be conservative and on the right.  If the status quo doesn't particularly do any good for a person, they tend to be liberal and on the left.  \n\nthis is why students and young people tend to the left - they have no property or high social status to defend, no great steady job to hang onto.  But these same people, a few years later, often wouldn't be going to protests anymore, because they have a good job and a mortgage and car payments and whatnot.  Generally, as people age they become more conservative.   \n\nthe more status and property people have, the higher their priority is to protect what they've got.  So, the old dad who used to be a hippy, is a grumpy stick-in-the-mud by the time his kids are idealistic teens!\n\nthis dynamic all works on a large, collective scale as well.  It's all about what people have to lose.  The more they have to lose, the further right they drift...