Republicans, it's not a game. It is not your team against my team.

[kentuck]

Elections are about the future of our country. We have a duty as citizens to educate ourselves on the issues. When you are so gullible that you will accept false information as facts, you are a danger to our society.

We have serious problems as a nation. We don't need ignorant voters that believe everything they hear from "their side". It's not a game where your side scores more points than my side. This is about the lives of friends, neighbors, and family. This is serious business. Isn't it time we get serious?

For example, what is Medicare Advantage? Was it a program that was created by George W Bush Administration? Did it take money from the Medicare budget and give it to private insurance companies? Did that help or hurt the survival of Medicare? Did it bring the prices down? Or was it a fraud? Is that what Obama "cut" out of Medicare? Is that why Republicans are pissed off? Is it because their private competition model failed so miserably? Why did we take our tax dollars back from the insurance companies? Is that a bad thing?

[12AngryBorneoWildmen]

1. It's all a football game to so many white males (especially Southern Man).

[DaveJ]

2. Be careful about offending the 'south'

I've seen these "hick redneck" types even in the middle of the city. It's not north vs south and I would not want to get stereotyped for being discriminatory against the south or the rural U.S.

It's kind of messed up, I see people in the middle of the city act as though they are country bumkins, and I'm REALLY from the country. So when they pretend to be from the country and act like bunkins, they are showing what they think the country is all about. And they are wrong. There are all sort of people who come from small towns. The ones who act like hicks can be from anywhere. There are also the harley bikers who are actually wealthy enough to afford harleys but that's another story.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. And yet the electoral map indicates a big difference between the South and the West

as do our laws and our cultures. How a region votes is a worthy subject, calling people 'types' just isn't.

[Scuba]

6. Yes, but don't forget the bright blue States still have 40% or more Republicans.

[YoungDemCA]

9. Regions don't have votes

The people within the regions have votes.

There are plenty of bigoted assholes outside of the South (like in my "liberal" state of California), just like there are many Southerners who are just as sick of the bigoted bullshit as we are.

[DallasNE]

4. Hard Data Is Hard To Find

It was started by President Clinton but the current Medicare Advantage program was signed by President Bush and currently 1 in 5 choose this option. It sucks roughly $14 billion a year from traditional Medicare to cover the extra costs of people with serious illness while also having major drawbacks when an out of service specialist is required.

While it has vision coverage and a couple of other minor advantages it also carries a higher premium. Like 4 out of 5 people I do not use this add-on feature that drains money from Medicare. It is unclear how ACA will impact this as it attempts to claw back some of that $14 billion. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_Advantage This is probably the feature that most rankles Republicans because it will impact private insurance profits that must be protected at all cost.

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. Be sure to included the "inside a bubble" MSM in that OP subject line as well -

they sit on the TeeVee and spin and play false equivalence - because for the most part they are financially protected. They do a horrible disservice to the majority of those who watch them...who don't realize it.

[RedStateLiberal]

7. Amen!

You'd think the absolute disaster of the Bush/Cheney years would wake some of these people up and make them realize their side is not always in the right. Hell, we invaded a country based on misinformation and lies that resulted in thousands of deaths. Republicans wrecked the economy causing many who voted for them to be directly affected but they pretend it was someone else's fault. They've completely bought into the 'us against them' mentality.

I'll never be able to fully understand such an irrational mindset. Many of them are just a lost cause.

[just1voice]

8. They know that, they would torture you, call you a traitor and imprison you if they could

I mean every single (R) too, not some radicals or fringe-types. But then we'd just let them all get away with it here in the corrupted USA and continue to spew their propaganda on our mainstream media 24/7 propaganda networks.

I remember all the years Keith Olbermann called chimp and his criminal admin out on their crimes and what ever happened? NOTHING.

[StrictlyRockers]

10. How am I supposed to care when President Obama is winning by two touchdowns right now?

I mean, I know it's only the third quarter and there's lots of time left on the clock, but our man has a very strong arm.

U - S - A
U - S - A

Go blue team!!

I know this is the attitude of so many Nascar-lovin', beer-swillin good old boys. It's a big sporting match. And the team I cheer for is virtually determined by where I live. I can know which side of the line I am on just by looking at an electoral map. Ain't no purple.

If I am in doubt, I can just ask my friends, or my parents. They will school me up on which team is "our team". Why should I be bothered with research and study when it is only the future of my country that is at stake?

Pass the chips. Oh, and wouldja get me another beer, Hon?