Sometimes I get so tired of how dishonest, ignorant, hypocritical and vile

[edhopper]

GOP Senators and Congresspeople can be, and how the people who vote for them are just blind to it.

We see daily quotes from them posted here and it is just mind-boggling how there are no repercussions to the things they say and do.

[Just_Vote_Dem]

1. Most people don't pay attention to politics like we do

If they did I think things would be a lot different

[edhopper]

2. You are probably right

I also think to many will vote for the "R" no matter what.

It's also perturbing that this assholes are never embarrassed by the idiocy they spout. Even when it is pointed out repeatedly.

[empedocles]

5. I suspect we at DU underestimate how effective fox et al, are in promoting Dem

targets/issues, that many people are uncomfortable with, dislike, hate, or find some targets just pretty unappealing.

RW has already tipped their hand on early targeting of Harris [potential Prez. Know one trumper fairly long time, low information person, had heard 'something' on Harris].

[judesedit]

8. Thank you, God, that 82 million of us did on Nov. 3rd. And many more who were

suppressed, purged, among the "lost" or "late "paper ballots due to the USPS intentional aim to not let their votes be counted, went to closed voting locations, and on and on. Let's not forget the bought off GOP politicians working against us. Probably another million who voted for Biden.

[movingviolation]

25. I'm so thankful we broke their cheat...

this time. I shudder to think about next time. This is war, the enemy is greed, ignorance, hate, and cruelty for cruelty sake. The enemy must be destroyed....ESPECIALLY AT THE BALLOT BOX!!!!!

[Ninga]

3. As the post above aptly noted, even uninformed Americans, have the right to vote.

This has been the case since the beginning of time.

Remember the man on the street interviews? So many had no idea about who the people were that affected their lives.

[pandr32]

9. This is why we need Civics taught in schools

Passing a standard Civics exam and a completion of the equivalent of a year's instruction of a government/civics course (somewhere in high school) should be required for graduation. It should cover our government (local, state and federal) primarily and in depth, but also other governments around the world.
We need to know how governments function and how our government functions. We have an international system of trade and interaction and are hogtied as people living within it if we don't have some idea of how it all works. Our choices in all things need to be informed ones.
While we are at it it would be handy to also learn about different cultures and religions.

[wnylib]

10. It WAS required in my 1960s high school curriculum.

[KS Toronado]

24. Mine also....

Civics classes today should include how to determine if your leg is being pulled or flat out lied to by news organizations.
Times have sure changed since the '60s

[wnylib]

32. Critical reasoning in evaluating what

we read and heard was covered in English classes. It emphasized knowing the specific as well as implied meanings of words, the uses of imagery and rhetoric to evoke various feelings and thoughts, and how to develop a logical, reasoned argument in a paper, among other things.

In world history classes, we learned about various government types and the meaning of left vs right in politics as we covered more recent European history, like the differences between fascism, socialism, communism, and the various types of republics.

This was an ordinary public school system. We got lost somewhere along the way in our educational priorities.

[pandr32]

31. We need to bring it back!

[wnylib]

33. Never should have let it go.

[JHB]

4. Plenty of the people who vote for them are not blind to it.

They consider it a feature, not a bug.

[JT45242]

13. "Only what is tested gets taught" (James Pellegrino)

One of the unfortunate side effects of NCLB and ESSA in particular and the accountability reformsin education in general is the emphasis on test scores for funding. Since only things that are tested affect funding, school districts and especially superintendents have a vested interest in making sure that what will be tested is taught as much as possible.

Since ELA is tested at least once a year (and often counts double as a separate reading and writing score) and math must be tested once a year (3-8) they get the lion share of instructional time. https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1571251844/resanet/pfimhu1jsadm21rsqc0d/ImpactofDeclineinScienceInstructionalTime.pdf (old research but trends continue if you look at NCES or ACT National Curriculum Survey data)

Science is tested once in grades 3-5 (usually in grade 5 in most states), once 6-8, and once in HS. So if you look at the NAEP reports and other research by ACT you will find that in grades K-4 science gets very little time and social studies even less. Once science starts getting tested it gets more instructional time.

Social studies testing is not required by federal law (although some states do include it) so social studies courses are given the least instructional time and emphasis.

My jaded former teacher self thinks that Republicans do not want an electorate who understands history and economics. The justification for the decisions were that literacy and numeracy are base skills and the most important (fastest growing and highest paid) job sector was STEM.

So, if you want students to really learn social studies: government, econ, history then push to get it tested because that is the tail that wags the dog.

[Lonestarblue]

19. An excellent summary of the problem.

I, too, spent most of my career in education, but in curriculum development rather than teaching. I was dismayed at the influence of states like Texas where science was watered down to avoid triggering the creationists and social studies course requirements resulted in whitewashed history and the promotion of individualism, the free market, and American exceptionalism.

Literature courses have become somewhat ridiculous. In an effort to please everyone, publishers created books of 1100 to 1400+ pages when perhaps 600-700 could be read in a typical year. The result was many teachers ignoring the works of minority writers and women while choosing their old favorites of works by dead white guys. Such courses send a not-so-subtle message that only the ideas and works of white men are important enough to study. Another problem for the literature curriculum is language. Contemporary writers often use language that includes profanity or racial or sexual terms. Even if a publisher chooses an excerpt that does not include such words, some parent will read the whole book and make a fuss just to get it kicked off the list of acceptable authors, especially if the author is black, brown, or female. Yet I’m sure high school kids, especially, hear the same or worse language in school. It’s hard to provide diversity of literature that kids might actually relate too—so much safer just to teach the dead white guys!

[Ziggysmom]

6. Plain & simple, MEAN PEOPLE SUCK

[jalan48]

7. I think a lot of us keep hoping Republicans will do the right thing only to be

disappointed when they don't. I've come to the conclusion that for Republicans it's all about power. Getting and keeping power is what they are about. It's the rule of the oligarchs if you will. I'm not sure how we can counter such a bankrupt, cynical political group within a democracy. They have their own state TV and dozens of Rush Limbaugh like clones dominating the radio market all across the US brainwashing American citizens. Maybe we need to be just as ruthless when we get power and use our power to restore the nation's democracy before it's gone.

[CaptainTruth]

12. Years ago I came to the conclusion that...

...the one thing Republican politicians care about more than anything else is gaining & maintaining power. They will do anything for power, & sacrifice anything, including our country.

[jalan48]

23. The Republican's really represent only a small number of people, however those people are extremely

rich and powerful (corporations are people too!). They use use their media to brainwash average Americans (trickle down economics) into voting against their own interests. The fight then becomes a pissing contest between the average citizens while the rich and powerful smile and enjoy their tax breaks.

[wnylib]

11. On the other hand, look at people

like the Bidens, the Biden cabinet, the people in the Dem primaries, and so many others, not to mention the overwhelming numbers who voted for Biden-Harris.

Step back from the ugliness once in a while and take notice of the beauty that exists, too. It helps in keeping perspective.

[sarge43]

14. Despair is the enemy of hope.

We can not give into it.

We have good, intelligent, emphatic people working hard to repair the damage and make things right again. We can join them and do whatever we can to help them. That can be beautiful.

I've always liked a Bedouin saying, The dogs bark; our caravan moves on.

[Rebl2]

15. They aren't

blind to it. They too are likely to be liars and hypocrites themselves so they are okay with it. They probably don’t see anything wrong with what their congress people and senators are doing.

[uponit7771]

16. Dems don't have a messaging infrastructure like the kGOP so they don't pay for...

.. thier lies like they're supposed to

[BobTheSubgenius]

17. It really is astounding.

One of the best bumper]stickers (I think it was...might have been a meme) I've ever seen:

"Democrats - we might not be perfect, but the other guys are bat shit crazy."

Must have been a meme. Too long to be a bumper sticker.

[Evolve Dammit]

28. Good one. "Make Lying Bad Again."

[ailsagirl]

18. It's terribly disheartening

So much of what has happened and continues to happen I just don’t understand.

[Roc2020]

20. Cruz is saying at CPAC today

Democrats are deathly scared of Trump!!! WHAT. This Democrat has zero fear of Trump. He LOSS. Nominate him again GOP. What the heck!!! who here is afraid of Trump??

[movingviolation]

26. Cruz is living proof that one doesn't need dignity, decency, or wisdom to be in congress..

just blind greed.

[Evolve Dammit]

29. Yep. Welcome!

[Sogo]

21. They're blind to it because they watch Fox.

Fox doesn't tell them the sh*t we know about those they vote for. But Fox does make up sh*t about Democrats, which is why they don't vote for Democrats.....Viscous cycle....

[liberalmuse]

22. This is what evil looks like.

There are people in this country who've been listening to right wing radio and other media because the shills like Rush Limbaugh and Hannity have been telling them being a cololassal POS is okay. They knew at some point that mocking compassion, kindness and being racist was wrong, but they wanted an excuse to be awful human beings. Years later, they don't even have a conscience and frankly, I think if given the chance, they will commit even worse atrocities than the Germans did under the Nazi regime. Let's not give them the chance if we can help it. If we can't help it, we will need to brace ourselves because things are going to get really bad before they get better. My god, they just rolled out a golden statue of Trump to worship. I am not religious, but was raised in religion and this shit is straight out of Revelations and the Book of Daniel. It seems Christians are showing us what a self-fulfilling prophecy looks like.

[movingviolation]

27. Trump, the golden calf.

Do they even read the book they profess? Silly rhetorical question, obvious answer is no.

[Evolve Dammit]

30. Me too Ed. Me too. Nauseating at best.