General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDo You Think Southerners & Conservatives Realize Just How Badly They're Being Played?
Dawgs
(14,755 posts)Not just in the South.
onehandle
(51,122 posts)...I quickly noticed that 'rednecks' are in rural areas from coast to coast, border to border.
el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)At least in Hollywood.
Bryant
TeamPooka
(24,156 posts)bullwinkle428
(20,627 posts)clearly we've proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that there are plenty of liberal/progressive thinking people in this state given the results of the last two presidential elections, but there's no shortage of Duck Dynasty/Larry the Cable Guy-worshipping people out there as well, given my own personal experiences with them.
onehandle
(51,122 posts)And adopted a 'Texas' persona to become 'successful.'
SummerSnow
(12,608 posts)Romney tried to go " aw shucks" too when he was campaigning .People didnt like it. I think he claimed to his audience that he ate grits or something.
Mariana
(14,849 posts)and immediately moved into the city. The "ranch" was nothing but a prop so he could pretend to have something in common with rural voters.
CoffeeCat
(24,411 posts)Right-wing elites, who are billionaires and corporatists, figured long ago that they needed to find a base of useful idiots who would be ignorant enough to buy into their nonsense.
They knew that educated liberals, who aren't sociopaths or freakin idiots, wouldn't be suckered.
The elites and corporatists first began with their "family values" moniker. They used religion to cull votes from a very ignorant herd. Anyone really believe the greedy corporatists and psychopathic CEOs who will die before paying workers a living wage---actually give a rip about spiritual matters? They are ruthless sociopaths. Religion is their device. It's how they grew a "base" for their sick causes.
And they convinced these fools every time. They convince lower and middle class folks to cheerlead for: Taxbreaks for millionaires; cuts in Social Security; expensive wars that enrich defense contractors. They have convinced them that global warming isn't real and that energy companies who are destroying our water supply and our environment need more tax breaks and less regulations--because it's the 'Murcian way! Hell, I had a right-wing nutjob scream at me once after the 2008 mortgage implosion--because he said the banks needed LESS regulation! These people are f'n ignorant and they are proud of their ignorance!
These fools can be convinced of ANYTHING--if Glenn Beck or Sean Hannity lays out the talking points, they're all suddenly parroting the talking points.
So yes--I think these fools are easily conned. By Duck Dynasty, by right-wing radio personalities, by religion charlatans. By lots of things.
It's depressing.
on point
(2,506 posts)CoffeeCat
(24,411 posts)...I see these nimrods making such stupid comments on their Facebook pages. They are so convinced of their brilliance and so proud to publish their ignorant comments to everyone.
But that's another ploy from right-wing radio. These ignorant fools (such as people who love Duck Dynasty) used to be society's outcasts. Bigots and haters used to hide their ignorance. They were shamed by society for their stupidity. Right-wing radio and tv provides a water cooler for these useful idiots to gather 'round and say, "Gee! I thought I was the only one who hated the gay!" or "I've know that non-whites were bad, but I never said nuthin, until you people showed me that I'm not the only one!"
Seriously. Right-wing radio makes bigotry, hatred and ignorance acceptable because these rats are all galvanized and feeling accepted.
Of course, these talk-how hosts play on their egos, telling listeners that they are smarter and more clever than liberals or the media that won't tell them the truth. These horrendously ignorant fools run around believing that they're smarter than the rest of the world and are privy to right-wing "truth" that the stupid liberals, scientists, researchers and intellectuals just can't possibly fathom. Again, these people used to hide their foolishness. Now, they are excited by it and proud of it.
It's sickening. It's making our society sick.
-Laelth
Populist_Prole
(5,364 posts)The unionized workplace I work at is teeming with die-hard republican "christian" voters and all they ever talk about is guns, sports, and whatever the corporate media's talking points are for the day. They act as they're the only ones who deserve the money they make and that everyone else is lazy and over paid. They're selfish scum and I want to kick each of their heads off their shoulders.
I have a friend elsewhere in the country who is no-doubt certifiably poor, and he knows it. What's really annoying/puzzling is that while he is somewhat of a "values voter", those are just side issues; that is, he isn't just some fellow traveller who tolerates the GOP's oppressive plutocracy in deference to "values". His #1 reason for supporting the GOP and being a Conservative with a capital "P" is their economic stance. He believes in supply-side/trickle-down that much more absolutely for the amount it shits on him...and get this: He is a corporate bootlicker and he hates hates HATES unions....with a blazing white hot fury. He has to be mentally ill, no?
They have convinced the poor and middle class they aren't poor enough while the wealthy actually deserve more. Geeesh.....
PADemD
(4,482 posts)Hain't we got all the fools in town on our side? And ain't that a big enough majority in any town?
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
http://www.twainquotes.com/Fool.html
TeamPooka
(24,156 posts)- Martin Luther King Jr.
Dawson Leery
(19,348 posts)Rowdyboy
(22,057 posts)goldent
(1,582 posts)There is a a desire to feel you are better than another group of people. Not sure if this is learned or innate.
Rowdyboy
(22,057 posts)has taught me, sadly, that is not the case. I've seen some of the most ignorant, childish, middle-schoolish stereotyping imaginable right here, some by long time, established members. They seem to wear their stupidity as some sort of odd badge of honor. Eventually you either mock it or ignore it as the mood strikes.
goldent
(1,582 posts)I'm often surprised to learn of a person's politics, after I have known them for sometime (e.g. at work).
cordelia
(2,174 posts)pecwae
(8,021 posts)Some groups/individuals are immune, others are frequently targeted.
Rowdyboy
(22,057 posts)of a big steaming pile of horseshit right in the middle of their thread. But that just gave them what they so desperately wanted-a reaction. So now I just laugh.
You'd think we'd all have finished middle-school by now but apparently some are having a tougher time than others.
Mopar151
(9,965 posts)Beleiving that facial hair and the color of a T-shirt say much about anyone's essential carachter is very much a "city-boy" thing.
In ralated news, Dan Whitney's "Larry the Cable Guy" carachter was a pervert in the 80's, and his "commentaries" were closer to ol' Bob Boudelang than to the RushBlimp.
Uncle Joe
(58,112 posts)for dividing and conquering purposes, image is everything.
If you can identify with the image, you're more likely to accept the message.
Too many people are fooled by this superficial B.S.
Thanks for the thread, kpete.
dawg
(10,610 posts)the Northerners and "moderates."
sorefeet
(1,241 posts)Jerry Springer, Bill Cunningham and how many other shows exploit the dysfunctional, down trodden and ignorant to get rich.. Bill Cunningham is a friend of Sean Hannity and his shows are almost ALWAYS black or Hispanic. Racism pays good wages to these folks.
Turbineguy
(37,212 posts)from their exessively complicated wretched existence. And instead of doing something about their existence these people spend their time escaping to this. On a personal level it's fairly harmless, on a societal level we get a GOP congress which makes these people's lives more complicated and wretched, which means we need more backwoods, ignorant, stupid, aw-shucks southern buffoon character entertainment.
aikoaiko
(34,127 posts)...since you didn't mention Jersey Shore, Alaska Frontier, Kardashians, Real World, Survivor, Amish Mafia, or any of the Housewives of... franchise.
Surely, you don't think people identifying with reality tv shows is a Southern or conservative thing?
progressoid
(49,827 posts)Rowdyboy
(22,057 posts)It just ruins the hate.
cordelia
(2,174 posts)pecwae
(8,021 posts)compulsive need to make themselves feel better through mocking and stereotyping. You sort of have to have a little pity on those so shallow as to require such activity for life enrichment and self esteem.
doc03
(35,148 posts)Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)There is apparently no limit to what most people will believe as long as it's presented to them in a way they find acceptable.
Skittles
(152,967 posts)Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)DerekG
(2,935 posts)The folksy Reagan and Bush play the Mayberry act; the urbane Clinton and Obama purport to feel our pain.
None of them gives a damn about us.