The GOP Cult Explained…

[Memekiller]

The Democrats are doing a lot of soul searching at the moment, trying to explain a lot of conflicting data, voter behavior which seems to conflict with our basic understanding of the world and human nature.

In 2000 we wondered, How is it that a party could let a man completely lacking in any abilities become the nominee of the Republican party? And how could this man of privilege be someone middle America relates to? How could someone so clearly vindictive and sure of his own entitlement be he kind of guy you basic NASCAR dad wants to have a beer with?

To help understand these apparent contradictions, we accepted his “likeability” as a truism because the media told us so, and never challenged the conventional wisdom that his inability to string coherent sentences together was a part of his charm because Chris Matthews could never be wrong. His lack of knowledge, we were condescendingly told, was how he “related” to the common man.

The past four years have consisted of nothing more than bungled plans, crack-pot schemes and botched opportunities, and example after example of arrogant demands placed on the entire world with the defiance of a man who knows he alone is right, only to be proven that he, alone was wrong. And each time, liberals told themselves, this was the scandal that would undo him. This was the lie that would cause people to lose their faith. He would have played people for saps one too many times, and his house of cards would fold.

But that time never comes. Why, after the familiar litany of lies, corruption and deception (do I really need to catalogue them?), do people from the Red States still not see through him? Bush’s personality does not explain it. This willingness to overlook any frailty can also be seen in the Senate where Kentucky elected a man so mentally incapacitated he didn’t show up to the debates. That’s right, Dems. You’re coveted middle America would rather be represented by a man suffering from dementia than a member of your party, no matter how sane or competent. Is this about values? Hell, there’s a list of homos, Johns and convicted sex offenders who have the distinction of holding office in the Grand Old Party.

So what do we have to do to win middle America? I have bad news for you, Dems. You can’t. Don’t even try. You will never win those voters because corrupt, insane or incompetent, their candidates will have something yours doesn’t: a capitol ‘R’. This isn’t a political party, it’s a cult, and asking one of them to vote for your candidate is like asking an evangelical to pray to Allah.

For the conservative Christians, their Republicanism as akin to their faith, and to believe their lying eyes would be tantamount to denying the existence of God. Do you see now why Bush can not admit a mistake? Because he has been deified, and to admit error would be to admit human fallibility. His halo must be glowing at all times. Any evidence of failure is a test of your faith; each news report of a bombing in Iraq suddenly casts the coveted middle American voter in the role of Job.
When Ron Suskind quoted a senior advisor to the President as mocking the “reality-based community”, we begin to see the logic, or lack thereof. A cult does not make its judgments the same way we do, through observation of the world around us, the assimilation of observable evidence or facts. They judge their candidates based on faith and belief. This is the concept we in the reality based community have to get our minds around. We judge that the sky is blue because that is its color. They judge it to be blue only if Bush tells them. And if he tells them it is red, then it is red, and no amount of pointing at the sky will convince them otherwise.

Thus, we went to war for WMD. Now it’s to liberate the Iraqis. Bush didn’t volunteer for Vietnam because he said so on national TV. And then when he changed his mind and has his surrogates say he had volunteered, then he had. We see picking up young boys for sex while preaching against gays as hypocritical when in truth they are being entirely consistent. Right is defined as what the GOP does. Truth is defined as what the GOP says. The moral course of action is defined as whatever furthers the Republican cause. Your candidate, no matter how superior to their opponent, will never be viable because they lack the only characteristic that matters: membership in the Republican party.

And so we arrive at a conclusion that is far more disturbing than we could ever admit to ourselves. Yes, Bush is as dumb as he looks. Yes, he is that smug. He is that much of an ass hole. Yes, he is that corrupt. And yes, the voters know it. But a cult is all about blind devotion to the faith. And unfortunately for us, the faith in middle America is the GOP.

[sgtyellerdawg]

1. Betty Bower's America's Best Christian sez...

To ease the tension (I hope) here is my favorite "Christian's" response to the election. Thought it might be ok to post it here!

<Snip>

Dear Fellow Cultural Warrior:

Goodness me, I woke up this morning and America had left without even a note. Once I got over this appalling rudeness, I was somewhat mollified to realize that she'd simply participated in a new surreality TV show called "Decision 2004." It appears to be an attempt to go through the motions of "The Swan" – only, this time, in reverse.

Indeed, switching metaphors more seamlessly than Mr. Bush switches personalities in debates, our once secular republic has resourcefully capitalized on the manure-rich soil of carefully cultivated fear to blossom into a surprisingly self-indulgent theocratic plutocracy. Throw in some sand and, verily, America's become the Middle East. Only without the burkas and oil -- or, it seems, the half-hearted effort to get along with each other. Indeed, how long will it be before Mr. Ashcroft is forced to erect a security fence, strung tight and tense along the testy boundaries that bristle where Blue abuts Red, simply to keep out self-destructing liberals yearning for their homeland?

After any battle, when the napalm clears and the teenage carcasses are stealthfully shipped to Dover, the aspect of war I enjoy best occurs. I am, of course, referring to the passing out of the jewelry. (I think the military willfully insists on still calling them "medals.") Some still plagued by the disloyal powers of observation might point out that we Republicans enjoy ridiculing and besmirching men who receive medals for little more than nourishing foreign soil with their blood-type while serving their country more than 100 miles from their local dry cleaners. That is only because we realized a long time ago that those who actually go to war are shirking their more important duty to stay home and declare one.

With this in mind, I, in association with Tiffany (note the absence of an "s," my fellow red-staters), would like to confer lovely platinum broaches to signify that the following are entitled to "Friends Of Our Lord" awards for service to the GOP during the 2004 election beyond the call of either duty or reason.

<snip>


Here is the rest of the article:

http://www.bettybowers.com/nl_election2004.html


Somehow I am hoping humor will get me through these next four years of hell... :crazy: