Why does the "middle" vote for the right-wing Republicans ?

[kentuck]

They say the "middle" is where the votes are but the middle seems to be buying and drinking the right wing kool aid? Now, some are arguing that the Democrats need to go further to the middle - wherever the hell that is? But, they are are suggesting they will vote for the far right but they will never vote for the far left? Since when did we have a far left candidate? Sounds like a bunch of gobbledy-gook bullshit to me..

[Clark2008]

1. The media.

The media is owned by right-sympathizing bastards and they pump the middle full of propaganda.

Pretty simple.

[ElectroPrincess]

4. Exactly, and in between elections ...

They do their best to "enchant" and "dumb down" the populous with fluffy and shock-jock stories interspersed.

BTW I didn't know that you could pump SO DAMN MUCH of that collagen into women's lips?!? However, some of those gals who READ the news ... well their lips enter the room 5 minutes before the rest of their carcasses. LOL

It's working but I can NOT watch. BBC is the way to go. :-)

[Orrex]

2. Another way to look at it

Why are they called "the middle" if indeed they consistently vote far-right?

[jojog]

3. Diebold

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. Because, as they have to pay more for items that were once public

services, the more they want to hold onto their money at any cost. That's why Christians sold their souls for $300.00 worth of silver and voted Republican. That's why those same Christians are turning their backs on the poor and allowing the right-wing to paint those in need in this country as welfare queens.

[Ravenseye]

6. It's the Mommy Daddy Thing

Some people say that there are some voters who always vote for 'mommy' ie liberals who will actually help them. Then there are voters who always vote for 'daddy' ie conservatives who will protect them. The middle goes back and forth depending on their mood. Sometimes they want daddy to protect them. Sometimes they want mommy to do it.

The problem, or rather what the Democrats need to exploit, is that this is a false myth. Daddy isn't protecting you. Look at Iraq. Look at Katrina. Daddy is a drunk who beats you and makes you shovel shit while he drinks whiskey paid for by your own wages.

Vote for mommy. Not only can she keep a better house, she'll protect you a hell of a lot better than your drunk father.

[lapfog_1]

16. I just had a quick visual

for a new DNC commercial...

One with drunk deadbeat dads who run up enormous credit card debt and bully the neighborhood...

contrasted with one with a momma bear and her cubs, all nuturing and caring and so on... just until something threatens the cubs!

Democrats... we are the "momma party" (we'll take care of the house and make sure the bills are paid, and yes, we will protect our own)

[Clark2008]

31. How 'bout the Dems just become the Single Parent party.

By promoting someone who both loves and can protect their electorate.

[rniel]

34. No kidding

Our daddy (Bush) beats and abuses us... He's a Deadbeat Dad.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. Because Republicans simplified their message into one liner lies

and the middle votes using emotion not information.

If you have a copy of Kevin Phillips' Wealth and Democracy, he has a very good section on the "radical middle." These are the voters that the Dems and Repubs are splitting.

If I have time this weekend, I will post a brief quote on this thread from his discussion of who these people are and how they vote

[xxqqqzme]

8. the rabid, racist, radical rong

is treated as mainstream 'middle' by the whorporate media, which pushes those truly in the middle to the left. Since the WM continually characterizes 'left/liberal' is as 'out of touch' - no one wants the stigma - so they re-adjust their positions and vote rethug and against their own self interest.

[MrBenchley]

9. Who says they do?

Kerry lost by a very small margin...(if he actually lost and wasn't defrauded as Gore had been)...and the far left wasn't any help in either of those elesctionsd. They spent 2004 attacking Kerry and 2000 cheering for Ralph Nader.

"Now, some are arguing that the Democrats need to go further to the middle - wherever the hell that is?"
You can't figure out where the middle is? You can't even take a wild guess?

"they are are suggesting they will vote for the far right but they will never vote for the far left?"
Who said that? Chimpy has been able to successfully pose as a pro-gun control moderate, in part because the Democrats can't get a speck of party loyalty out of its lunatic fringe.

[kentuck]

12. The middle voted for someone ?

Who did they vote for? The Republicans? Or the Democrats? Were the Republicans the "moderate" middle? I think that is dangerous ground to walk upon.

[MrBenchley]

18. You mean you really want to pretend

that only the fringe elements of either party voted?

"I think that is dangerous ground to walk upon."
But since you seem to be utterly unable to figure out what the middle is...

[kentuck]

19. I'll ask again: Who did the middle vote for the last election ?

The Republicans?

[MrBenchley]

23. Since you can't figure out who they are

but don't mind calling them wussies, I think I'll just leave you hanging.

[zanne]

10. Because the "middle" is mostly made up of--

People who can't admit they're Republicans. How many far-left "Independents" do you know?

[Boo_Radley]

11. Punditry

I think enough of the middle fall for the swifty style smear campaigns and the fear propaganda. "OMG Kerry is a radical leftist commie!" Obviously not true, but much of the middle doesn't pay much attention, and they'll pick up on that kind of stuff just enough to tilt them to the right.

[kentuck]

15. The "middle" is a spineless bunch of sponges...

Never depend onthem to lead you anywhere. They are wussies. They are followers. Why should you listen to their advice when they have shown they have no sense of direction and not enough courage to take a stand. They are a bunch of chickenshits. Ignore them. They will follow whichever the wind blows. They have no set beliefs.

[MrBenchley]

22. Yeah, that's the spirit I associate with our lovely leftist fringe...

"Never depend onthem to lead you anywhere. They are wussies. They are followers. Why should you listen to their advice when they have shown they have no sense of direction and not enough courage to take a stand. They are a bunch of chickenshits. Ignore them. They will follow whichever the wind blows. They have no set beliefs. "
Good thing they have a strong leader like you to line up behind, eh? Maybe you can work out a nifty logo to put on armbands and a snappy salute....

[kentuck]

24. I know the truth hurts but...

we got our Joe-mentum going. He's the type of strong leader we need to take us to the middle. The middle, by definition, are followers -not leaders. Ignore them. They will go one way or the other. And by the way, what far left ideas have we pronounced in the last couple of decades that so turned people off??

[MrBenchley]

25. Goering would have been right at home with your "truth"

And your call for a strong leader.

[kentuck]

26. Goering may already be here - in the other Party....

Thanks to the weak-kneed middle.

[MrBenchley]

28. He would have been right at home with your "truth"

[kentuck]

29. And what exactly is my "truth"?

As you see it? Maybe we can make progress if you can tell me what my "truth" is as perceived by you?

[MrBenchley]

32. "They are followers.... Ignore them."

"Of course the people don't want war. Never depend onthem to lead you anywhere. They are wussies. They are followers. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. They will follow whichever the wind blows. They have no set beliefs."

"Maybe we can make progress"
I don't plan to make any "progress" at all in that direction, thank you very much.

[kentuck]

33. And that is why you can go to the other Party, if you wish...

If you like the direction we are going, then good for you. I do not. I think we need change and we need to say what that change is ...if that pisses off a few people, then too bad. I refuse to follow the middle over the cliff. Thank you very much.

[MrBenchley]

35. I'm not going anywhere

and you're the one howling that MY party has to change....

"I refuse to follow the middle over the cliff."
Don't go then. I don't think Democrats need this vaguely neoNazi ranting, anyway...

[BlueCaliDem]

36. I Think They're Just Lazy, and because of it, Uninformed n/t

[jackster]

13. its the Whats the Matter with Kansas dilemma...

Thomas Frank nailed it I believe.

They vote against their best interests because they've been programmed to do so by corporate amerika and their buddies the rethugs!

[welshTerrier2]

14. "gobbledy-gook bullshit"

when you start making those with these views define their terms and give specifics, things get pretty vague pretty quickly ...

the last "far left" candidate the Democratic Party ran was, i think, Karl Marx ... oh wait, he wasn't a Democrat ...

[HereSince1628]

17. What makes you thing the votes are really in the middle?

Its an ever popular statement of the DLC, based on what was traditional wisdom. But I am not at all convinced that is still true.

Do the opinion polls show much evidence of a bigger middle? I don't think so. I could be biased in my memory, but since 2000 it seems to me that most of the polls show the undecideds and moderate middle positions on political issues be a small percent compared to the number of respondents to those with opposing opinions.

[Lexingtonian]

20. fear of change

The Right tells them that change can be minimized and all the costs and pain offloaded onto people who are more stupid, poor, nonwhite, and/or criminals.

This works until the pressures for change become too great and 'the underclass' becomes so poor and dysfunctional that it parasitizes the middle class. There's a period in which the moderates let the Right intensify the oppressiveness, which is pretty barbaric stuff, but it never works and always ends up in selfdefeat of the Right. The past 4-5 years have been that kind of period, now on the downswing, and it will continue for 1-2 more.

It's all about too much of the electorate being Slow Learners.

[valerief]

21. Shared objects of hate

RNC support gives lip service to certain objects of hate. The middle gives emotion to the same certain objects of hate.

What are the objects of hate. Whatever the powers that be deem they should be and hand on down to the state-controlled media.

[firefox]

27. Think of the half that don't register or don't vote

The Repigs did a better job of marketing with their claim to great fiscal responsibility. That should have been sunk with Reagan, but with * they have lost all credibility and it makes them look more like liars than failures.

This left-right bullshit is meaningless especially when we have a war criminal in residence that is ruining the country and the Democratic opponent gets up and says that there will be no difference in substance, only in style.

There is a power above the USG and it was evident in the last election. The PTB wanted to stay the course no matter what the people voted. Maybe half of American citizens did not vote and it was not a left-right bullshit thought, it was they only had the choice of status quo when what was needed was change.

[McCamy Taylor]

30. Fear of 1) terrorists 2) black males 3) homosexuals 4) wrath of God.

Nation needs a big dose of Xanax before going to the polls or maybe a hit of cannibas.

[SeekerofTruth]

37. I'm middle. Do you really want an answer?

Many of my neighbors, friends, and families are Republicans. There is 1 overriding reason they vote Republican. MONEY

Republicans at the local, state, and federal levels have always labelled Democrats as wanting more taxes and more government. Historically, that is usually the case.

Once you get a Democrat who states they will NOT raise taxes and that they will focus on balancing the budget with what resources they have, you have a winner.

Yes, there are many people who still won't vote for the Democrat because of abortion, religion, gay marriage, etc. However, enough people will vote for the Democrat because of money that they would win the election.

The hatred of bush and all the other issues are distractions to what it takes to actually win elections. It's not until you win elections, can you start to make the changes desired.

It's the money. Follow the money. Money makes the world go round.

Consider the Democrat candidates running for elections that last 30 years who stated they would raise taxes. They got their butt's whomped.

Money is a big reason I voted for 'Rod' and 'Obama' here in Illinois.