for your consideration:

[ulysses]

In The Political Brain, Drew Westen points out that the Republicans have become the party of the sacred, appropriating not just the issues of God, faith, and religion, but also the sacred symbols of the nation such as the Flag and the military. The Democrats, in the process, have become the party of the profane—of secular life and material interests. Democrats often seem to think of voters as consumers; they rely on polls to choose a set of policy positions that will convince 51% of the electorate to buy. Most Democrats don't understand that politics is more like religion than it is like shopping.

- Jonathan Haidt

What say you, DU?

[Vincardog]

1. Politics is more like religion than it is like shopping. I believe that the Democratic party can be

returned to be run by and serve the interests ofc the people.
I KNOW the GOP is selling a load of nonredeemable shit.

[brainy1]

4. unredeemable?

Battleground Poll is remarkably consistent in their findings over time:

60% of Americans self-identify themselves as Conservative or Somewhat Conservative;
10% say Moderate;
30% say Liberal.

Do the math.

[Vincardog]

8. 70% of the people don't know what a liberal is. Fuck the GOP and the spin machine they rode in on

[silverweb]

2. Interesting.

Yes, I can see it. It fits the reTHUG authoritarian model.

Republicans have set themselves up as the corrupt priesthood of this religion of symbols and empty gestures, dictating standards that they themselves hypocritically distain.

Democrats, on the other hand, look for consensus and participation from the people, not obedient compliance as from a faithful congregation.

The one thing I do disagree with is the characterization of Democrats seeing the people as "consumers." On the contrary, Democrats want people to be actively participating citizens.

Otherwise, I think there's a good deal of validity this statement.

On Edit: I started to read the whole article, but it was too biographical and mostly irrelevant, so my comment is with regard to his statement quoted in the OP only.

[Duer 157099]

3. Bullshit. If he called Dems the party of the educated, I'd agree

the party of materialism? puhleeeze!

The party of the thinking? yes
The party of the educated? yes

The party of the shopper/consumer???? Uh, nooooo, not even as a literary device.

[ulysses]

5. it makes more sense, if you can call it that,

from a "moral purist" perspective. Think of the uptight Baptists you know. For them, deviation from their view of morality equates to hedonism and material things, even if all evidence is to the contrary.

[Duer 157099]

15. I can tell you the common thread among all the "uptight Baptists"

and other denominations I know: disdain for knowledge, for intellectual achievements, for critical thinking, for intellectual curiosity -- those are the real "things of the devil" that they eschew more than anything.

[daleo]

16. Until they need heart surgery

At that point, I bet most start taking the intellectual achievments of their prospecitve doctors rather seriously.

[Duer 157099]

17. lol, yeah, funny thing that, huh n/t

[daleo]

6. Politics is based on reason

When populations forget that fact, it ultimately leads to a disaster. But it can take a while.

[ulysses]

7. also from the article

This research led me to two conclusions. First, when gut feelings are present, dispassionate reasoning is rare. In fact, many people struggled to fabricate harmful consequences that could justify their gut-based condemnation. I often had to correct people when they said things like "it's wrong because… um…eating dog meat would make you sick" or "it's wrong to use the flag because… um… the rags might clog the toilet." These obviously post-hoc rationalizations illustrate the philosopher David Hume's dictum that reason is "the slave of the passions, and can pretend to no other office than to serve and obey them." This is the first rule of moral psychology: feelings come first and tilt the mental playing field on which reasons and arguments compete. If people want to reach a conclusion, they can usually find a way to do so.

[daleo]

13. Germans let gut feelings dominate their politics in the 30's

It led to a disaster for them. Just one example.

I agree that people often do let their feelings or passions overrule their reason. But eventually reality rears its head.

It's funny - very few people would drive on a bridge that was built on faith rather than reason, but they will elect leaders on that basis.

[ulysses]

14. well right, but I think the point is that it happens pretty regularly.

Seems to me that it happens even more when a society feels vulnerable (Germany after Versailles and the start of the Depression), which worries me a bit now.

It's funny - very few people would drive on a bridge that was built on faith rather than reason, but they will elect leaders on that basis.

Heh. Too true.

[posi86thst]

9. Spot on.

[elocs]

10. I think we Dems often mistakenly believe that people are moved and persuaded

by rational and logical arguments, especially when they are backed by facts. There are far too many people, many of whom are not Republicans, who are moved and persuaded by their emotions, their gut feelings, their fears. As the saying goes, they are leading lives of quiet desperation and rational and logical thinking and reasoning do not fit into their core decisions.

The bottom line is that not everyone thinks as we Democrats do and it is a mistake to believe that they do or that they would come to the same decision as we would when presented with the facts.

[ulysses]

11. think of "swiftboat veterans for truth" - no truth there, but it didn't matter.

It dredged up enough emotion re: Vietnam that it worked as intended.

[MrMickeysMom]

12. Well, now that's the thing about equating politics with religion, isn't it?

As soon as you see the body politic as no different than religion, it's over.

I agree with Mike Malloy that nothing good has ever come from "organized religion". The same can be said when we equate religion with politics or the two cross over.

The terms defining politics have gone astray, as is the way of organized religion. Religious freedom really means never having to shove it down anyone else's throat. Democrats, thinking that voters are consumers behave more democratically in decision making.

Face it... we've gone astray.

[TahitiNut]

18. The National Socialist Party appropriated the very same set of symbols.

God, faith, religion, the supernatural, the Flag, the military, the Homeland and racial "purity" (apparently alive and well in Alaska).

[ulysses]

19. yes, and it worked.

Somewhere, Goebbels is laughing at us.

Question is, now what?