"Republicans love this country just as much as I do."

[undeterred]

Ted Kennedy Junior said in his eulogy that his father told him this.

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=536750

[dionysus]

1. other. the repub voters may love their country, but the GOP elected officials are all about power

and money

[johnaries]

37. I'll agree with this. nt

[Common Sense Party]

44. And what are Democratic elected officials about?

Especially DNC?

[dionysus]

47. we got crooked dems too, like the dlc\blue dog types

[YOY]

2. They love money and their party (in that order).

Problem is we've let them redefine "Patriotism" as "love for money and the Republican Party".

[hedgehog]

3. They love the country, just not the people in it!

[BOSSHOG]

4. Republicans do not give a fuck about our country

The rich one's are constantly in search of profiting themselves and keeping the poor one's stupid. Right wing radio exists to keep the poor one's stupid and it has nothing to do with love of country or patriotism. If limbaughhannitybeck had to choose between their profits and their country, they'd take the money and hide.

I voted but got an error message.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

5. They love the country but they specifically love the 1954 version.

[Chulanowa]

7. The 1954 TV version

Where everyone is white and middle class and full of virtue and saying "gee whiz!".

Essentially, Republicans DO love America - "America" is a magical fantasy land, far, far removed from the United States.

[Dogtown]

30. I agree, Chulanowa

It's a fantasy that attempts to obscure our real history of racism, genocide, empire-building, and marginalization of the citizenry.

That's what Republicans, politicos as well as rank & file, love.

Unfortunately, many Democrats worship at that same altar.

[Chulanowa]

39. It obfuscates the good things, too

Like all the work in overcoming the bad things, the power inherent to the people, and our poliical and social innovations and where they came from.

When you forget the past, you forget all of it.

[Sebastian Doyle]

11. More like the 1854 version for some of them

[armyowalgreens]

6. Most republicans love the US. They simply have a warped view of what the US should be.

[guitar man]

35. spot on

+100 :thumbsup:

Most of them I know are well meaning I guess, but they definitely think that "freedom" is supposed to mean freedom to be like them, live like them and think like them, because in their minds that's what it means to be "American". They just don't get it....

[Laelth]

8. They love their FANTASY about this country.

They are intentionally ignorant to the reality of the United States.

:dem:

-Laelth

[polichick]

14. I posted the same thing below without seeing yours - it really is a fantasy! nt

[Laelth]

18. Great minds, ya know? n/t

:toast:

:dem:

-Laelth

[polichick]

20. ...

:toast:

[Posteritatis]

23. Many of us love a fantasy about the US too; it's just one I think is better

We've all got our way-it-oughta-be ideals; the GOP do for the US, you do, I've got my own about Canada which probably differs wildly from Peter Mackay's or Stephen Harper's. These fail to line up with reality in various ways and to various amounts. The fun part's manhandling reality closer to your own ideals.

By and large I'd rather see the reality nudged towards the version folks around here have than the version folks over on FR have, to say the very least!

[Laelth]

25. Smile. Ultimately, I agree with you.

But I believe most Republicans are willfully ignorant. I like to believe that those of us on the left are more likely to be a part of the "reality-based" community.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Posteritatis]

26. Oh, I (generally) agree

I like to consider myself reality-based, but I'm also open to the occasional "then the world itself is wrong!" stance on one issue or another - after all, folks can occasionally effect some powerful and genuinely good change with that attitude, when it's done correctly. There's plenty of us on both sides with that one, and I definitely prefer my version of what "should" be to theirs most of the time. ;)

[CTyankee]

9. They can't do what they do and love their country. I don't care if they are stupid, insane

evil or all three. No way can they love this country the way they act...

[armyowalgreens]

12. Why do you think that is so?

[CTyankee]

27. AS I said "stupid, insane, evil or all three."

I can't think of a fourth alternative. Maybe "brainwashed" or "ignorant." Okay make that 6...

[armyowalgreens]

32. I think most of them are ignorant. Which means that they can still love the US...

They simply have an alternative view of reality.

[CTyankee]

33. Right now I'm too angry at them to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Maybe I'll feel more charitable later...

[armyowalgreens]

34. So you are too angry to think logically? That only makes the situation worse.

[CTyankee]

36. Well, ok, they have to be willfully ignorant because there is enough evidence to

demonstrate the falsity of their claims. Some are pretty strung out and the ones with guns are pathological IMO. Stupids just can't act any better because they're well, stupid. That leaves me with evil and they just exist, like Dick Cheney, for whatever dark reason.

They are, IMO, what they demonstrate themselves to be. I may be angry but I AM rational about this...

[armyowalgreens]

40. What is rational about your broad brush claims?

Aren't we suppose to be the side of reason?

We don't need to polarize the debate any further. Reality demonstrates that nothing is black and white.

[CTyankee]

43. Let's agree to disagree here. nt

[Cha]

10. How is it love to put greedy lies and facism before

your country?

[polichick]

13. Republicans love THEIR country - which is a fantasy. nt

[SidneyCarton]

15. Some do, some don't.

People are not all of one sort, it is both dangerous and short-sighted to assume otherwise.

[emilyg]

21. Agree.

[Posteritatis]

24. +3.14159265 (nt)

[Ishoutandscream2]

16. They love their money and only think of themselves

The rest is just window dressing.

[Pangolin2]

17. Other: They love the way they think it used to be.

:shrug:

[Swamp Rat]

19. money-money-money, mon-ney

MON-ney!

[onestepforward]

22. I'm sure that some do, but they usually pick party over country. n/t

[Uncle Joe]

28. Other,

"They love it to death," as this delusional person makes clear at least a couple of times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ3E99Watiw

[hfojvt]

29. "Just as much as I do" is one key

Face it. Most people, liberals included, put their country fourth, at best. It's behind self, family, and friends. God might be in there too, for some people. Gale Sayers autobiography was called "I am third" meaning that his order was God, family and then self. But I am a little more cynical than that. I don't think most people put other things ahead of themself. I try to be a 'team player' at work - not worried about when I work or how long I work or even how many days I work, but a big part of my team player philosophy is that the team is supposed to look after me.

I don't consider that to be a terrible thing, to think of one's self. "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, then what am I?" There's a balance. The Golden Rule too - 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Well, if you treat yourself like crap, then why not treat others that way too?

The other part of the question is - which Republicans? Are we talking about elected Republicans, or Republicans like BillO and the Manatee, or grass-roots Republican voters? Even there, I think everybody probably asks "how will this policy affect me?" and that is probably just as important as "how will this policy affect the country?" Most of the things we advocate for, we probably see as a no loss-win. That is, things like extra funding for head start, SCHIP or Liheap are good, at least partly because I don't also think that MY taxes are going up to pay for it. It is easy to be for something that is not gonna cost you anything.

[Javaman]

31. In their own way. nt

[Dramarama]

38. Schwarzennegger, Kelsey Grammar etc

Love America. I can't group them with Newt and Palin

[TheKentuckian]

41. Let's see voter and elected alike hate the land, air, water, most people, and many of our principles

So, I essentially say no but voted other because some of them are too stupid or insane to have any context and may love the country best they are able.

I have to say that I don't get why soooo many are looking to excuse the voters, I think they are, on the whole, the worst of the lot. The elected officials are at least looking out for themselves. The run of the mill pukes are soulless, twisted, and filled with avarice.

Republicans=stupid, insane, evil, or reforming. Try to explain to me how Republicans aren't garbage without reaching for the handy personal tale. You probably can't but I'll listen.

[Toasterlad]

42. Of Course They Love the Country. They Just Don't Know What the Country Is.

The things they love about the country: the unquestioning patriotism, the willingness to wage war, the every-man-for-himself ethic...these are not what America is supposed to be. We have a lot of documents written and signed by the founders of the nation that directly contradict their beliefs, but they refuse to understand them.

[ShortnFiery]

45. + absolute authority. They love beating down "the other" and idolizing a hard-ass "Daddy" eom

[deaniac21]

46. Wow, I guess Teddy wasn't as smart as I thought.