Conversation with a Republican friend.

[grumpyduck]

I've mentioned this guy before: we've been friends for about fifty years and rarely talk politics. But a recent conversation got me thinking.

The few times I've let him (briefly) talk politics over the past few years, his focus has been on the Democrats, not the Republicans, as in how bad the Democrats are. In fact, I can't recall one instance in which he talked about why he specifically agreed with Republican policies, or with Trump. And I'm saying "I can't recall" because I know I would have responded.

Now this guy was a successful businessman until he retired a few years ago, so he's no dummy. It makes me wonder just how many conservatives may fall into the "I hate Democrats" category instead of the "I agree with Republicans" one, due to where they get their news and commentary. It really does.

I don't want to use the term "brainwashed" here. But, if people like him focus on why they dislike something instead of why they like the opposite, I really have to wonder what's going on in their heads.

[Edit]: After reading a few of the posts below, I have to wonder how much of the Republican or Trump agendas and issues some of these people actually know or understand. Can they even discuss them?

[Aristus]

1. I disagree with the premise that because he's a successful businessman that he's intelligent.

If you tell me he's smart, I'd believe you.

But I wouldn't make that the measure. My father-in-law is a successful businessman, and he isn't bright by any generous stretch of the imagination.

Alan J. Lerner once stated his belief that making money is a talent, like singing or painting. You either have it, relative intelligence aside, or you don't.

[grumpyduck]

3. I didn't use the word "intelligent."

I just said he's no dummy. And I could have left that sentence out and still made my point.

[TheRealNorth]

2. This is my usual experience

They have to convince themselves and others that they are voting for the lesser of two evils.

[grumpyduck]

4. Yeah, that's getting to be my take too.

[BootinUp]

5. When you think about the money and effort that

Has been used to defame Democrats for so long, it starts making sense. Your observation is similar to what I have experienced on more than one occasion.

[rurallib]

8. 40 years and near monopoly ownership of media has allowed Republicans to turn

"Democrat" into a scary word that conjures up very negative images. Of course it is a pack of lies. But there is probably 35 to 40% of the electorate that would never even think of voting for a Democrat based on that.

[Mariana]

6. That's what Fox News and right-wing radio preach constantly.

Democrats are stupid. Democrats are evil. Democrats hate America. Democrats hate white people. Democrats hate rich people. Democrats hate middle-class people. Democrats hate Christians. Democrats hate Jews. Democrats hate God. Democrats worship Satan. Democrats are socialists. Democrats are communists. Democrats are Nazis. Democrats love terrorism. Democrats love rioting and looting. Democrats want kids to use drugs. Democrats want to force women to have abortions. Democrats want to kill off the elderly and disabled. Etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

[TeamPooka]

7. The Fox News agenda, since its inception, has been to poison Americans idea of Democrats

It's why they were founded.
It's their only mission.

[CanonRay]

9. If you scratch the surface I bet you find it's due to race.

[grumpyduck]

10. Please elaborate.

[Politicalgolfer]

11. The POINT IS THE HATE!!!

I hope we have learned that the way Republicans operate is not by selling their ideas (which fuck over the little guy) but by liquoring up the minions to hate, hate, hate the "other". Bluntly, it takes a person who loves to hate who swallows the crap....that is who they target

[LizBeth]

12. My father. I was moving to West coast and he siad something about not visiting because of all those

liberals.

I furrowed my brows and considered that and asked, what have liberals ever done to you.

Of course he shrugged it off as a joke, but it wasn't, so immersed in his very red, conservative area well protected from any liberal and able to blow them up into a caricature or something. But over the last four years I have considered that conversation and ask him, again, what have liberals ever done to any of you to cause you so much angst?

Ask me what Republicans have done to me. Lets compare.

[Hortensis]

13. MANY. When the traditional conservative ideology through Reagan's time

was destroyed to get it of the way of wannabe kleptocrats and divide the electorate, it was (all too easily) replaced with attack-dog opposition to Democrats and liberalism. Easy because political conservatism is mostly negative emotional reactions without an intellectual basis to anchor it.

I remember when, after the end of the cold war, the great hostility toward the great existential enemy they must always fear (Russia and communism until then) was turned on Democrats as the new great existential enemy. .

I've read a number of analysts who've reported it's become all about opposing us. Various fears and hates are manipulated and created to keep the hostility stoked up, but the need to stop whatever evils Democrats are attacking America with now is the morally and intellectually void ideology.

[Azathoth]

14. It's exceptionally common

There's a reason conservative entertainment secretly prefers to have Democrats in office. It's *far* easier to foment hatred of others than to defend your own side.

It's been years since I've had an intelligent, reasonably informed, non-insane Republican try to defend their party's policies to me. Invariably, the first words out of their mouth are "But Democrats will destroy the country!" That's why Trump's behavior doesn't faze them: there is absolutely nothing he could do that conservative entertainers haven't falsely accused Democrats of in the past, including mass murder (the "Clinton body count" chain emails still get forwarded around by elderly white people).

[sanatanadharma]

15. The Day the Earth Stood Still, 1951 movie

In the 1951 movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still", George says, "People my foot, they're Democrats (sic)"

[grumpyduck]

17. Is that Aunt Bee sitting on the right?

I just seriously dated myself...

[nakocal]

16. Republicans never run on their policies, they always run on how horrid the other guy is

Because they know if people actually understood what republicans stand for, republicans would never win another election.