The Republican Party Is Just a Lifestyle Brand

[DonViejo]

April 8, 2021 at 10:04 am EDT By Taegan Goddard

Jonathan Last: “Does it matter to his future political prospects that Matt Gaetz doesn’t advance legislation? Does it matter that Madison Cawthorn staffed up his office with comms people? Does it matter that Marjorie Taylor Greene doesn’t have committee assignments?”

“Well, these quirks would matter in a system where legislative accomplishments influenced voter behavior. But the preponderance of evidence suggests that Republican voters don’t care about tangible government outcomes.”

“They don’t care whether or not a border wall is built, or who would have (theoretically) paid for it. They don’t care about whether or not the government fails to manage a global pandemic, killing hundreds of thousands of their fellow citizens. They don’t care if unemployment is up—or down. They don’t care about stimulus checks. Or the national debt…”

“Republican voters—a group distinct from Conservatism Inc.—no longer have any concrete outcomes that they want from government. What they have, instead, is a lifestyle brand.”

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https://politicalwire.com/2021/04/08/the-republican-party-is-just-a-lifestyle-brand/

[Wounded Bear]

1. In a party based on anti-government sentiments, lack of accomplishment is a plus...

a feature, not a bug, as it were.

[uponit7771]

2. They stand for racism, less democracy and whatever Trump says they stand for

[tinrobot]

3. Anything to get their daily outrage fix.

They're addicted to a product that is designed to make them as emotional and angry as possible.

[underpants]

4. Ducks Unlimited has become Salt Life

DU actually does things. Protects all aspects of its sport. Gets in the marsh if you will. Salt Life mostly sells tshirts and window stickers.

Great paragraph here:
Democrats continue to comport themselves as if they exist in a real political economy—a real world where they will be judged by voters on the outcomes of their actual policy choices. Meanwhile Republicans operate according to the rules of the attention economy.

[KG]

5. seems repub voters would literally eat dirt as long as the think they gunz & bibbles are safe

[d_r]

6. if we are being honest

they really aren't the smartest bunch, either. They grow up with authoritarian parents and they are authoritarians themselves. The high school bullies don't just disappear at graduation. Authoritarians compartmentalize their thinking so that they don't see themselves as hypocrites. They do not internalize a sense of right and wrong. They make moral judgments based upon what their leader tells them is right and wrong, just like their parents did. Just like their parents, their leaders are right "because they said so" and they do what they say because they don't want to be "given something to cry about." But if they don't get caught, it isn't wrong. So they are sneaky. They will do it if they think they can get away with it. This is why they tell them that Jesus is always watching them, but most of them don't really believe it deep down. They won't admit it though, and they will loudly proclaim their righteousness to everyone. This is why they are so loud about being republicans, they think they are signaling their virtue.

[uponit7771]

8. THIS !!!! ☝🏾☝🏾☝🏾

[crud]

7. Like following a sports team

You buy all the gear, clothes, decorate your house etc. Loyalty is the thing no matter the record.

[Eyeball_Kid]

9. The GOP's attraction is more like a religion than a political party.

No one cares about "small government" policies, or the state of public education, or health care. They care about sticking it to liberals, sleeping on a bed of guns, protecting white supremacy, and hating POC. That's about it. It's all about "beliefs" in a religious sort of way. The GOP is hollow inside. They're living on vitriol against the "libs", and are buttressed by right wing media. It's all they have, and it's a dead-end agenda.

[House of Roberts]

10. Being in Congress used to be about bringing home pork to one's state or district.

Many voters no longer realize that was once the principal reason for re-election.

Vote for my pork, and I'll vote for yours, used to be the grease that kept both the House and Senate running smoothly, and allowed for bipartisan bills to get passed.
Recently hearing that returning to earmarks might happen could produce more cooperation across the aisle.