Every day I marvel at how poor and middle class Republicans vote against their self-interests

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

89. But the problem is that not all of them are stupid. Many are even well educated, but

for some reason, they've bought into this fallacy that they, too, can be a Mitt Romney.

And as far as the larger argument goes, Jeff Sharlet put it well in his book called The Family, that somehow if one is wealthy, God has ordained it so. Somehow being rich is God's gift, and he has chosen a few to have all the wealth.

But what is fascinating to me is that these folks believe that they, too, are chosen by God to be wealthy even if they aren't. Their blessing will someday come and they will eventually be wealthy due to their faith. (I've witnessed this "prosperity theology" all the time in mega-churches.)

The other side to this sense of entitlement is that their battle with liberals/Democrats is really a battle between good and evil. They are good. We are evil. And therefore to win this battle at any cost is what is important. The MEANS by which they achieve this END doesn't matter: Lie, cheat, steal, commit adultery...It doesn't matter! That is why they are so willing to abandon their conservative principles and support Mitt Romney. That is why they don't care that Newt Gingrich, Mark Sanford, David Vitter committed adultery. The larger battle is between them and us. So, whatever they have to do to defeat us, God has already ordained that they do so. The MEANS don't matter. Only the END!

Everyone really should read Tom Frank's "What the Matter With Kansas" if not already done so.

http://tcfrank.com/books/whats-the-matter-with-kansas/

and....

Jeff Sharlet's "The Family":

http://www.harpercollins.com/books/?isbn=9780060559793

These two books, along with John Dean's "Conservatives Without Conscience" are critical reading for trying to understand the psyche of a conservative's (read: authoritarian) mindset.