Political Psychology

[ck4829]

Identifying and Combating the common Emotion-Based Arguments of the Right Wing

Fuzzy Facts
AKA: The pseudo-statistics argument
What it is: Conservatives pulling statistics out of the air, sometimes believable, sometimes not
What it does: They hope that you will fall for it
Example: When Brent Bozell told CNN viewers that Ken Lay had spent 13 nights in the White House under Clinton
Another Example: A large amount of anti-gay research that can be found on the Internet
Fighting it: Ask for data to back it up, for example, Ken Lay didn't spend a single night in Clinton's White House
If you can find the facts to debunk the Fuzzy Fact, this argument can be relatively easy to fight.
Ask "How do you know this?"
Real Fact: A lot of anti-gay research cited on the Internet actually comes from Paul Cameron, a discredited researcher whose organization, the Family Research Institute, has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Imminent Threat
AKA: The "OH MY GOD, THEY ARE GONNA GET US!" argument
What it is: Conservatives telling us if we don't do X, pass X, or support X, then we all face grave danger
What it does: They hope that the environment of fear will help create support for their policies
Example: Sandinistas are coming up to the US
Example: "We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud."
Example: Iran is developing nuclear weapons
Example: Civilization will collapse if we don't pass a Federal Marriage Amendment
Example: "Homosexuals are not monogamous. They want to destroy the institution of marriage. It will destroy marriage. It will destroy the earth."
Fighting it: Sound like the voice of reason in a debate
Never fall for fear, ask for facts, and demand the whole story before any plan of action is proposed

Maverick Argument
AKA: The "We are cool" argument
What it is: Conservatives trying pathetically to show us that they are the rebels going against the mainstream
What it does: They hope to attract independents and people not 100% politically aware into their ranks
Example: When National Review did a list of "Conservative Rock Songs"
More Examples:
The term "South Park Republican"
Whenever someone says something about being "politically incorrect"
When Republicans fly in protesters like how they did in the Brooks Brothers Riot in 2000
When Conservatives claim they are fighting against "liberal establishments"
Fighting it: There is a giant difference between being a nonconformist and being on the fringe, ask yourself and other people as to where some of the conservatives who use the Maverick Argument really belong.
There is nothing maverick about wanting to do things like say the n-word or making stereotypical statements about all members of any group, such as Feminists, Muslims, or gays.
Humor: "The leaders of your movement have a direct line to the White House, how are you a member of any counter-culture?"

Moral Values
AKA: The "Why do you hate baby Jesus?" argument or the "But the Bible says..." argument
What it is: Conservatives citing traditional, moral, or scriptural values as a reason why you must support them
What it does: They hope to appeal to people with moral convictions, sometimes the moral values argument is so convincing that some voters may unfortunately vote against their own social and economic needs because of what some right wing preacher or conservative leader says
Example: A majority of the Christian Right's arguments for nearly everything
Another Example: A candidate or someone else saying they are the more moral or Christian person
Fighting it: Moral Values Arguments are frequently tied together with Wedge Issues, if you can dull the wedge issues, then consider that a victory against the moral values argument
Just because someone says that they are moral or Christian, no sane person would trust them just because of that, why make that mistake in politics?

Slippery Slope
AKA: The "If I see this argument one more time, then I think I will blind myself" argument
What it is: Conservatives saying "If A happens, then B will happen, and then C will happen..."
What it does: They want to portray some event they don't like turning into the worst nightmare possible
Example: Overly used as arguments against same-sex marriage and the ruling in Lawrence V. Texas
More examples:
The Family Research Council actually referred to same-sex marriage as a "Slippery Slope"
Stanley Kurtz of National Review confessed to using this argument against same-sex marriage
Fighting it: This raw and direct appeal to emotion and fear can be hard to fight... unless you know the truth about the slippery slope argument, and that is the fact that the slippery slope is a fallacy, which is an illogical statement with no basis in facts and even sometimes deceptive. When seeing this or faced with this during a debate, it needs to be known that this type of argument an intellectually dishonest maneuver.

Whining
AKA: The "Temper Tantrum" argument
What it is: Conservatives appearing on TV and talking about how everybody hates them and they get nothing they want
What it does: They're hoping to mobilize fellow conservatives and to try to convince opponents to not oppose them as vigorously as they should
Example: "Just like what Nazi Germany did to the Jews, so liberal America is now doing to the evangelical Christians. It's no different. It is the same thing. It is happening all over again. It is the Democratic Congress, the liberal-based media and the homosexuals who want to destroy the Christians. Wholesale abuse and discrimination and the worst bigotry directed toward any group in America today. More terrible than anything suffered by any minority in history." - Pat Robertson
More examples:
The Justice Sunday events
Whenever a Conservative Christian cries of "persecution"
Fighting it: Make it clear that when your man is in the White House and your movement influenced the House and Senate up until 2006, then you are NOT being persecuted
Ask them if they are really facing hatred from everyone else, or if the power of their movement is waning
For real persecution, remind them of the Holocaust, what is going on in Darfur, or the ethnic cleansing that is going on in Iraq.

References:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200407270010
Speech by James Dobson, Oct. 22, 2004
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=bc04c02

[Kurovski]

1. One of the things that struck me about the documentary "Jesus Camp"

was how the children were being trained to respond emotionally, by-passing the thought process. Ensuring that their decisions would be forever automatic, but 100% certain. Ensuring that the ability to manipulate them throughout the rest of their lives would remain a constant.

That hit me when they dragged out the cardboard idol of George W Bush and began worshiping it.

[geardaddy]

2. Kicked and Recommended.

This be standard issue to people in close contact with Repigs.

[Prophet 451]

3. K&R

Su-fucking-perb!

[atommom]

4. Good post. I find the maverick argument especially annoying

Always reminds me of Ben Stein.

[Riktor]

5. The Secondary Route to Persuasion...

... it got you to buy the Pet Rock, and by God, it'll get your ass out to vote for some of the most ridiculous clowns this country has to offer.

[windoe]

6. Authoritative ideology

enables arrested emotional development. The only way it works is with people who have agreed to sacrifice their independent critical thinking processes and substitute blind obedience. A tidy way to deny personal responsibility and shut off empathy--which too often leads to intolerance and violence.

[Lilith Velkor]

7. Actually, I'd like the whining to continue for at least a decade

We could have at least half of 'em loaded onto boxcars before anyone notices.

:yoiks: