Letter ito the Editor in the Austin American Statesman

[acmejack]

This was a letter to the Editor in today's 13 July paper.

>---
Who conservatives are

On Saturday, a letter writer bemoaned the fact that Republicans are constantly voting against their own interests, the implication being that they are too dumb to know better, or that they are manipulated by the political machine ("Republicans' secret").

I've heard this idea many times from Democrats. It shows that they are not only condescending, but clueless about who conservatives are. We care about the country more than we care about ourselves because the country is our children's posterity. Our votes reflect what is best for the country.

Contrast that with Democrats, who vote to protect my right to an abortion, my right to sue you, my right to union wages, my right to defame my own country and my right to a welfare check.

I became a staunch Republican when President Reagan came into office and righted the country after the feckless Carter administration. I became a Republican despite the fact that I was unemployed and disabled because of an industrial accident. I didn't want a Democrat in office — even if his policies would help me personally. But liberals will never understand that.

DON SCOTT

[e-mail]

Cedar Park

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I am sorely tempted to engage in childish namecalling!!

[raysr]

1. What a dumb-ass this guy is

[noamnety]

2. We care about our children's prosperity

Thus we are borrowing from them, bankrupting the country, and polluting the air, soil, and water supply.

Got it.

[lisa58]

3. So they vote against themselves on purpose? n/t

[Kerrytravelers]

4. Brillant.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

This clown woldn't vote for the person whose policies will benefit them the most. What an idiot.

As a liberal, I may not understand why someone would be conservative, but from this guy, I can clearly see that they are truly stupid.

[Larkspur]

5. He has the same mentality of the Titanic Captain who sailed his ship

full speed ahead into an ice field. One is already at the bottom and the other is reaching him fast.

[sshan2525]

6. Pointless......

You can't argue with someone who sees the world in simple black and white like this. Let him remain delusional. I don't even want idiots like this on our side.

[crispini]

7. You know, he makes a very good point.

We as Democrats quite often pre-judge the Republicans in our lives and characterize them as "deluded" for voting against their own self-interest. But calling them names like this is not going to help us understand them, nor is it going to help us figure out how to reach them. There are some very essential facts about human nature being displayed here. One is the truism from Lakoff: "If the facts don't fit the frame, the facts are thrown away and the frame is kept." We as Democrats are never going to reach these people by enumerating programs and policies. We have to reach them at a values level; we have to engage them and make a guy like this understand that WE are the party who "cares about the country" and about "our children's future." And we're not going to make one dent in his worldview by talking with him about policies and programs. We have to figure out how to reach him and his like at a basic empathetic level, individual by individual.

And, honestly, it doesn't start by engaging in childish namecalling or deriding Republicans as "clueless" -- they are voting the way they are because it meets some basic emotional need.

If you are interested please read "What's the Matter with Kansas" as well as the Lakoff book. They both help a lot.

[johncoby2]

8. Well, as the healthy and employed Republicans would say:

GET A JOB!

[TexasThoughtCriminal]

9. I voted against my self interest

Let's all quit calling people stupid for "voting against their self interest". The argument doesn't advance our cause, :banghead: and it makes the other side feel like righteous martyrs.

You see, I used to vote against my economic interest. During the Reagen defense buildup, I worked for military defense contractors, yet kept voting against Reagan and all other Republicans. Even though more weapons systems helped my paycheck, I saw Reagan for the idiot he was. Was I stupid for voting against my interests? I suspect most DUers would applaud that my values trumped money. Same thing for the red state Bubbas.

Incidentally, I now work in a much more rewarding career in medical research. :7 :7

[fudge stripe cookays]

10. Invent a pill for MS then!

:D

These shots suck.

Glad you came back from the partial dark side, sweetie! I used to work for the IRS, so we're even.

Sincerely,
FSC

[acmejack]

11. I was a defense contractor in those days too

And I voted the same way. Took a lot of heat from my peers for it too!