# How do republicans keep winning elections
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-republicans-keep-winning-elections/541126
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [May 29, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-republicans-keep-winning-elections/541126 "2010-05-29T00:17:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 6
### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2010, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-republicans-keep-winning-elections/541126/101 "2010-06-10T03:05:38Z")
Its quite true, the Democrats are no longer sucking hind dick when it comes to Big Money. For this we may thank the three-legged _menshevik_ centrist "business-friendly "Clintonistas, who have moved so far to the center that the Dems are just Tweedledum compared to Tweedledumber, Republican Lite.
And I say its spinach, and I say to hell with it!
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### Author:  [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2010, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-republicans-keep-winning-elections/541126/102 "2010-06-10T04:32:24Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#):
>
> True although as far as I can recall Hispanics have always leaned Republican more than other minority groups.
>
> (Aside: We will see how that holds up as the GOP continues to alienate them…)
Subtract Cubans and the numbers go way down, I bet.
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### Author:  [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2010, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-republicans-keep-winning-elections/541126/103 "2010-06-10T04:55:12Z")
> [@nolonger\_lurking](#):
>
> First post in Great Debates.
> …
> Many religious people believe (and are explicitly told in church) that, when given a choice, they must vote for the candidate who (more strongly) supports the restriction of abortion.
It _was_ a great post! A few comments.
Others complain that Money doesn’t favor GOP, that donations are roughtly equal. But I’m very doubtful. Legally reported donations may be roughly equal, but what if you consider, e.g. FoxNews’ budget?
Religion: that some voters were told in church they’d be excommunicated or sent to Hell for voting Kerry should _enrage_ Americans.
Finally, the terms of debate play an important role. Right-wing opinion-makers are cynics with clear propagandizing goals, and not above prevarication. Progressives, on the other hand, tend to be intellectuals who, like scientists, will equivocate in the interests of truth. Yet equivocation doesn’t work for voters with limited attention span.
Consider Kerry’s defeat in 2004. Voter interviews make it very clear he lost due to “questions about his military record.” Anyone who spent ten minutes objectively researching Kerry’s military record would realize he was the hero, Bush the shirker. But voters didn’t have ten minutes to spare; they just had right-wing loudmouths droning from the TV in the background while doing household chores.
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### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2010, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-republicans-keep-winning-elections/541126/104 "2010-06-10T05:06:41Z")
Well, yeah, but the pump was primed. A lot of Americans had awoken to the truth about Iraq, but many were still stuck in the emotional rut they had been beaten into, that Iraq equaled 9-11 against unpatriotic Americans and people who unfairly criticized The Leader. To run against Our President was already suspect, it didn’t matter what his true war record was, the Swift Boaters had them _before_ they said hello.
Add to them the people who hated him for his Viet Nam stance. They will forgive you for criticizing America, they won’t forgive you for being right.
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