MaxTheVool: First, let’s concede that in both the Republican Party and in the Democrat party there are people who vote based not on personal knowledge or philosophy, but simply because they have chosen the group they want to belong to and they parrot whatever the group tells them. I know liberals who couldn’t tell you a damned thing other than what they’ve been told by various liberal groups or activists who feed them talking points. And there are Conservatives who do the same thing. They know which side they prefer, and once they’ve chosen sides they are good foot soldiers for the cause. If Rush or Beck tells them something, they simply repeat it to others as if it’s the revealed truth of God - but they have no idea why.
To such people, uttering political opinion is akin to joining in a tribal dance - it’s a way to affirm their membership in the clan. I honestly believe this describes a fairly large percentage of people on both extremes of political debate. And to be honest, there’s really nothing wrong with that: If you don’t have time or the brainpower or the inclination to heavily research every single position, there’s nothing wrong with just aligning yourself with the group of people you feel most comfortable with and repeating what you’re told. Unfortunately, these are also the kinds of people who are most easily manipulated by powerful forces on each side, whether it be the Koch Brothers or George Soros, Rush Limbaugh or Keith Olbermann.
The next group of people on each side are the ones who are in it for themselves. Union workers who vote Democrat because Democrats promise to give union workers more power. Businessmen who vote Republican because Republicans will cut taxes for businessmen. Special interests on both sides. These are the groups who assert the most power over the entire collective, because they have the most to gain or lose and therefore put in the most effort and money. Unions are the biggest lobbyists and donators in Washington. Of the top 20 biggest donors to politicians in Washington, 16 of them give to Democrats, and most of those are unions.
The last group on each side are the people who are basically policy wonks who combine their own a priori assumptions and worldviews to politics, employ rational analysis, and decide where they stand. They may vote liberal or conservative regardless of how it personally affects them, because they’re trying to operate from a position of logic and empirical evidence, and are trying to do what’s right for their country. I honestly believe that describes most of the people in Great Debates - on the right and on the left. That includes wealthy people like Matt Damon who advocates for higher taxes on the rich, despite the fact that he’d be one of the ones paying the higher taxes. It includes people like me, who advocated for less government at a time when I qualified for half the government assistance programs available - and didn’t take them.
I honestly don’t see either side as being better or worse in this regard. I know a lot of libertarians and conservatives who personally have little to gain by advocating for their positions, but do so because they honestly think it’s the best way for society to organize itself to maximize long term wealth, security, and happiness. I read a lot of libertarian and conservative literature, and the arguments therein are generally sincere and focused on what’s best for the country as a whole, in the author’s opinion. I also read left-wing magazines, and I generally find the same attitude in, say The Nation.
Unfortunately, there are also agitators on both sides - rhetorical bomb throwers and angry partisans who aren’t happy just advocating for their own beliefs, but must tear down the other side through personal attacks, moral slams, or even physical violence. They’re the ones who are convinced that to be a Republican/Democrat you must be Evil/Stupid/Brainwashed, and therefore you must be mocked, threatened, and abused.
Everyone has to decide what part they want to play.