# The completely smug density of right wingers **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 29, 2022, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122 "2022-06-29T16:28:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2022, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/21 "2022-06-30T15:32:51Z")
> [@HorribleMutantBoy](#): > > Could it be the fact that conservatism seems to be a defensive ideology “Things are just fine the way they are/were” compared to a progressive ideology of “Things need to change”. Except when it comes to 50 years of legal precedent when it comes to abortion. “Make America Great Again” was based 100% on “things need to change”. Honestly, the left is more “conservative” these days. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2022, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/22 "2022-06-30T15:58:37Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > Anybody else notice that ? It’s the certainty of religion. You can’t tell them shit because they “know everything” already, and anything you present that does not rigidly conform to their ignorance is instantly dismissed as “blasphemy.” You’re a traitor and the enemy, and only _they_ know the true gospel (that they get directly from Fox News). ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2022, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/23 "2022-06-30T16:07:42Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > “Make America Great Again” was based 100% on “things need to change”. Honestly, the left is more “conservative” these days. Exactly. Conservatism vs liberalism is not about status quo vs change, it’s about two sides trying to tug-of-war things further over to their preferred position. One trying to tug America redder and the other trying to tug it bluer. Conservatives have plenty of “change” and “action” they want to see get done. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2022, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/24 "2022-06-30T17:36:09Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > “Make America Great Again” was based 100% on “things need to change”. I interpret it as meaning “things need to go back to the way they used to be (when America was “great”).” (Exactly what “the way they used to be” refers to is left unstated, so that the MAGA-ers can fill in the blanks for themselves: back when America had the respect of the rest of the world, or back before the local factory shut down and lots of people lost their jobs, or back when this was a country for heterosexual white people, or…) ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2022, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/25 "2022-06-30T17:37:14Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Conservatism vs liberalism is not about status quo vs change, it’s about two sides trying to tug-of-war things further over to their preferred position. One trying to tug America redder and the other trying to tug it bluer. I never understand the need to reduce it to a game, as though the stakes are who gets to take home a trophy. Actual people’s lives are impacted by who is winning this game of tug of war. Anyway, the smugness that I have seen of late is that every Republican seems to have a Democratic friend. And that friend is stupid, so very stupid, and they tell me all the stories of the stupid thing that this Democrat friend of theirs said, and how they corrected their stupidity, and how everyone clapped, including Albert Einstein. I didn’t realize it was a thing until recently, where I’ve heard the same story of the same stupid Democratic friend of several Republicans. A recent one, almost repeated word for word by at least three different people (including my mother) is about the Dobbs decision. It goes: “Oh Bill(generic name), the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, now abortion will be illegal in the whole country!” weeps the stupid Democrat. The Smart Republican steps in to console them, “No, it won’t, it’ll just go back to the states for them to decide.” But the Stupid Democrat isn’t that easily swayed, “But on MSNBC, they said that this makes it illegal!” And the Smart Republican now gets to step in and explain, “MSNBC is fake news.” End scene, cue applause. ---
**Author:** ![HorribleMutantBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/258eb7/32.png) [@HorribleMutantBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorribleMutantBoy)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2022, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/26 "2022-06-30T17:47:15Z")
That’s what I’ve noticed as well. They want to portray themselves as some kind of beacon of common sense in a world gone crazy. But how voting for candidates that believe in Deep State Satan worshipping child killers is common sense in any way I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2022, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/27 "2022-06-30T22:24:11Z")
> [@HorribleMutantBoy](#): > > But how voting for candidates that believe in Deep State Satan worshipping child killers is common sense in any way I have no idea. I think the idea is: “Common sense means NOT voting for the Democrats, who support pedophiles/child-traffickers/cannibalism etc.” Obviously, the latter part of the statement is a false misrepresentation of the D’s, but the idea is to make “common sense” still sound coherent. Which is fundamentally what **every** conspiracy theory boils down to. If you really believe Covid is a global hoax, it’s common sense not to go along with Covid protocols. If you really think 9/11 was an inside job, then it’s common sense not to trust the US government. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2022, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/28 "2022-06-30T22:39:48Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Or maybe it just indicates that those individuals are No True Conservatives™? IIRC at least some of them don’t identify as conservative anymore. I dunno. We’re RINOS now. To the few Republicans I’ve spoken to about Trump, those of us who were Republicans and turned against him now are RINOS and they’re disgusted by us. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/29 "2022-07-04T21:42:36Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > It would be nice if I could rattle off a handful of recent times later than the Kaepernick dustup that conservatives got their panties in a bunch and wanted something canceled. Ha! We came up with a list of the 250 dumbest things conservatives have whined about just this century, at the bottom of this thread: > [@Freakouts of the Right](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freakouts-of-the-right/963631/152): > > The Full List (234 entries, so far): 1 2 3 4 5 “After I acted like a fascist, racist, grifter, libs are preventing me from getting a job!” “But Her Emails!” “Elitist Obama mentioning aurugula to a bunch of Iowan farmers who planted…. Aurugula.” “Happy Holidays!” “Hey ho, hey ho Western Civ has got to go!” “I have a wide stance!” “Leslie Stahl is being mean to Trumpie!” “Let’s Go, Brandon!” “Liberal/Woke/Gay Agenda” “Liberals are why we X!” “Locker Room Talk” “Sharia Law is coming!” “… ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/30 "2022-07-04T22:09:36Z")
> [@Freakouts of the Right](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freakouts-of-the-right/963631/152): > > “Sharia Law is coming!” - Actually, they were right on this. The only difference being it’s “Christian Law” that’s coming and they’re totally fine with it. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/31 "2022-07-04T22:30:37Z")
The truly idiotic thing about it is that even when the Democrats have had majorities in both houses of Congress AND the Presidency, the nation hasn’t fallen apart and little legislation that is _that_ offensive to the Right is actually passed. The whole thing is predicated on some sort of ill-defined long game on the part of the Democratic party to bring in a One World Order, socialism, atheism, and a bunch of other stuff that the Democrats have no real desire to promote. The hard right wing tends to see things in black and white- if you’re not actively trying to destroy something, then you’re actively nurturing it and promoting it. There’s no middle ground in their minds. For example, if you’re not actively promoting explicitly Christian goals, then they think you’re literally against it. As a result, they tend to think that because they’re not on board with the Republican stuff, that the Democrats are actively against it… all of it. And it works in reverse; they feel like they _have_ to be explicitly against all things Democrat, since they’re Republican. Even stuff that both sides shouldn’t be adversarial about- climate change, and a host of other policies where the debate should be in _how_ to mitigate/fix/improve, not whether it needs to be done at all. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/32 "2022-07-04T22:36:43Z")
Sharia law allows for abortions so all things considered maybe it would be preferable to the evangelical insanity version. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/33 "2022-07-05T19:18:38Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > It would be nice if I could rattle off a handful of recent times later than the Kaepernick dustup that conservatives got their panties in a bunch and wanted something canceled. [Ted Cruz has gotten into spats with more than one Muppet](https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/29/politics/ted-cruz-elmo-big-bird/index.html). ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/34 "2022-07-05T20:06:17Z")
Usually, it is the puppet with something up its ass. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/35 "2022-07-05T20:29:58Z")
The thing that annoys me are the right wingers on the Supreme Court going on and on about the original intent of the framers; not withstanding the fact that if the framers were to look at the makeup of today’s court they’d be all “Wait, there are Negroes and women and Catholics on the Supreme Court? That’s not what we had in mind at all.” ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/36 "2022-07-05T20:40:59Z")
Most people are moderate, reasonable and just want good policies allowing them to live their lives. Smugness is on both sides of the spectrum. It seems to get worse as one moves far away from the centre in any direction. However, things will improve over time. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/37 "2022-07-05T20:45:51Z")
If Democrats want to get stuff passed, they need to learn the art of pushing the envelope as far to the left as possible so that whatever they eventually do pass looks moderate in comparison. They need to loudly tout bills like “Ban all Gas Vehicles and go Electric/Hydrogen only,” or “Ban and Confiscate 99% of all Guns,” or “10-year max prison sentences for all felons.” Then they can “compromise” and get stuff done. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/38 "2022-07-05T22:09:10Z")
1. It is possible for one side to be worse than the other. There is no Universal Law that states otherwise. 2. If there is to be a balance/turn around it doesn’t just happen on its own. People cause it to happen when they get upset at the current situation and take action. Telling people not to worry because things will just magically turn themselves around is a great way to keep things the way they are…or even make them worse. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/39 "2022-07-05T22:10:55Z")
They create the stereotype, and we do our best to reenforce it? I don’t think that is a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122/40 "2022-07-05T22:31:52Z")
I agree. And I was not trying to imply that, more just saying there have been other times in American history where parties got along just as badly or more so. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-completely-smug-density-of-right-wingers/967122.md?page=3)