We’ve discussed already the rural/urban differences as they correspond to party preferences. What I’m wondering is why Republicans hate Democrats while Democrats merely dislike Republicans. This topic has been hit on in other threads, but not with detail.
This hatred can be seen especially in GOP officials, right now, during impeachment hearing days, etc. But it’s also quite apparent on news talk shows and at the office where I work. I know an owner of a restaurant who absolutely abhors “those sonofabitch Democrats, every last one of 'em.” He spouts the usual unfounded rhetoric, which adds to the assertion that his opinion is definitely not an informed political one. His main gripe is that forty percent of the money he makes goes to taxes. Is money the real reason behind the hatred? Is it because Democrats, to broadly generalize, are less concerned with personal wealth and thus have no reason to get as riled as the Republicans toward their political opponents?
I suspect that it is a function of who you know, personally, and where you live. I know quite a few venom-spewing haters among both parties. My current circle of acquaintances would actually support the contention of the OP: mention Clinton or Gore and the Republicans foam at the mouth; mention one of the Bushes and the Democrats roll their eyes.
On the other hand, it has not been that long ago that I could find a good group of Democrats to go nuts on the subject of Reagan.
There is one aspect of current politics that favors the perception that Republicans are better haters than Democrats: the Republicans still include the Religious Right among their members. The RR makes a great many issues into religious wars and is quite willing to make a crusade out of any cause. The Democrats used to have a a similar wing among the far-left, but as the country has moved toward the center, that part of the Democratic party wandered off to join splinter parties.
The majority of Republicans are no more likely to hate people (or even just Democrats) than anyone else, but as long as Falwell and Robertson are considered Republicans, then they and their followers are liable to show up on TV hurling imprecations at the Democrats while there are no equivalent Democrats to return the favor.
Look over this board from the last six weeks and you can find mindless hatred pouring out of people from every political persuasion.
I don’t accept the premise of the OP. There’s plenty of political hatred to go around. In my opinion, only hatred could explain why the Democrats were behind that commercial showing a pick-up truck dragging ropes and the voice of the daughter of the black man dragged to death saying that she felt like George W. Bush “killed her father all over again.”
I’ve seen at least one person on this board call Bush a murderer, point blank. And who’s name on this board comes to mind when expressing the most vehement hatred of one of the candidates? The first name many would come up with is certainly no Republican!
What about the inevitable comparisons of Republicans to Nazis? Just two weeks ago, Jesse Jackson was comparing Palm Beach County voters to Holocaust victims, suggesting that Republicans were to blame. Also, remember when right-wing talk radio was blamed for the Oklahoma city bombing? How can rhetoric like that be driven by anything other than hate?
I’m not saying that Republicans are blameless. But both parties at times cross the line from heated political rhetoric into hate-driven speech and actions.
For the same reasons that the NRA “claims,” “whines,” or “would have us believe.” but spokesmen for Handgun Control Inc. “find,” “show,” or “demonstrate.” It’s all in how the media portrays the side they don’t like.
I agree that hatred can be seen on both sides, and I already personally noted the point about the #1 name on the SDMB political discussions. It has been my view, broadly, that more Democrats are riled in defense from Republican attack rather than offense. I remember the decrying of all things Reagan, but it was, again, more toward dislike than hatred, though this is only my personal observation.
Yes, hate is found in the speech and commercials of both parties (I hadn’t heard of the truck commercial, that’s outrageous); but if we accept the premise that both parties have engaged in egregious behavior, both political and personal, it still seems that Republicans spit forth more venom in the end. Perhaps it is only because the Dems have held power for a while, but I just don’t remember hatred of Republicans at the fore of the '92 campaign. I’d have to say, though, that any bile there must have been due to the recession.
Once again, we are back to money. Once again, this seems to be the fuel for political hatred. Once again, if mostly on the average-Joe level, the Republicans seem to outweigh the Democrats in the hate department.
If the OP is reversed in geographic areas or other circles, where are they? I’d have to say that the average Manhattan or LA Democrat will still give you rolling eyes before pounding fists when asked about Republicans.
Actually, in pretty much any heated political discussion on the net, somebody will compare the other side with the Nazis. Sometimes it’s the Republican saying it about the Democrat; sometimes the opposite.
Obviously, you haven’t been exposed to hard-core Democrats. The Demos froth at mouth with unrestrained enmity towards the Republicans just as much as the Reps shake with malice at the Democrats. The cliché of Republicans as hate loving people and Democrats as love loving people has no basis in truth. True Believer Democrats love only Democrats and blindly follow the political philosophy of the Party which includes, if I’m not mistaken, the idea that they are only expressing their dislike for the opposing party’s villainy. The same can be said for the Reps on the other side of the coin. Face it, a Demo can be every bit the bigot as a Rep.
No, I’d have to say you are off the mark, as my main example was a personal acquaintance. The public officials were meant to be secondary.
Bye the bye, attacking “biased” media through citation of a libertarian publication doesn’t exactly pack a wallup. I’d like to debate that article another time, if you like, particularly on how the media would include “armed heroes” in the stories if they had been shot or if they had shot the original assailant. News outlets are in the business of selling. Heroic, bloodless endings, unfortunately, do not sell. It has nothing to do with “liberal” media.
Then how did it become a cliche’? Are you taking the biased media approach, as well? I concur fully and completely that Democrats at the far left can be just as hateful. Let me say again, by and large, as an admitted, utter generalization, hate wins over dislike in the majority of Republicans I’ve encountered. If you disagree wholly with this, then you have had different experiences than I have.
What I am interested in is the “why” to both the question in the OP or the background that would lead to disagreement with the OP.
If you were to compare the Democrats with Stalinism, I can guarantee some undies would bundle up.
Jesse Jackson has become a trump card (or living puppet) the Democrats play every time they think there is injustice hiding in the woodpile. But his presence is a sure sign there is no substance behind the cause, just a lot of smoke and no fire. Maybe at one time he was a symbol of what was right and good, I certainly thought so back in the early eighties when he thought about running for President, but now I think of him as only good for a chuckle.
Anyone who elevates their political differences to hatred needs a serious reality check.
And anyone who asks a question like this thread title asks is A) clearly a Democrat; and B)clearly wrong in his/her initial premise.
Are there people out there who hate Clinton, Clinton and Gore? (Now there’s a law firm just waiting to happen. ) Yes; there certainly are. But I would submit that has more to do with their perceived dishonesty, cheating, immorality and flaunting of the rules than their political persuasion.
Personally I don’t hate any of the aforementioned. I don’t hate any other Democrats, either. I just don’t agree with their political philosophies very often. And I definitely see their maneuverings in Florida as an attempt to overturn a very legitimate election process.
Come to think of it, I don’t hate anybody. What kind of Republican am I? Quick, somebody get me a poor child to kick or a forest to dump toxins in!
C’mon DavidB, you know us Republicans don’t refer to Democrats as Nazis. Rather, Dems are just a bunch of pinko heathen commie bastards. But certainly not Nazis.
I knew there was some sort of law about the whole Nazi thing somewhere. Thanks, Joe, for looking it up!
On another issue, Pyrrhonist said:
I don’t think so. Jesse isn’t a Democrat puppet – he’s in it for his own self-promotion. He cares about one person and one person only: Jesse Jackson.
Now, it might happen that some things that are important to Democrats happen to coincide with things that will get Jesse Jackson in the press. But there are other times when I’m sure the Dems would much rather he stay the hell out of things, and he doesn’t.
David, as frightened as I am of the whole concept of being in complete agreement with you (:D), you’re absolutely right on this one. I actually used to have respect for the guy, but that’s when I was 18 and gullible.
I have observed the phenomenon described in the OP myself. I happen to have two sets of friends who don’t intermingle. One set is very Republican. When I am hanging out with that group, I am the only Democrat in the crowd. The other group consists of very liberal Democrats. (I consider myself more of a moderate Democrat.)
Now when I get together with the Republicans, they are just foaming at the mouth about the Democrats, “Algore,” and liberals in general.
When I get together with the Democratic group, and they talk about Republicans, they have more of an “eye-rolling” response as described in the OP. The attitude might be summed up as “Can you believe what the Republicans are doing now? Can you believe that some people actually buy what they are selling?” More incredulous than hateful.
I also recall some Democratic stridency during the Reagan years, but I don’t think it ever approached today’s Republican vitriol.
The only explanation I can think of is the advent of conservative talk radio. I listen to it fairly often just as a form of entertainment, and to try to understand how Republicans (or some of them) are thinking. The hatred spewed forth on the airwaves is astounding. I don’t begrudge these pundits their dissemination of disinformation. That happens on both sides. But what I do hate to hear is the demonization of all things Democratic.
And when I get together with Republican friends, I hear them echoing, almost verbatim, the hateful remarks of Rush Limbaugh, Neil Boortz and others of that ilk.
I think Newt Gingrich also has some blame in the matter. Does anyone remember his list of words to be used for the express purpose of demonizing political opponents? It seems that Newt led the propaganda campaign, and many others have followed in his footsteps.
I don’t think so. Certainly, the talk show hosts use words like “immoral,” “dishonest,” and “cheating” when talking about the Clintons. (And come to think of it, I believe those words are straight off of Newt Gingrich’s list. Hmmm… )
However, I distinctly remember my Republican friends making hateful remarks about the Clintons back in '92, before Bill was ever elected. It seems to me that the Republicans made up their minds that the Clintons were “immoral,” “dishonest,” and “cheating” and then tried to dig up anything they could find to support the assertion.
