Saturday, November 05, 2011
Party Differences
The problem with Democrats is that in order to sell their policies, they have to lead with their hearts. They have to appeal to people’s emotions that someone in power (typically private power) is screwing someone else over and that it is not fair. They have to appeal to the emotion that helping someone is the right thing to do and that otherwise, you have a hard heart.
The problem with Republicans, at least of late, is that they fight against thoughtful and/or complex answers to complex problems. All problems can be fixed by a simple answer based on conventional wisdom and common sense. Complex problems don’t require thinking, only the native intelligence and gut instincts of the common man. The common man may not be too educated on the issue at hand (not that they are dumb, they just don’t know the issue), but an instinctual feel for what is right and wrong will come up with the answer. Too many solutions are based on overthinking and over complicating the answer by the effete intellectual elites. This leads to Republican anti-intellecualism.
Both are appealing to the emotions and the masses. Democrats: What an outrage! We need to help! Republicans: If there’s a problem, simple answers are needed, even in our complex world! Anything else is an outrage that offends common sense!
The problem with Republicans, at least of late, is that they fight against thoughtful and/or complex answers to complex problems. All problems can be fixed by a simple answer based on conventional wisdom and common sense. Complex problems don’t require thinking, only the native intelligence and gut instincts of the common man. The common man may not be too educated on the issue at hand (not that they are dumb, they just don’t know the issue), but an instinctual feel for what is right and wrong will come up with the answer. Too many solutions are based on overthinking and over complicating the answer by the effete intellectual elites. This leads to Republican anti-intellecualism.
Both are appealing to the emotions and the masses. Democrats: What an outrage! We need to help! Republicans: If there’s a problem, simple answers are needed, even in our complex world! Anything else is an outrage that offends common sense!
