GOP Base Driven By Bizarre Ideology, Not Racism, Report Finds

GOP Base Driven By Bizarre Ideology, Not Racism, Report Finds

www.huffingtonpost.com

When Stan Greenberg and fellow Democratic researchers launched a study of the conservative Republican world's reaction to President Obama, he figured they'd find ample evidence of racism.

They didn't. Not at all.

"Race just wasn't brought up," said a surprised Greenberg on a conference call with reporters Friday. He said that the focus groups were given as much time to talk about race as they could possibly need.

"If there was any kind of a racial element, we thought we'd pick it up. We didn't," said James Carville, who also worked on the report.

And when asked who spoke for the Republican Party, the answer was overwhelmingly:

Fox News.

(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 16-10-2009 by grover]

The article goes on to say that:

What drives the GOP base, rather than race, was a genuine belief that Obama has a "secret agenda" to drive the country in a socialist direction, said the authors. These voters want more opposition, not more cooperation.

"They want more opposition," said Carville. "If you don't wanna get primary-ed, there's nothing in this [report] that tells [a GOP member of Congress] to go compromise on anything. Quite the contrary."

While the GOP base was feverishly opposed to Obama, it wasn't happy with its own party either. "Their negative opinions of the Republican Party were really startling," said Agne. "They're very dispirited about their own party."

The report concludes that the extreme GOP voters are not simply at the far end of a standard political continuum that runs left-center-right, but rather they stand fully apart.

The basic belief is that Obama -- a former community organizer who seemingly came from nowhere -- must have been propelled by some secret forces. This is no small segment of the population and represents almost one-in-five voters and nearly two-of-three self identified Republicans.

I have said periodically that at least I am aware that not all opposition to Obama is race based but at the same time some of it is.

What I find interesting though is this is the same sort of attitude that the right had about Clinton as well.

In short it is an extremely paranoid attitude about Democrats in general and it doesn't matter who that Democrat is.

An attitude I find most odd.

BTW I personally would not have used the word bizarre in the headline but we are supposed to go with the original...

I would have used the word paranoid.

www.huffingtonpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 16-10-2009 by grover]

Well Grover, I believe that. I never thought the opposition to Obama was race based. That's why I laugh at the constant right accusation of the left screaming racist. I don't know anyone who thinks it's race driven. Sure a few are but not most. As you said it's the same hate filled rhetoric that was leveled against Clinton. Thanks for the post.

Stan Greenberg and fellow Democratic researchers

Now there's an unbiased source of information on the GOP, I'll tell ya. James Carville was even a part of it. And all from the Huffington Post, no less. With articles like this one being written about them and passed off as serious information, no wonder GOPers are a paranoid bunch.

I'd guess that if the Weekly Standard had offered up a similar study about Democrats two or three years ago and put Ann Coulter in the mix as one of the researchers, they'd have probably found similar results concerning Dems feelings towards George W. Bush.

Its paranoia plain and simple...that much is obvious from some of the threads here on ATS and personally I simply do not understand why...

The powers that be will never allow anyone who is a genuine threat to their best interests to win the nomination, much less the presidency.

All presidents are puppets of the ruling class and have been so since this nation was founded.

[edit on 16-10-2009 by grover]

Clinton sending the National Guard to shoot a little boy and his dog didnt help the "paranoia" much. Neither did torching a bunch of children in Texas.

If we're assuming history began with Clinton, as apparently it did with so many of these children, Clinton made them paranoid and pushed them to the other side then the other side said "jokes on you" and started blowing money left and right and came up with the Patriot Act and made them paranoid of the side they just ran over to then this new guy, from the other side, shows up and doesnt do anything about the Patriot Act, continues blowing money, keeps the wars going, proposes more government interference with his "plans" and the paranoia just grows.

the parties have nothing to do with anything. the two waves are washing the less sharp among us back and forth but the paranoia remains constant. Paranoia of government. Given that government can essentially (and has) reach down and pluck you from existence on a whim a paranoia that is wholly justified.

Anyone still using terms like "Democrat" and "Republican" are going to be the last folks lining up for the last train out of the station.

I'm amazed people still don't get this. Being "surprised" by this "study" or even assuming that a "study" like this should be done is a good indicator of who will be last in line.

Times running out folks. Get with the program. It's been a work in progress for the past 140 years or so.

Speaking as an old Republican borderline Libertarian nowadays I have to say the Obama is a unique fella as far as democrats go. I never felt so negative about Clinton. Sure, I wasn't happy Clinton won back then and I laughed at his shortcomings along with the rest of the nation. Clinton was harmless compared to Obama.

Obama brings a new level radical ideologies and agendas that I have never seen before. That is the crux of the dissent against him. His poll numbers are declining rapidly amongst people who voted for him. Many of the swing voters that leaned his way are now regretting that fateful pull of the lever.

He is determined to turn this nation upside down to shake out everything that he does not like or agree with. Corporate takeovers, Czars galore, obscene spending, closed door meetings when transparency was promised, backpedaling etc etc etc. We are experiencing bankrupt BIG govt. like we have never dreamed. Sadly, there is no end in sight to the empty promises and spending.

He is not a run of the mill center rail riding democrat. He gave that appearance just long enough to get himself elected. His radical and progressive background is now at the forefront and there is virtually nothing the nation can do to hold him back.

I'll stop there long enough to take a breath and a sip of Scotch.

Originally posted by vor78

Stan Greenberg and fellow Democratic researchers

Now there's an unbiased source of information on the GOP, I'll tell ya. James Carville was even a part of it. And all from the Huffington Post, no less. With articles like this one being written about them and passed off as serious information, no wonder GOPers are a paranoid bunch.

I'd guess that if the Weekly Standard had offered up a similar study about Democrats two or three years ago and put Ann Coulter in the mix as one of the researchers, they'd have probably found similar results concerning Dems feelings towards George W. Bush.

Originally posted by jibeho
He is determined to turn this nation upside down to shake out everything that he does not like or agree with.

Let's see... He took the office when we were in real danger of total economic meltdown. The country has 43 million uninsured people and there is evidence that this contributes to lack of preventive care and leads to preventable illness. He took office when the country was not held in high respect by our allies.

Now, you are saying, he wants to turn things upside down, making them right. I say, more power to him. Hope the scotch you said you were going to drink was good

Originally posted by buddhasystem

Originally posted by jibeho
He is determined to turn this nation upside down to shake out everything that he does not like or agree with.

Let's see... He took the office when we were in real danger of total economic meltdown. The country has 43 million uninsured people and there is evidence that this contributes to lack of preventive care and leads to preventable illness. He took office when the country was not held in high respect by our allies.

Now, you are saying, he wants to turn things upside down, making them right. I say, more power to him. Hope the scotch you said you were going to drink was good

He is adding to the potential meltdown with record level spending and deficits. He is going to rob Peter to pay Paul to cover his still unknown Obamacare costs.

Foreign affairs are a mess right now. The Russians are eating us alive. Iran is laughing and thumbing its nose and we turned our backs on our allies in Poland and the Czech Republic. We still have yet to see the outcome of that mess. What did Hillary cough up to the Russians with hopes of getting help in Iran.

Hillary Clinton has been just as ineffective as SOS as Obama has been as POTUS. Hillary Clinton has taken human rights off the table on a visit to China and let's not forget Obama's shameful refusal to see the Dalai Lama. China hasn't moved an inch on North Korea, Iran or human rights and China is working with Russia to dethrone the dollar as the world's reserve currency.

We keep backpedaling with Iran. Remember Obama saying back in July that Iran had until the G20 to comply with regards to their Nuke program? The g20 came and went and Obama threatened stringent sanctions. Ooops no sanctions yet again. Obama wants to talk some more thereby giving Iran more time to enrich Uranium.

They are all amateurs in the White House. The only man with the most experience is Joe BIden and he makes Dan Quayle look like a Rhodes Scholar.

Whew! Yes the Scotch was good. I dusted off the Johnnie Walker Black today. Sorry if I rambled. My rant wasn't really aimed at you unless your real name is Barack Obama.

Ironic.

The article says:

"What drives the GOP base, rather than race, was a genuine belief that Obama has a "secret agenda" to drive the country in a socialist direction, said the authors. These voters want more opposition, not more cooperation."


Sounds pretty logical to me. Belief drives the GOP base.

Good.

Claiming racism is a cop-out so they don't have to answer questions or discuss issues.

I don't like Obamacare because POTUS is 50% black? Come on. I fail to see the coorelation.

Being called a racist is one of those things that can't be taken back in our society. Once someone says you are, you're stuck with it whether you really are or not. Its such an incendiary concept in our culture that the most sensational possibility is automatically assumed, and thats what gets remembered. Everyone is so afraid of being labled a racist that most people will end a conversation or line of questioning at the very mention of the word.

I honestly can't say if I like POTUS or not, because I have absolutely no idea who he is or what his agenda is. Thats what really scares me.

I've heard him talk a lot, but I've never really heard him say anything. I've heard a lot of plans, but not seen anything implemented.

Everyone is ready to accept the most extreme theories about him because nobody really knows what to expect and what he is actually capable of.

The birther movement rather then the Republican Party is racially motivated . I have taken note how the purely ideologically driven Republican Party won't go near the Birther movement . Obama isn't the hard core left winger his detractors make him out to be if he was US troops would have left Iraq and Afghanistan in Dunkirk style . Its going to be a while before the Republican party becomes less idealogical , more pragmatic and accepting of the moderate arm of the party .

Originally posted by xpert11
The birther movement rather then the Republican Party is racially motivated . I have taken note how the purely ideologically driven Republican Party won't go near the Birther movement .

I don't see how the birther movement is racially motivated. I personally am not losing sleep over it, but I think its a little weird that he won't just release his long form and shut everyone up. Even if he doesn't have one and was born in Kenya or the moon or where ever, he is the sitting President. I'm sure it wouldn't be trouble at all for a long form Hawaiian birth certificate to show up on his desk within an hour of asking for it.

But any publicity is good publicity.

The birther movement survives because it is the most logical and convenient argument that could lead to POTUS being declared ineligable for the office. Most people distance themselves from it because it is not very likey to succeed and is widely ridiculed.

Racially motivated though? I guess I used to date a girl who grew up in South Africa who everyone assumed was black. But that concept is not transitive since we know the President is black- if it is racially motivated what difference does it make where he comes from?

I think the birther movement is more "Constitutionally" motivated than "racially" motivated.

reply to post by WhiteOneActual


At the risk of going off topic the points raised need to be addressed . The Birther movement is racially motivated because they didn't care in the slightest about the fact that McCain was born outside the USA . The matter is discussed in this thread . Even if Obama was to release the long version of his birth certificate it wouldn't be enough for some . The birther movement are puppets being manipulated on strings .

The blither movement is a pathetic joke and nothing more...some people will believe anything including aliens in my attic.

And before someone comments about me bad mouthing a political movement by calling them blithers....they are not a movement and its only political in the sense that that the object of the obsession is the president.

IMO the fact that people and not party's select candidates is preventing the Republican Party from rebuilding itself as a creditable and respectable force . Since the party is unable to pre select candidates it can't get any bright up and comers elected in a American variation of a safe Republican seat . Instead the party is at the mercy of right wing kook's who think that anybody who is Pro Life , hates gays and knows how to work a crowd should get anywhere near the Oval Office . Mean while the moderate arm of the Republican party is hated due to bigotry being unleashed amongst themselves . Its not easy under any political system to tap the old heads on the shoulder and tell them that its time for them to go .

I expect the Republican party to make gains at next year congressional election however this looks set to be a false dawn .

reply to post by xpert11

I think that they will gain some seats back yes...but it won't because of their strength but because of Democratic bumbling. But they will not gain back either house.

I fully expect to see the GOP functionally split into two parties with two sets of candidates by 2012 if they cannot pull themselves together.

However I do not see the far right branch go anywhere...they don't attract undecided voters, they repel them.

Originally posted by WhiteOneActual

I honestly can't say if I like POTUS or not, because I have absolutely no idea who he is or what his agenda is. Thats what really scares me.

I've heard him talk a lot, but I've never really heard him say anything. I've heard a lot of plans, but not seen anything implemented.

You haven't been paying attention to the news. Here's a list of campaign promises Obama has either kept, are in the works, or are stalled thus far, and he's not even a year into his presidency yet:

Obameter

These are the top promises kept:

promises kept

Politifact is generally thought to be non-partisan.

[edit on 19-10-2009 by Sestias]

I just wanted to add, without reading all the posts.

I in no way believe that race is the reason behind all the attacks on Obama. But hopefully people are denying that race is a factor in some of it all. Living in the south, I cannot tell you the amount of people who don't want that "(insert racial expletive here)" as their president. And to quote a few "hes not my president, I didn't vote for him". Have also heard few "I bet all he does is help other (insert racial expletive here) out".

Race may not be the only factor, or the main factor. But please don't deny that it is the sole reason many people (if you can call them people) oppose him.

Also alot of the same people who say they don't that as president, also say I'm not against him because hes a (insert racial expletive here), its because hes a communist and he's destroying our country.