How does the GOP maintain the level of support they do?

[The lepearchauns]

Im trying to grasp my head around how the GOP manages to maintain the level of support they do in America? The GOP has been undermining the US citizens in every way over the past 4 years, and yet somehow they still garner a large amount of public favor. Below Im going to list off how the GOP "supports" Americans.

Spring 2010 Every GOP house member votes against health care reform law that extends coverage to 32 million Americans and forces employers to OFFER health care to employees. Employer offered health care is up to 30% cheaper than individually purchased health care and saves billions on all sides of the service

June, 2010 GOP filibusters bill that would extend unemployment benefits for nearly 1.2 million people. http://voices.yahoo.com/republicans-stop-2010-unemployment-benefits-extension-6243712.html

Late 2010 All GOP representatives sign promise to hold up voting on ALL legislation until Bush tax cut extension includes cuts for those making over $250,000 per year. Such a cut costs the country billions every year. Not passing cuts before they lapsed would cost the average american thousands.

Dec, 2010 GOP Holds up bill that would give 9/11 rescue workers and survivors access to funding to assist in medical care.http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_12/027005.php

Dec, 2011 GOP holds up legislation until the last possible moment that extends a payroll tax cut http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-republicans-cave-payroll-tax-cuts-extension-obama/story?id=15212988#.T-_r0rXeCSo

The GOP doesnt care about you. They dont care about your taxes. They came days away from doubling your taxes TWICE! They dont care about 9/11 rescue workers, they used their healthcare as a hostage. They dont care that you cant find a job, all they care about is winning, or rather, forcing the democrats to lose. No matter what the cost to citizens. Id really like to hear from some conservatives, particularly GOP supporters as to why they still favor the Republican party?

Below are Barack Obamas words pertaining to what I pointed out above. "I'm not willing to let working families across this country become collateral damage for political warfare here in Washington. And I'm not willing to let our economy slip backwards just as we're pulling ourselves out of this devastating recession..."


Im glad to see the discussion going on here. This question has spurred 18 pages of responses in 15 hours

[Mavorpen]

1. Scare tactics.
2. Preys on people who don't understand economics.
3. Money.

[The lepearchauns]

Im sorry if this is a bit troll-y, but I really cant understand how people still support them. I need some explanation. I have favored liberal ideals my whole life, but given that Im unhappy with Obama as a leader. However, putting the GOP back in control now after their stances the past 4 years seems like a road to doom for this nation

[No Water No Moon]

Im trying to grasp my head around how the GOP manages to maintain the level of support they do in America? The GOP has been undermining the US citizens in every way over the past 4 years, and yet somehow they still garner a large amount of public favor. Below Im going to list off how the GOP "supports" Americans.

Spring 2010 Every GOP house member votes against health care reform law that extends coverage to 32 million Americans and forces employers to OFFER health care to employees. Employer offered health care is up to 30% cheaper than individually purchased health care and saves billions on all sides of the service

June, 2010 GOP filibusters bill that would extend unemployment benefits for nearly 1.2 million people. http://voices.yahoo.com/republicans-stop-2010-unemployment-benefits-extension-6243712.html

Late 2010 All GOP representatives sign promise to hold up voting on ALL legislation until Bush tax cut extension includes cuts for those making over $250,000 per year. Such a cut costs the country billions every year. Not passing cuts before they lapsed would cost the average american thousands.

Dec, 2010 GOP Holds up bill that would give 9/11 rescue workers and survivors access to funding to assist in medical care.http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_12/027005.php

Dec, 2011 GOP holds up legislation until the last possible moment that extends a payroll tax cut http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-republicans-cave-payroll-tax-cuts-extension-obama/story?id=15212988#.T-_r0rXeCSo

The GOP doesnt care about you. They dont care about your taxes. They came days away from doubling your taxes TWICE! They dont care about 9/11 rescue workers, they used their healthcare as a hostage. They dont care that you cant find a job, all they care about is winning, or rather, forcing the democrats to lose. No matter what the cost to citizens. Id really like to hear from some conservatives, particularly GOP supporters as to why they still favor the Republican party?

Below are Barack Obamas words pertaining to what I pointed out above. "I'm not willing to let working families across this country become collateral damage for political warfare here in Washington. And I'm not willing to let our economy slip backwards just as we're pulling ourselves out of this devastating recession..."

It's a fault in America's version of the two-party system.

Basically, anyone who is in favor of any of a number of (usually, socially) conservative agenda items ends up within the GOP catchment.

The Democrats are basically defined by people-who-didn't-join-the-GOP.

And, of course, the same thing but the other way round.

[Maurepas]

From a "knee-jerk" reaction standpoint, the GOP is usually on the side of most people's immediate feelings on a subject. It's just a question of whether you want to research the topic, and depending on your leaning, when you do, you generally end up in the Socialist or Libertarian camps, and no longer like the parties at all.

At least that's my theory on the subject. The ideal of the "if you just work harder you won't need welfare" is a great idea on a basic level, but you actually have to have experiences and research to know that doesn't actually take place in the US.

[Blazedtown]

From a "knee-jerk" reaction standpoint, the GOP is usually on the side of most people's immediate feelings on a subject. It's just a question of whether you want to research the topic, and depending on your leaning, when you do, you generally end up in the Socialist or Libertarian camps, and no longer like the parties at all.

At least that's my theory on the subject. The ideal of the "if you just work harder you won't need welfare" is a great idea on a basic level, but you actually have to have experiences and research to know that doesn't actually take place in the US.

tl;dr Anybody that does not agree with you is uniformed.

[Maurepas]

From a "knee-jerk" reaction standpoint, the GOP is usually on the side of most people's immediate feelings on a subject. It's just a question of whether you want to research the topic, and depending on your leaning, when you do, you generally end up in the Socialist or Libertarian camps, and no longer like the parties at all.

At least that's my theory on the subject. The ideal of the "if you just work harder you won't need welfare" is a great idea on a basic level, but you actually have to have experiences and research to know that doesn't actually take place in the US.

tl;dr Anybody that does not agree with you is uniformed.

Well, at least you're honest in saying you didn't read my post.

Because if you had, I directly stated two opposite ends of the spectrum, the actual gist of what I said was, the informed form an idea to fix a problem, rather than just mindlessly saying they should work harder the way the GOP does, whether that idea is "Socialist" or "Libertarian", or "Austrian-School" or "Keynesian" is irrelevant, what's relevant is, they are no longer a part of the GOP.

[Mike the Progressive]

It's very simple: The Democrats usually do such a piss poor job...at anything, they become the alternative. People want change and if the party that says they favor it can't or won't produce it, they'll go elsewhere.

[Occupied Deutschland]

1: Social conservatism (not a reason I even vaguely support them). Though not as major a factor as it has been earlier, just about anybody who dislikes abortion, gay marriage, and other "social issues" de facto falls into the Republican camp if those things have any sway in their vote.

2: Economics (about the only reason I even vaguely support them). The Republicans are the only major party that (kinda sorta sometimes when it suits them) supports international free trade and other economic policies that the Democrats wouldn't be caught dead espousing (their efficacy is another matter, but people vote on what they BELIEVE the Republican economic plan does, even if you claim that it doesn't work there are enough people who believe it does that it's a major factor).

3: Scare tactics/Neo-conservatism/"Crusader spirit" (not a reason for me): The GOP is the only party where whooping it up about war (John McCain's famous 'bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran...' joke) and interventionism saving other countries and making the world safe for democracy and truth, justice, and the American Way(TM) is really acceptable. Democrats might VOTE this way when the time comes, but they don't run on it.

4: Debt (not a reason for me due to sheer unadulterated hypocrisy, but others are convinced): The GOP has branded themselves the party of fiscal conservatism (in the "not going into debt" sense not the "not giving money to gay people" sense...although I guess both apply) whereas Dems have branded-themselves/been-branded the party of 'welfare'/benefits/whatever-you-wanna-call-it. Anybody not in column A on this issue generally falls into column B and can be persuaded to vote for them based on it (yes, even when Republicans go off spending billions on wars and military research and the like).

I'm sure there's a few other reasons, but those are the ones that pop up to me.

[Maurepas]

It's very simple: The Democrats usually do such a piss poor job...at anything, they become the alternative. People want change and if the party that says they favor it can't or won't produce it, they'll go elsewhere.

You know what? I actually can't argue with that. I'm not convinced that such a rational view is at play here, but I can't argue with the statement itself.

[Mike the Progressive]

It's very simple: The Democrats usually do such a piss poor job...at anything, they become the alternative. People want change and if the party that says they favor it can't or won't produce it, they'll go elsewhere.

You know what? I actually can't argue with that. I'm not convinced that such a rational view is at play here, but I can't argue with the statement itself.

Rationality and elections have little in common. People desire what they were promised and regardless of why it didn't happen, they get angry, impatient and annoyed and favor the alternative. A desperate move by the electorate disillusioned by broken promises and dreams.

[Sun Tea]

.

[Jafas United]

Most people don't care much about the issues. They act like politics is a sport, and root for their favorite team.

It's saddening that this analogy is very true.

[Norstal]

Most people don't care much about the issues. They act like politics is a sport, and root for their favorite team.

Except that people switch allegiance to either parties fairly quickly.

Well, then again, people do the same thing in sports as well.

[New Embossia]

Not with the liberal media demonizing them.

[No Water No Moon]

Most people don't care much about the issues. They act like politics is a sport, and root for their favorite team.

Except that people switch allegiance to either parties fairly quickly.

For the most part, most people don't switch parties, though.

[Transhuman Proteus]

Not with the liberal media demonizing them.

Are Fox News and the assorted shock jocks liberal media to?

(Plus the media doesn't really need to demonize them, the Republicans have been doing that to themselves since Obama became President).

[Jafas United]

Except that people switch allegiance to either parties fairly quickly.

For the most part, most people don't switch parties, though.

Swing voters are said to be the ones who decide elections. But yeah, most vote for the same candidate/party.

[Eternal Hebron]

Because people don't believe your lies.

[L Ron Cupboard]

Because they represent what a large proportion of Americans actually believe.

[Saiwania]

It is very simple really, the Republicans do the opposite of what the Democrats do and vice versa; with some overlap. There are partisans on both sides who remain committed to their party no matter what happens, and the only voting block that truly matters during election years are the Independents who vote either direction depending on how current events are going.

The GOP is the only electable alternative to the Democrats, so people who genuinely don't like the Democratic party's platform or oppose them will vote Republican.

[Trotskylvania]

Because we live in a totalitarian culture that has elevated certain platitudes to gospel truth even though they're flatly contradicted by all available evidence. While the Democrats exist in the same type of solipsistic echo chamber, the Republicans are far more advanced at this kind of self-defined "reality", and have proven pretty effective at shutting out all contrary data from within their fortresses. Like Noam Chomsky said, "The sign of a truly totalitarian culture is that important truths simply lack cognitive meaning and are interpretable only at the level of "Fuck You", so they can then elicit a perfectly predictable torrent of abuse in response. We've long ago reached that level."

[Trotskylvania]

Because people don't believe your lies.

Quod erat demonstratum

[SaintB]

Because people don't believe your lies.

It's all lies if you totally ignore all the facts in the OP.

The GOP tends to gain the favor of the people with the money; its a major factor in being able to maintain a base. They get their message out better than their opponent in a lot of cases and even if that message is shit it is still a message that people understand. Basically Republicans have more social clout in the form of spending in the majority of elections.

[Hippostania]

I for one support GOP because they're actually trying to fix the economy and save the US, while the Democrats are steadily trying to ruin it with big government and irresponsible spending.

The links you posted, they just show that the GOP is actively trying to prevent the government becoming excessively large and bloated. Healthcare is not the government's business. The government doesn't operate supermarkets or clothing stores, why should it operate hospitals or provide any kind of healthcare? Healthcare is a privilege, not a right.