The GOP Feels Your Pain and Manipulates You with It: "The Resentment Strategy" (health care system, vote)

[delusianne]

This is from an editorial by Paul Krugman in Thursday's NYT. (In this editorial he also mentions a brilliant book on the history of this fascinating topic, Nixonland by Rick Perlstein.)

[D]on’t be fooled either by Mr. McCain’s long-ago reputation as a maverick or by Ms. Palin’s appealing persona: the Republican Party, now more than ever, is firmly in the hands of the angry right, which has always been much bigger, much more influential and much angrier than its counterpart on the other side.
...
...how much of the anger on the right is based not on the claim that Democrats have done bad things, but on the perception — generally based on no evidence whatsoever — that Democrats look down their noses at regular people.

....the peculiar cult of personality that not long ago surrounded George W. Bush — a cult that celebrated his anti-intellectualism and made much of the supposed fact that the “misunderestimated” C-average student had proved himself smarter than all the fancy-pants experts.

And when Mr. Bush turned out not to be that smart after all, and his presidency crashed and burned, the angry right — the raging rajas of resentment? — became, if anything, even angrier. Humiliation will do that.

What the G.O.P. is selling, in other words, is the pure politics of resentment; you’re supposed to vote Republican to stick it to an elite that thinks it’s better than you.

There are other shades to the RW characterization of "liberals" that Krugman doesnt address here, equally used by the RW as tinder to feed the base's steady anger. Consider the tone and thrust of right wing media news and messages, subtle and not so.

Do you agree or disagree with Krugman's assessment?

[ViewFromThePeak]

Originally Posted by delusianne

This is from an editorial by Paul Krugman in Thursday's NYT. (In this editorial he also mentions a brilliant book on the history of this fascinating topic, Nixonland by Rick Perlstein.)

[D]on’t be fooled either by Mr. McCain’s long-ago reputation as a maverick or by Ms. Palin’s appealing persona: the Republican Party, now more than ever, is firmly in the hands of the angry right, which has always been much bigger, much more influential and much angrier than its counterpart on the other side.
...
...how much of the anger on the right is based not on the claim that Democrats have done bad things, but on the perception — generally based on no evidence whatsoever — that Democrats look down their noses at regular people.

....the peculiar cult of personality that not long ago surrounded George W. Bush — a cult that celebrated his anti-intellectualism and made much of the supposed fact that the “misunderestimated” C-average student had proved himself smarter than all the fancy-pants experts.

And when Mr. Bush turned out not to be that smart after all, and his presidency crashed and burned, the angry right — the raging rajas of resentment? — became, if anything, even angrier. Humiliation will do that.

What the G.O.P. is selling, in other words, is the pure politics of resentment; you’re supposed to vote Republican to stick it to an elite that thinks it’s better than you.

There are other shades to the RW characterization of "liberals" that Krugman doesnt address here, equally used by the RW as tinder to feed the base's steady anger. Consider the tone and thrust of right wing media news and messages, subtle and not so.

Do you agree or disagree with Krugman's assessment?

While I sort of agree with what's said, it's hardly coming from an unbiased source.

Also, "Dr." Krugman is one of those "economists" who read a lot about economics, but learned nothing from his studies. Just another indoctrinated overeducated cream puff.

[ZGACK]

What the G.O.P. is selling, in other words, is the pure politics of resentment; you’re supposed to vote Republican to stick it to an elite that thinks it’s better than you.

The reason this has so much power is because it's 100% true. Obama, his supporters, the media all believe people in the flyover states are are simple minded rubes. Look to Obama's very first statement on the selection of Palin where he derided her small town roots. And then to his famous trashing of people who cling to religion and guns. The left has always condescended to those who don't subscribe to their beliefs and trashed them as stupid, unsophisticated hay seeds. Obama is an elitist dilettante and it's good Krugman acknowledges that!

[delusianne]

Originally Posted by ViewFromThePeak

While I sort of agree with what's said, it's hardly coming from an unbiased source.

Also, "Dr." Krugman is one of those "economists" who read a lot about economics, but learned nothing from his studies. Just another indoctrinated overeducated cream puff.

Why do you attack the messenger?

He is commenting on the statements the speakers made at the GOP convention. The sentences they spoke. The statements that got huge cheers. Those statements are made for a reason and are addressed to a thoroughly vetted target audience.

You dont have to be "overeducated" to see cause and effect.

Originally Posted by ZGACK

The reason this has so much power is because it's 100% true. Obama, his supporters, the media all believe people in the flyover states are are simple minded rubes.

Please give a link or other cite in which Obama says or otherwise indicates this is his belief.

Originally Posted by ZGACK

Look to Obama's very first statement on the selection of Palin where he derided her small town roots.

Do you mean, he pointed out that she's not experienced enough to run the United States of America, which is rather larger and more complicated than Wasilla, Alaska?

Originally Posted by ZGACK

And then to his famous trashing of people who cling to religion and guns.

Do you remember in what context he said that? This is what he said, "But the truth is, is that, our challenge is to get people persuaded that we can make progress when there’s not evidence of that in their daily lives. You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." - http://thepage.time.com/transcript-of-obamas-remarks-at-san-francisco-fundraiser-sunday/ (broken link)

What's untrue about that - or, as for the bitterness part, specific to any particular pressured, threatened group of people in the entire world? It's a fact, it is (one thing that) happens.

Originally Posted by ZGACK

The left has always condescended to those who don't subscribe to their beliefs and trashed them as stupid, unsophisticated hay seeds.

Such a statement indicates a very short memory and no interest in questioning what you enjoy hearing: just the correct grasp of history and method of evaluating candidates that the right wing manipulators want its base to have.

Originally Posted by ZGACK

Obama is an elitist dilettante and it's good Krugman acknowledges that!

"Dilettante"? He's given his entire career to politics and to helping the less fortunate. How on earth is he a dilettante?!

"I mean, you haven't heard one word about how they're going to make the health care system work so that if a union's negotiating with a company, it's not all just a discussion about higher premiums, and you can actually start talking about higher wages and benefits. You haven't heard one word about how we're going to create more apprenticeship programs like the ones that we have here or give other people a chance to train in new trades. You haven't heard a word about getting serious about green and alternative energy, the kind of work that is resulting in all the expansion and additional hiring here. You haven't heard a word about how we're going to strengthen unions so that working people get a decent stake. You haven't heard a word about how we're going to improve math and science education so that we can hire more engineers to create more products in green technology. You haven't heard a word about how we're going to deal with any aspect of the economy that is affecting you and your pocketbook day-to-day. Haven't heard a word about it. I'm not exaggerating. Literally, two nights, they have not said a word about it. They've had a lot to say about me, but they haven't had anything to say about you. And the thing that I'm insisting on in this election is that we can't keep playing the same political games we always play."

[TigerLily24]

Thanks for posting that. It is fascinating to me the different standards the republicans are held to.
Did you happen to see Bob Herbert's column today? Equally illuminating.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/06/op...hp&oref=slogin

[georgia dem]

Originally Posted by delusianne

This is from an editorial by Paul Krugman in Thursday's NYT. (In this editorial he also mentions a brilliant book on the history of this fascinating topic, Nixonland by Rick Perlstein.)

[D]on’t be fooled either by Mr. McCain’s long-ago reputation as a maverick or by Ms. Palin’s appealing persona: the Republican Party, now more than ever, is firmly in the hands of the angry right, which has always been much bigger, much more influential and much angrier than its counterpart on the other side.
...
...how much of the anger on the right is based not on the claim that Democrats have done bad things, but on the perception — generally based on no evidence whatsoever — that Democrats look down their noses at regular people.

....the peculiar cult of personality that not long ago surrounded George W. Bush — a cult that celebrated his anti-intellectualism and made much of the supposed fact that the “misunderestimated” C-average student had proved himself smarter than all the fancy-pants experts.

And when Mr. Bush turned out not to be that smart after all, and his presidency crashed and burned, the angry right — the raging rajas of resentment? — became, if anything, even angrier. Humiliation will do that.

What the G.O.P. is selling, in other words, is the pure politics of resentment; you’re supposed to vote Republican to stick it to an elite that thinks it’s better than you.

There are other shades to the RW characterization of "liberals" that Krugman doesnt address here, equally used by the RW as tinder to feed the base's steady anger. Consider the tone and thrust of right wing media news and messages, subtle and not so.

Do you agree or disagree with Krugman's assessment?

I do not agree with this
and who is the NYT in the tank for??
I have see the bull crap from The DNC and from Obama
as a democrat I am pissed at the slime this party has become.
You want to stay with them, knock yourself out.
You want to spin this mess, have at it.
Come Nov the rubber meets the road.
Let's meet then and see who is resentful, I can hear the gashing of teeth now....
Mccain '08

[normie]

It's amazing how the internet is effecting this election. In years gone by the only people who would have read this would be subscribers, and maybe a handful of people reading the paper at the NY library. Thanks for sharing it delusianne.