How does the GOP get so many working class Americans to vote Republican when it is against their own self interest? Over 40% of those making less than $50,000 (family income) a year vote straight Republican tickets. Why? Well, other than they are all White.
1) Republican use of Fear – It never lets up, it is the basis of their politics, the "Red Scare" giving us McCarthyism, duck and cover and more money ever spent on anything in the world before or since. When that slowed down, Republicans turned the fear inward to The Government, Gays and blacks. In 2001 the fear switched over to Muslims and as that died down it became Mexicans who we had to hide under our beds from. And through it all that Republican cry for Law and Order and more prisons. Stupid White People are easily scared and eat it up like pigs at the trough
2) Taxes – The basis of the "Hate the Federal Government" for stealing their hard earned money to give to those less deserving (white) than they. This IS the least taxed industrialized nation on Earth. It is why we are in the dire straights we are, but like questioning religion we cannot even discuss raising taxes without people screaming SOCIALISM or waving their guns around. To make it even sillier, the working class pay very little of their income in federal taxes, state income taxes or property taxes. This is all just a play for the wealthy to keep all their UNEARNED INCOME. Working class people pay what taxes they pay oh EARNED INCOME.
3) Race – One of the most important issues in hating the Federal Government is that it panders (helps) to poor people no matter their race. Republicans play the race card constantly, whether it’s the destruction of ACORN, NAACP, Jackson/Sharpton, both New Black Panthers or what have you. It is poorly hidden and just as poorly denied. It is also the main reason for the repeal of Health Care Reform and the reason we refuse to have a single payer system. White people do not want to pay for helping out Blacks and Mexicans.
4) Religion – Republican Bible thumping works in this country as in no other. Intone Jesus, family values, creationism, the Ten Commandments, praying in school and they gather like walleyes in the Spring run. What they lack in education and intellectual capacity the make up for in make believe crap. Which personally I wouldn’t mind if it were not such ugly intolerant bigoted self serving crap.
5) Nationalism – Called patriotism by some and jingoism by others. The height of your flag pole, the size of your flag, the louder you sing, the ever present lapel pin, the endless cry of "American Exceptionalism" all play well to the ignorant masses who see nothing wrong with saying "My Country Right or Wrong". Perfect place to inject an anualogy of Nazism hey? But we must rise above that, just us, they don’t have to.
5) Guns – This is the ugliest part of Republican politics. Ask the gunloons or the NRA what the guns are for. It has NOTHING to do with hunting (sportsmanship is not about 30 round or even 10 round clips or assault rifles or handguns) and EVERYTHING to do with shooting blacks, Hispanics, infringing neighbors and overthrowing the government. And who is the government that so needs shooting? The police and the United States Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force. It is not about supporting our troops but killing them. And just about everyone is AFRAID to say anything!
6) The Lies – But it is the Republican lies that holds it all together. How the wealthy country clubbers can so easily fool the idiots into voting for them. Whether the lies be about death panels, Health Care Reform killing jobs, a Chinese invasion, Mexicans spreading TB and stealing our jobs as lettuce pickers and roofers, Sharia Law taking over our judicial system, the myths of evolution and climate change or that no one under 40 will ever see a lick of Social Security.
On that last one, why do most people under 40 believe that flat out lie? Just a minimum of tweaks will solve the problem which will have no choice but to come soon. So how do so many come to believe such an obvious lie. It is not only because it is told by Republicans over and over and over again, but because the Cato Institute has been on college campuses for a generation screaming it with the help of a very nasty little man named David Horowitz.
All in all what Republicans are most about is overturning the FDR’s New Deal (Social Security) and Johnson’s Great Society (Medicare and Medicaid). It goes back even further to now even talking about repealing the 14th Amendment.
How much of all that is based upon not wanting "My hard earned money going to N-word and Mexicans" is for you to decide. But after 30 years living down here in Dumbutt, Texas it is no longer a question to me but a sad but firm fact of life. Best we don’t talk about it though…
The question I have found most irritating to Republicans is this one. Try it yourself.
"If racism is not a factor in Republican politics, then why do 95% of Blacks vote for Democrats? Are 95% of Blacks just stupid?" And you know, that question so annoys them the answer I hear most often is "Yes!" Is that racism or anger?