Megan McArdle has a blog post examining a common Democratic meme -- basically that voters who reject Democratic policies do so either because they are misguided or have been misled. While her take is pretty good, this reader comment deserves to be quoted in its entirety:
After living in DC and taking part in innumerable political discussions in which it is taken as an article of faith that the political right is inspired by nothing other than selfishness, greed and other base motives, I can't help but find this deeply hilarious -- with several grains of truth.
Update: Check out this blatant attempt to disregard the will of the people. Stunning.
My goodness, this post just doesn't reflect reality at all, I'm sorry to say.
Look, this really isn't that hard so I don't know why so many otherwise seemingly intelligent people keep missing it.
There are two primary groups vying for power in this country. One of them is populated almost exclusively by compassionate geniuses who give little thought & regard to their own personal promotion, but rather work tirelessly for the good of everyone in society, particularly those who are the weakest, poorest, sickest, youngest, or most deserving of compassion for other reasons.
The other group vying for power is populated nearly completely by vile, venal people who delight in the suffering of the innocent and the torment of the defenseless. They awake each morning eager to bring pain and misery into the lives of as many as they can to feed their own sick, twisted desires. Every time they see the noble group poised to bring untold delights to millions, they fight tooth and nail to stop it.
One side has the vision and ability to usher in a golden age free of want & suffering, a country in which everyone will have all of their reasonable needs met quickly & efficiently, a place in which every day is filled with smiles & sunshine. The other side is working to bring something very much like the land of Mordor into reality, a place in which grotesque, disfigured hulks of former humans toil endlessly in a barren, denuded landscape full of fire & ash.
The first side is, of course, the progressive liberal Democrats and the other the more moderate Democrats &, still further to the side of evil, the Republicans.
So when the evil side wins of course it's not because people have decided en masse that they would like to be ridden down into the dust in service of the selfish desires of an evil elite! It's not b/c they have decided that they want things to get worse! It can only be because they have been lied to in some brutal fashion!
Sheesh! How can anyone not see it?
The Republicans put forth lies about "freedom" and "choice" and "personal responsibility" that the ignorant savages we call "citizens" buy into b/c they feel this is some sacred heritage that we have been handed and that must be preserved. They somehow buy into the deception that our surpassing wealth & power as a nation are somehow related to these things. But of course this is the basest sort of nonsense.
If the bold progressives could have a free hand for just a few years, people would quickly realize that once their fevered, delusional grip on "freedom" is removed, they have lost nothing of value but gained everything worth having. Just imagine not having to worry about your healthcare or housing or food or sexuality or environment! Imagine not having to worry about anything at all as you will have all of your needs filled in the best possible way as part of an intricate plan designed for maximum satisfaction by the very smartest people who have ever lived! No more wasted effort as people try to figure out their way in the world! No more working at cross-purposes as people try to one-up each other in the selfish pursuit of "more-more-more"! Just one big happy nation-sized family, working together to fulfill all of our dreams through the realization of our progressive leaders' utopian visions!
Don't believe the Republican/Conservative/Libertarian/Whomever lies! The golden age is at hand! Yes we can!
Update: Check out this blatant attempt to disregard the will of the people. Stunning.
