Staying Stupid: Why the ‘Hip’ Young Republicans Can’t Change Their Party (or Themselves)

[marmar]

from truthdig:


Staying Stupid: Why the ‘Hip’ Young Republicans Can’t Change Their Party (or Themselves)

Posted on Feb 20, 2013
By Joe Conason


Savvy Republicans know that something is deeply wrong with the GOP —frequently mocked these days by Republicans themselves as “the stupid party”—which has lost the popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections. Some have noticed as well that their congressional majority is so widely despised—its main achievement being historically low public approval ratings—as to be sustainable only by gerrymandering. During the last election cycle, those fearsome Republican super PACs, funded by the overlords of Wall Street and Las Vegas, spent hundreds of millions of dollars—with no discernible impact on an alienated electorate.

The result is a burgeoning self-improvement movement on the right, generating introspective articles and interviews in which Republicans ask: “What is wrong with us? How can we change? What must we do to avoid partisan extinction?”

But like many troubled people grappling with serious life issues, they aren’t truly ready for change. They want to maintain the status quo while giving lip service to reform—and changing as little as possible beyond the superficial. They would do anything to project a fresher image, more attractive and effective, without confronting their deeper problems.

The deceptions involved in this process are perfectly exposed in Robert Draper’s fascinating excursion among the urbane young Republicans whose frustration he skillfully reported in last Sunday’s New York Times Magazine. His account is well worth reading, if only to observe these self-consciously “hip” conservatives confronting the reality of last November—and failing utterly to comprehend its meaning. Early in Draper’s article, a GOP technology consultant notes that the youth vote for President Obama grew by 1.25 million in 2012 over 2008 (precisely the opposite of what most pundits and pollsters predicted). But he doesn’t seem to realize that the youth gap cannot be remedied by stronger social media or updated voter files. ....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/staying_stupid_why_the_hip_young_republicans_cant_change_their_party_or_the/

[kairos12]

1. As is often said, you can't fix stupid. Purposeful, willful ignorance is impossible to change.

[Jade Fox]

2. Well worth reading the entire article.......

I had no problem finding it online.

IMO those who wish to reform the GOP fail to acknowledge is that being fearful of the future, of those who are "different", and of new-fangled techno stuff is part of what makes a Conservative tick. Being a Conservative is, at least in part, a psychological thing.

These young Republicans don't really seem like Conservatives, as I understand Conservatives. I'm mystified as to why they identify with the Republican Party. I suspect their main interest is in getting wealthy, and not having to concern themselves with their fellow citizens.

[JHB]

3. I think many of them "inherited" their identification...

...from their parents or general social background, and now want to reshape it into something they are more comfortable with so that they don't have to break with that identification.

I think a lot of them haven't fully absorbed just how radical their party has become, and what influences have pushed it that way. Better tweeting is not going to turn that around.