Why are Republicans such dicks? Here's James Carville's answer.

[Cyrano]

I've posted this question as an OP many times over the years. And then I'd go into some long-winded reasons.

Last night, James Carville was interviewed by Ari Melber and was asked the same question (in a more polite way).

James' answer was: "Because there's more white trash in the Republican Party than ever before."

Shakespeare said, "Brevity is the soul of wit." Perhaps Carville nailed it with his politically incorrect observation.

[LakeArenal]

1. Well, I guess that's harsh

Actually there are some very savvy rich educated people that are manipulating uninformed, fearful, societal “victims”.

Not all white trash. But the most dangerous of the lot.

[Cyrano]

2. I believe he was referring to Republicans who hold office, not their voters

[Salviati]

6. Or as I like to say:

It is inevitable that a party for idiot assholes will eventually become a party of idiot assholes.

[Dickster]

22. I've said this many times...

Not all Republicans are a$$holes, but every a$$hole that I know is a republican!

[DownriverDem]

8. Well I sure

consider many repub voters white racist hater trash.

[cilla4progress]

3. The breakers and the gamers.

As usual, Prof. Snyder nails it. "American Abyss," NY Times essay, 1/9/21 NO PAYWALL

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/09/magazine/trump-coup.html?unlocked_article_code=wqpfBDu6T1hnNXTgizDKJK_8b-ein3KTI-Y9YVxjWKEjt-rOWwBkZl5ojEQTz5H9-MdfBh3jLieSAEIFma6jzTw4xrYKPwYSdSVvF8mFPBTpxTnJbK_vHNDX0vpblWSuPQjbgoHQxBXYma85lj2QI6pyu7QARswHK651zxMkpOVgSocv2TeyJSJBw2SqOn_SGKvfQwFgnESKvMYiiUjdHi5v7Cp3KQjuEQIX0oS82zzo6drTjBUSCqfki8KTZEMvxDIY_HkJcfh5hkQCglfIM2byilMernAzZOodGBKYkPOcG8_QDWXS1UIRL7y2K_OGtHKn58w&smid=share-url

Snip:

When Donald Trump stood before his followers on Jan. 6 and urged them to march on the United States Capitol, he was doing what he had always done. He never took electoral democracy seriously nor accepted the legitimacy of its American version.

Even when he won, in 2016, he insisted that the election was fraudulent — that millions of false votes were cast for his opponent. In 2020, in the knowledge that he was trailing Joseph R. Biden in the polls, he spent months claiming that the presidential election would be rigged and signaling that he would not accept the results if they did not favor him. He wrongly claimed on Election Day that he had won and then steadily hardened his rhetoric: With time, his victory became a historic landslide and the various conspiracies that denied it ever more sophisticated and implausible.

People believed him, which is not at all surprising. It takes a tremendous amount of work to educate citizens to resist the powerful pull of believing what they already believe, or what others around them believe, or what would make sense of their own previous choices. Plato noted a particular risk for tyrants: that they would be surrounded in the end by yes-men and enablers. Aristotle worried that, in a democracy, a wealthy and talented demagogue could all too easily master the minds of the populace. Aware of these risks and others, the framers of the Constitution instituted a system of checks and balances. The point was not simply to ensure that no one branch of government dominated the others but also to anchor in institutions different points of view.

[tavernier]

24. You don't have to be poor

to be white trash. Ahem… Trump

[LakeArenal]

25. I never mentioned the word poor.

[tavernier]

28. Yup, I was agreeing with your post.

[LakeArenal]

29. Ooops sorry.

[betsuni]

4. From the country club to the evangelical church.

[Sky Jewels]

5. I think it's more like: They've got nothing else.

The GQP's positions on actual issues are unpopular. The majority of Americans want what Democrats want: abortion rights, fair taxation, strong public education, environmental protections, etc. etc. The Republican Taliban can't get people to vote against their own interests and prop up the oligarchs by being honest about their agenda. The only thing they have is nutty propaganda and manufactured outrage that plays into the toxic-masculinity, misogyny, racism, anti-intellectualism, and religious insanity of their loony base. And they just keep ramping it up, because they are facing an uphill battle with demographics as the very white and conservative Silent Generation dwindles and the population turns ever browner and progressive Gen Z becomes an ever larger part of the voting bloc.

[WestMichRad]

19. You've nailed it.

Since their feeble policy positions have little merit (I’m being charitable here), the GQP pols are trying to be influencers rather than making any serious attempt to govern. And the direction they want to push society is to white christian nationalism. Being dicks is a fair part of that territory.

[Cyrano]

7. Was Carville's statement "politically incorrect?"

It seems to me that, after the Republican shit-show at the SOTU, the phrase "politically incorrect" has lost all meaning.

[KPN]

11. Ain't that the truth! Also the truth: what James Carville

said. While it may be “politically incorrect”, being nice in response to the level of dick headedness that elected Republicans and their supporters exhibit only emboldens them further. As they themselves are prone to exclaim: I say “fuck their feelings”.

[DENVERPOPS]

13. Along with

basic CIVILITY, and normal COMPASSION....

[whopis01]

21. Can a political, correct statement even be politically incorrect? n/t

[Joinfortmill]

9. Trash is a compliment.

[rubbersole]

17. That was my thought.

James, what do you have against white trash? They don't try to overthrow our government when they don't win.

[Joinfortmill]

26. 👍

[certainot]

10. white trash equals dittohead. this rotting of the GOP is very easy to explain. it's the fucking

radio and limbaugh was it's leader and tutor for a generation of racist liars repeating the same RW and russian think tank talking points.

unlike fox those stations are locally as well as nationally coordinated, they all learned to follow the limbaugh lead, and all GOP candidates learned the best way to win is to repeat the same crap.

it is irresponsible for the deem party not to use AI to digitize RW radio so we can be over this shit. when the radio ad industry finds out it will have to force a break up of the monopoly or lose half their advertisers

[gordianot]

12. Country Club Republicans are almost as disgusting.

Just remember the modern Republican variety would not be trusted to park cars for Country Club Republicans.

[intheflow]

14. And yet, he married into the Republican party.

And his wife's shilling for the Bushes greatly helped the country to its current disdain, distrust, and overall erosion of government functionality. I just can't with James Carville.

[The Jungle 1]

15. I prefer richard cranium as my go to name for repukes

[bif]

16. Good one!

[The Jungle 1]

18. Run with it.

[treestar]

20. too general

it has something to do with owning the libs. They feel entitled to win and when they don't, they are angry and want to own the libs. The country is not important, just that they win. They've lost sight of what matters.

[Rebl2]

23. My answer would be

they are low information people and only watch 🦊 and they follow a cult. They say they are Christians, but their actions say otherwise.

[spanone]

27. James is notorious for telling it like it is......