More evidence of asymmetric polarization

[fskimospy]

http://m.washingtonpost.com/blogs/w...servatives-are-driving-partisan-rancor-in-dc/

Take the author's analysis or ignore it, I thought this just packaged interesting findings from a recent Pew poll. It basically finds that while both parties dislike and distrust their political opponents, this is considerably more true for conservatives than liberals. It also shows that conservatives are more likely to sequester themselves in situations where they are insulated from disagreement, and that they overwhelmingly reject compromise as a way to achieve their goals.

This is highly disturbing information. How can you deal with a group that thinks you are evil, won't listen to contrary information, and wouldn't want to compromise even if they did?

 

[Zebo]

Sure most dems are just republican light corporatism. You got your Sanders and warrens but otherwise this country and dems along with it has moved decdingly right since after RR. So I dont expect them to hate the real right so much they emulate them. It was DLC dems who push free trading bank freewheeling low tax stuff repubs can only only dream of pass.

 

[Fenixgoon]

my solution would be to vote everyone out. but good luck with that

 

[nehalem256]

Mozilla CEO

 

[Orignal Earl]

How can you deal with a group that thinks you are evil, won't listen to contrary information, and wouldn't want to compromise even if they did?

"There's a mark born every minute, and one to trim 'em and one to knock 'em".

Your a knocker, and all you can do is keep knocking

 

[Jaskalas]

More evidence of asymmetric polarization

Tell that to the Senate and Harry Reid, something tells me they didn't get the memo. Of course you want to paint yourselves as the party of center and compromise. That's an old song and dance, you've been doing it for a decade.

Conservatives nominate people like Bush, self described "compassionate" who expand government and provide massive entitlements such as Medicare Part D. You rail against them as normal foes, instead of the moderates they are. That way when you look at a real opponent you can call them extremist. Such nominations also work for your moderate shtick, when you paint men like McCain or Romney as normal. They are much more agreeable to you than a Tea Partier, or a Libertarian. You know those men like big government, have proven track records of compromising and working with you. So when we throw them up as nominees, not all Democrats are hardened against them.

In the Republican bid to win votes through moderate candidates, you'll point out that Democrat voters are more open minded, by not being so opposed to those candidates. It'd be hilarious, if it wasn't all so transparent.

Fact of the matter is the Senate requires a super majority to get things done now, and the media allows your Senate Majority Leader to ignore House bills without a vote. Polarization is hyper charged thanks to modern communication. Local intricacies and varied interests give way to the Party Line. Because the Party can better coordinate and communicate to all members nation wide. We are all bathed in their propaganda, and we all march stronger to their beat.

What you're really witnessing now is the infantile development of a connected human civilization. It's going to take time to evolve and move past Republican and Democrat.

 

[Angry Irishman]

Ignoring it....partisan horse shit. The sooner people realize one party is no better than the other the sooner this country will improve.

 

[Attic]

Interesting findings. Regarding conservatives approach to those who disagree with them or bring up points of contention, the findings in the pole match personal experience, but I've personally found either side of the political aisle generally equally stubborn and resistant to facts that challenge existing conclusions about the status quo. And it occurs to the point of absurdity from both sides. Most sense is found in moderate independents, rather than a liberal or a conservative. It's the die hards from either side you have to watch out for.

Polarization is also born from wealth inequality, which is exploding since the GFC. The movie Inequality for All, briefly touches on this. I would have expected this polarization to be shown at least equally from folks on the left side of the current political spectrum. Of course as was brought up in an above post, we are as a nation are driven relatively by conservative policy even if we still hang on to the left vs right differentiation of political ideals in the electorate.

 

[Greenman]

Imagine that, another "study" that shows it's all the conservatives fault for not agreeing with the liberals. What is there to be gained by the never ending finger pointing? It's mental masturbation, the entire point is so libs can pat each other on the back and talk about how superior they are. I don't really have an issue with that, a lot of people need constant reinforcement of their self worth, but don't expect me to place any value in it.
Most of whats called liberal thinking here is nothing more than the denigration of those that disagree with you. If you really wanted dialog, you'd start by trying grasp why conservatives think the way they do. That never happens, it's always racism and religion, and it's always based in a basic belief of liberal superiority.
I don't reject your goals, I reject your conceit, I reject your belief that anyone that disagrees with has to be stopped, and I reject your bigotry against those of faith.

 

[Moonbeam]

Hehe, you are guide funny.

Greenman: Imagine that, another "study" that shows it's all the conservatives fault for not agreeing with the liberals. What is there to be gained by the never ending finger pointing? It's mental masturbation, the entire point is so libs can pat each other on the back and talk about how superior they are.

M: You seem to have no idea that all these studies show are facts about the conservative brain in action. They are only discriptions of behavior. All the feelings that you are being attacked and pu down are your projections, how you feel about the fact that you are as described.

G: Alot of people need constant reinforcement of their self worth, but don't expect me to place any value in it. Most of whats called liberal thinking here is nothing more than the denigration of those that disagree with you. If you really wanted dialog, you'd start by trying grasp why conservatives think the way they do. That never happens, it's always racism and religion, and it's always based in a basic belief of liberal superiority.

M: No, I tell you all the time you rationalize instead of thinking to avoid painful realizations as a way to survive a brutal childhood you don't want to remember.

G: I don't reject your goals, I reject your conceit, I reject your belief that anyone that disagrees with has to be stopped, and I reject your bigotry against those of faith.

G: What conceit. You are beyond hope. Nothing can make you see. There is nothing to do but suffer the world of disaster you help to create. There is nothing to do but live in complete ego surrender, to forgive you because you know not what you do. You don't know it but you have no faith. You do not want to be reborn via ego surrender. You want to stay asleep. Nobody who knows anything Blane's you. A machine can only act mechanically. I can only show you your program and hope you may be one who via grace may one day see.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Ignoring it....partisan horse shit. The sooner people realize one party is no better than the other the sooner this country will improve.

People are too busy publishing their own diatribes about the virtues of their own party to really research what is going on. I voted for Obama and he morphed into Bush part 3. It's time people finally face the facts. There are no parties, there are mouthpieces that distract you with useless information and useless choices.

 

[justoh]

Sounds about right. Some conservatives would even disown their own children for being gay or having an abortion, or refusing to play along with their religion, a lot of things typically associated with or attributable to liberal influences (in the case of gayness the acceptance thereof).

 

[Jaskalas]

Modern political polarization is derived from the collectiveness of the internet which is trumping independent thinking. Without that connection people tended to grow up their own way, chart their own path. We've traded in free thinking for towing the party line. It's not healthy.

P&N is a perfect ground zero demonstration.

 

[CitizenKain]

I don't reject your goals, I reject your conceit, I reject your belief that anyone that disagrees with has to be stopped, and I reject your bigotry against those of faith.

You stop treating everyone who isn't white and christian as less then human and then maybe talking with rightwingers will be worth it. You don't get to claim you are victims of oppression while simultaneously enacting laws to oppress others.

 

[justoh]

You stop treating everyone who isn't white and christian as less then human and then maybe talking with rightwingers will be worth it. You don't get to claim you are victims of oppression while simultaneously enacting laws to oppress others.

Don't think so.

Liberals think conservatives represent stupidity or ignorance, which is completely understandable and evokes sympathy (along with the the mockery), whereas conservatives think liberals are literally evil or immoral and must be stopped.

Liberals don't distrust stupidity as it's predictable, even if frustrating. Conservative distrust of liberals is naturally far greater since it represents something "evil" and out of control. They don't think liberals are capable of being moral.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Don't think so.

Liberals think conservatives represent stupidity or ignorance, which is completely understandable and evokes sympathy (along with the the mockery), whereas conservatives think liberals are literally evil or immoral and must be stopped.

Liberals don't distrust stupidity as it's predictable, even if frustrating. Conservative distrust of liberals is naturally far greater since it represents something "evil" and out of control. They don't think liberals are capable of being moral.

It's an interesting generalization you make but I found little difference in how I was treated for being a "liberal chicken" in opposing the Iraq war and a "conservative corporatist" for doing the same when Obamacare was first suggested. Personally I found there to be little tolerance for other ideas besides their own.

 

[justoh]

It's an interesting generalization you make but I found little difference in how I was treated for being a "liberal chicken" in opposing the Iraq war and a "conservative corporatist" for doing the same when Obamacare was first suggested. Personally I found there to be little tolerance for other ideas besides their own.

 

[Oldgamer]

http://m.washingtonpost.com/blogs/w...servatives-are-driving-partisan-rancor-in-dc/

Take the author's analysis or ignore it, I thought this just packaged interesting findings from a recent Pew poll. It basically finds that while both parties dislike and distrust their political opponents, this is considerably more true for conservatives than liberals. It also shows that conservatives are more likely to sequester themselves in situations where they are insulated from disagreement, and that they overwhelmingly reject compromise as a way to achieve their goals.

This is highly disturbing information. How can you deal with a group that thinks you are evil, won't listen to contrary information, and wouldn't want to compromise even if they did?

This is true, there is no real honest discussion nor acknowledgement of facts when dealing with what I call "fanatical conservatives". These are folks who want to remain in a "bubble" and you can't reasonably deal with them.

 

[nehalem256]

Don't think so.

Liberals think conservatives represent stupidity or ignorance, which is completely understandable and evokes sympathy (along with the the mockery), whereas conservatives think liberals are literally evil or immoral and must be stopped.

I would say that liberals also think that conservatives are literally evil or immoral.

Just look how they treated the Mozilla CEO for daring to donate $500 6 years in the past to a conservative cause, which at the time enjoyed majority support in the state, and still enjoys support from over 40% of the Americans.

 

[nehalem256]

I think the methodology is flawed.

It is essentially asking each side how much they hate the other. Liberals like to think of themselves as tolerant and are therefore more likely to claim to not hate the other side.

Looking of course at how liberals actually talk about say, same-sex marriage supporters, it is pretty obvious they do not have more favorable views of conservatives than conservatives do of liberals.

 

[Moonbeam]

This is true, there is no real honest discussion nor acknowledgement of facts when dealing with what I call "fanatical conservatives". These are folks who want to remain in a "bubble" and you can't reasonably deal with them.

They are not in a bubble as an exercise of conscious will, but because of Stockholm syndrome. Conformity to group think, with all the moral inclinations of group loyalty, has in the past, under conditions of threat, helped humanity to survive. This only becomes a brain defect when there is no external threat except one they create by projection.

 

[justoh]

I would say that liberals also think that conservatives are literally evil or immoral.

Just look how they treated the Mozilla CEO for daring to donate $500 6 years in the past to a conservative cause, which at the time enjoyed majority support in the state, and still enjoys support from over 40% of the Americans.

It's because that conservative cause is idiotic and hurtful. He said, pointing-out-the-obvious-ly

That big guy who worked for the sex toy wielding guy from lock stock said it best, "never underestimate the predictability of stupidity."

 

[Victorian Gray]

Mozilla CEO

Iron bar.

 

[Phokus]

I think the methodology is flawed.

It is essentially asking each side how much they hate the other. Liberals like to think of themselves as tolerant and are therefore more likely to claim to not hate the other side.

Looking of course at how liberals actually talk about say, same-sex marriage supporters, it is pretty obvious they do not have more favorable views of conservatives than conservatives do of liberals.

In practicality, liberals ARE more tolerant. Democrats worked with Bush when he was in office. Republicans would try to hold their breaths as long as they could if Obama said he was pro-breathing.

 

[nehalem256]

It's because that conservative cause is idiotic and hurtful. He said, pointing-out-the-obvious-ly

And would saying the conservative cause is idiotic and hurtful be a favorable or unfavorable opinion of conservatives? ^_^

I would also argue that calling conservative causes hurtful instead of evil is merely one of semantics. Liberals don't tend to think it terms of good and evil and so will be less likely to use "evil" as a way to disparage someone they disagree with.

In practicality, liberals ARE more tolerant. Democrats worked with Bush when he was in office. Republicans would try to hold their breaths as long as they could if Obama said he was pro-breathing.

You mean the president that led a huge spending increase on medicare? The president that led a huge increase in federal spending on education?

Its pretty easy to "tolerate" someone who is going along with your core values.