Mr. Cantor tried to sound interested in serious policy discussion. But he didn’t succeed — and that was no accident. For these days his party dislikes the whole idea of applying critical thinking and evidence to policy questions. And no, that’s not a caricature: Last year the Texas G.O.P. explicitly condemned efforts to teach “critical thinking skills,” because, it said, such efforts “have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority.”
Republicans are good at talking about how they need to change their approach in order to widen their base, attract more young people, appeal to Hispanics, etc., etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseum. Unfortunately for them, that talk has yet to translate into action, concrete changes that might indicate the GOP is in a place where it can deal with the world as it is- not as they see it. That may seem a subtle difference, but it’s crucial to understanding why Republicans are so far behind the real world. GOP leadership seems to think that changing the wrapping means the the contents of the package will be magically transformed. The problem is they believe cosmetic changes will suffice to convince Americans that the GOP really is different. Underneath the pretty bows and the fresh, brand new wrapping is the same tired, sclerotic party of racists, fools, conspiracy theorists, gun nuts, creationists, homophobes, Islamophobes, and dominionist theocrats dedicated first and foremost to the advancement of rich White folks.
I do have to give the GOP leadership credit where credit it due. They’ve determined that the best way to broaden their appeal is to promote ignorance, fear, and reaction. When people learn about issues and make their own decisions, Republican prospects suffer. When they can keep the American Sheeple scared and stupid, the odds improve for them. Why else would the Texas GOP public proclaim their opposition to teaching critical thinking skills? Why else would Fox Noise Channel function as the defacto GOP Propaganda Network? Republicans understand that knowledge is their enemy. When voters begin to think for themselves, they discover that the Republican platform is smoke, mirrors, and programs designed to benefit the wealthiest among us.
This is why Paul Krugman accurately refers to the GOP as “the ignorance caucus.” That may seem harsh, but it’s within the power of Republicans to demonstrate Krugman’s characterization to be inaccurate. To their discredit, they keep reinforcing the perception that the GOP is the party of unicorn meat. It may not exist, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t…at least in the collective imagination of the GOP.
O.K., at this point the conventions of punditry call for saying something to demonstrate my evenhandedness, something along the lines of “Democrats do it too.” But while Democrats, being human, often read evidence selectively and choose to believe things that make them comfortable, there really isn’t anything equivalent to Republicans’ active hostility to collecting evidence in the first place….
In her parting shot on leaving the State Department, Hillary Clinton said of her Republican critics, “They just will not live in an evidence-based world.” She was referring specifically to the Benghazi controversy, but her point applies much more generally. And for all the talk of reforming and reinventing the G.O.P., the ignorance caucus retains a firm grip on the party’s heart and mind.
If Republicans ever decide to take up residence in the evidence-based world, they could become a formidable force. This country needs at least two viable parties; a vigorous exchange of and debate about ideas can only serve to make us stronger over the long term. When one party refuses to deal with the world as it is, instead preferring to deal with the world they wish could be, it’s difficult to have an adult conversation.
The ignorance caucus has virtually infinite resources at its disposal, as well as a news channel propaganda outlet (Fox News Channel) dedicated to pushing a Right-wing agenda- truth, facts, and reality be damned. Republicans live in a world where anger, rage, and denial fuel their opposition to…well, virtually anything. Their only real hope of being taken seriously over the long haul is to come into the light. Accept the world for what it is, deal with our problems for what they are, propose solutions not diluted by inflexible ideology, propaganda, and talking points. Then and only then will the GOP lose it’s reputation for being the ignorance caucus, the playground for the angry, the ignorant, the inflexible, the cruel, the heartless, and the incurious.
Like that’s going to happen anytime soon….
