The truth is, these people are nothing but cheerleaders for hate, ignorance and intolerance. Anyone can get on a stage and bash homosexuals, attack President Obama, praise guns and say “God Bless America” and these people would stand in awe, cheering like mindless drones programmed to respond to certain words or phrases. That’s really all it takes for conservatives to support anyone. If you can spout enough anti-liberal nonsense on a large enough stage, you’re only a few steps away being the next conservative hero. Because at the end of the day, these people don’t stand for anything. They claim they’re all about Christian values, but that’s negated when they throw their support behind adulterers and sexual predators. It’s just millions of people who are distracted by talking points, an American flag, a gun and the Bible. And when it’s all said and done, they’re really nothing more than cheerleaders for anyone who can get on a stage and preach hate, ignorance and intolerance.
If the seemingly endless parade of Right-wing ideologues seeking the Republican nomination for President are any indication, it’s clear that Conservatives have no intention of running on issues that could do anything to help move this country forward. It’s been clear for some time now that for those seeking power on the Right, it’s not about solutions. It’s about power and control- getting it, maintaining it, and- most importantly- keeping it. Solutions are not going to help Conservatives achieve their goals, because A) it’s just too damned much work to come up with viable solutions, and B) it’s SO much easier to keep people scared and stupid. That’s what Fox News Channel and the vast Right-wing media echo chamber come into play. If you can keep the American Sheeple angry, you don’t have to worry about them asking uncomfortable questions, like “How do you plan to fix what’s broken?” The truth is, there’s no plan to fix anything- never has been, and very likely never will be.
Meanwhile, the real problems- health care, education, income inequality, hatred, discrimination, etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseuem, continue unabated. The biggest problem (as much as I hate generalizations like this) is that the American Sheeple are too incurious to demand accountability and answers. Though Conservatives attempt to sell themselves as representing the interests of “the little guy,” they care about them only insofar as they need their vote to rise to power. Once there, they could care less…because the middle class and the poor don’t write checks- or certainly large enough ones- to Republican candidates and causes. In fact, Conservative policies are antithetical to the interests of the poor and middle class. Republicans need the votes of the masses in order to achieve power, but buying those votes requires money- large amounts of it- and large business interests have proven themselves willing to invest heavily in Republican politicians. Something about being the best government money can buy.
Precisely because Conservatives have neither a plan nor the desire to fix what ails America, they depend on fear, anger, ignorance, and hatred. Generating and maintaining that divisiveness is SO much easier than actually developing plans and proposals for moving America forward. That requires thinking, listening, and the willingness to compromise, qualities not normally associated with Conservative ideologues.
By no means do I mean to imply that Conservatives and Republicans are the only ones too lazy to do the hard work of governance. Democrats aren’t exactly displaying a willingness to step into the void with any alacrity or common sense…but their ineptitude and self-interest is nowhere as well-organized or well-funded.
Until and unless Americans can shed their addiction to Fox News Channel and the rest of the Right-wing echo chamber, they’re unlikely to demand accountability from those they elect. In most cases, they rarely think about who they vote for…because they vote for who the Right-wing media tells them to. Then they’ll bitch and moan about Congress being inept and inefficient…while totally neglecting to accept responsibilities for the dimwits and moral midgets they’ve sent to Washington.
Americans get exactly the quality of leadership they deserve, which means our collective standards are on the floor. This is what happens when you can’t be bothered to pay attention and ask tough questions. You get people with no ideas, no convictions, and no plan to make things better.
Congratulations, America.
