a question about kind & generous republicans

[orleans]

here's the dichotomy
a republican who is generous with their time and money and shows kindness to people (including strangers) and yet votes R and supports the R party?

can someone please explain that thinking or behavior to me?

[Takket]

1. Nope

[steve2470]

2. I'll make an attempt

Generous with time: with who ? The "deserving needy" or the needy who are scorned by the right? My bet is on the "deserving needy".

Generous with money: again, with who? Same as above.

Shows kindness to people: Does that include all minorities? Does that include Muslims?

I'm not trying to be unpleasant here, because they do exist.

My standard mantra is, the ordinary Republicans are just freaking IGNORANT to a large degree, and the leaders in state capitols and in Washington really know the effect of their policies.

[BigmanPigman]

3. Generous Republicans...

is that an oxymoron like "jumbo shrimp" or "government intelligence"?

[Beartracks]

4. Yes to all of that, but... it's the abortion issue.

And because of that I have close family who now listen to Hannity and Rush and are thus inclined to think of liberals as cheating, amoral, anti-American, ignorant, selfish dolts, but are otherwise kind, thoughtful, giving people.

============

[samplegirl]

5. Ive never met

A generous Republican without a motive.

[Trueblue Texan]

6. This continues to confuse me...

I live in a very conservative area of Texas--we're talking EXTREMELY conservative, right? At least that's how they see themselves. So if you have friends here, you have some conservative friends--it's just a matter of numbers. I think there are about 7 liberals and I'm one of them.
I do not think the repubs here are that concerned with the abortion issue. This is a university town so there are many educated people. I have found people to be amazingly kind and generous. Trying to understand that reality with the hateful politics of the Republican party has baffled me thousands of times. One of my most conservative friends told me, "You claim you're a liberal, but you're not whacked out and ridiculous." And she meant it. That's what she thinks of the Left. She thought she was giving me a compliment, but all she showed me was that she's ignorant of what the Left actually values.

We have been characterized as the loony left, godless, tax and spend, etc. Republican individuals simply don't know us and do not know policy--either of the Left or the Right. Because conversations can get heated so fast and relationships blown apart with little chance to repair them, we all avoid discussions about what it really means to be left, right, liberal, conservative. So we stick with the identities the media seems to have defined for us.

So they think we're "whacked out and ridiculous" and we think they're hateful and bigoted. I know there is more to my political perspectives than taxing and spending for the common good. I have faith, based on the kindness I see in my conservative friends, there is more to them than bigotry and a need for dominance. But how to get to a point where our politics reflect that?

[bluecollar2]

9. As a former Texas resident I know that

Texas Republicans cannot be swayed, convinced or otherwise enlightened.

The only hope for Texas is to outnumber them on election day.

Any conversion of Republican to Democrat will come about as a result of their desire not to be left out.

Better to cut any Republicans you know adrift and focus on improving Texas without them.

[Trueblue Texan]

18. I do not try to sway them...

I know that is an exercise in futility. But if I cut all my Republican contacts off, I'd pretty much be a hermit. In this community cutting yourself off from Republicans is not reasonable if you want to remain employed and engaged in life. But I do not pretend to be someone I'm not. If they bring it up, they'll be treated to my honest views. And I do not let their views influence my activities.

[oberliner]

7. There could be any number of reasons

Maybe talk to an actual Republican?

[bluecollar2]

8. Why bother?

Talking to a Republican will not:

1) sway them or change their point of view or,

2) enlighten them in any way.

[oberliner]

10. Increased insight and understanding

Remember Hillary Clinton's line about the basket of deplorables?

Importantly, she does talk about there being another basket of non-deplorables.

Those people might be worth talking to, at least.

[bluecollar2]

12. Increased insight and understanding?

Who is supposed to benefit here?

Republicans are incapable of either.

[oberliner]

14. We are capable of insight and understanding

Perhaps by talking to the "non-deplorable" Republicans, we can gain better understanding and further insight into why otherwise decent people would vote that way.

[bluecollar2]

15. Understanding why they might vote a certain way

May be helpful as an intellectual exercise I suppose.

I am skeptical that there is any practical application.

Knowing why Republicans vote a particular way won't change why they vote that way. Republicans simply cannot be reasoned with.

They are disposed to being the way they are by choice. They will not change their habits through persuasion.

[oberliner]

17. That was the question asked in the OP

[Shrek]

11. There is no dichotomy

It's a mistake to assume that kindness and generosity (or callousness and parsimony, for that matter) are correlated to political affiliation. They're found all across the spectrum.

[Trueblue Texan]

19. yes...

I agree with this. But why is there so much blindness about the "kindness and generosity" represented in policy? I've never understood this. I only hope I don't have similar blindness, but I honestly do try to examine this within myself.

[LuckyCharms]

13. I know a few Republicans who have faced untold hardship

and are genuinely good people. They are not hardcore R's, but they are still Republicans. Despite this, I remain close to them. We have friendships that span decades.

That being said, I have cut every other Republican "friend" completely out of my life.

I find it is easier not to try to understand the thinking of Republicans. There is no explaining why they vote the way they do.

[bluecollar2]

16. Amen...n/t