Why Doesn't the Left Do These Things?

[babylonsister]

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2012/7/19/184218/163

Why Doesn't the Left Do These Things?

by BooMan
Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 06:42:18 PM EST


It's interesting to me that we don't see corollaries on the left of a lot of the stuff that we see on the right. I'm talking about from elected officials, not some-dudes on the internet. Why, for example, don't we see relatively obscure backbenchers in the House calling for investigations of Romney staffers based on six-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon ties to Islamic jihadists? Why aren't we seeing extreme liberals from…I don't know…Vermont, questioning whether Mormonism is a cult and denying that Romney is a Christian? Why are there no elected Dems pointing out that Romney's ancestors fled from two countries under duress, and that they practiced polygamy? Why has no one concocted a conspiracy theory that Romney was really born on the RMS Queen Elizabeth in international waters and, thus, is not a natural born citizen who is eligible for the office of the presidency? And why have no congressmen or senators expressed some concern that Romney hasn't disproven that theory? Why hasn't some official Obama surrogate questioned whether Romney knows how to be an American?

Most of these things are absurd or grossly exaggerated, but some of them are true or at least open for debate. I don't think it's an unwillingness to play hardball that explains why the Democrats won't mirror these Republican tactics. I think people on the left genuinely think it's wrong to attack someone's religious beliefs or espouse ridiculous conspiracy theories or arouse fears on completely baseless nonsense or to treat the truth as something that is worthless. I think they also don't like to look stupid in front of their peers.

For some reason, there is nothing in the typical Republican officeholder's brain that tells them there's an unacceptable downside to obliterating the truth in the pursuit of power. I think it is because lying is a critical and indispensable ingredient in their political success.

[cilla4progress]

1. It's also tolerance v intolerance

Having an open, v. closed mind. A willingness to compromise, v. a 2-yr. old's intransigence. And yes, education, or intelligence, or awareness, is definitely a component. My theory is, this is why those on the right want to defund public education: keep the populace uneducated and uninformed so they can brainwash them! In fact, I stepped into a fundie church once on a visit with a friend, and it was clearly brainwashing that was going on there!

I wish I had an answer...but I agree that you have identified an important question.

[Cary]

2. The one and only remedy for the "conservative" disorder

Is to defeat "conservatives" at the polls, period. Any victories enable their dysfunction. If the American people are going enable their dysfunctional addiction to their perverse ideology by electing "conservatives" to office then WE, THE PEOPLE will pay a heavy price. If "conservatives" lose they will hit bottom and they will either realize that they have to either do something about their addiction to their toxic ideology, or they will die.

[kratos00]

3. Post of the year

The right wing is not concerned with truth, their politicians an pundits are not concerned about looking crazy, they aren't worried or driven by basic concepts of fairness or ethics, all they care about is winning. If that means misinforming, scaring and taking advantage of their followers they just do it. For the most part people on the left just don't have this ability to do or say anything to win in them.

[pscot]

4. Because people with a functioning cortex

are better able to understand the consequences of shooting up public places.