Reply #22: They played to people's illusory aspirations [View All]

[Hello_Kitty]

Practically every Republican I know thinks that he (usually a 'he') will one day be wealthy and voting Republican is a way to preemptively protect his future wealth from taxes. That's the thinking Joe the Plumber was operating from - he was planning to buy a business that he was sure was going to make him at least $250K a year. No amount of trying to convince him that he ought to vote the pocketbook he has now and not the one he aspired to have was going to get through to him.

There is also the fact that we live in a culture that worships and valorizes the wealthy. They are demigods who mustn't be punished for their awesomeness. It doesn't matter that in reality most wealth is inherited or acquired through very little effort, the belief is that the rich are smarter and work harder than the rest of us.