City Pages (MN): "The John Birkenstock Society"

[mac56]

http://citypages.com/databank/25/1246/article12591.asp

Young yahoos find college Republicans too liberal

excerpts:

"I think we should do a festival of the fetus," says Tom Gromacki, an elder of the bunch who is running for House representative in District 60A. "It's a pro-life fundraiser where we have all of the little plastic fetuses . Maybe we could fill up a fetus piñata," he suggests. Everyone laughs as if this is the most ridiculous thing they've ever heard. Destroying a fetus piñata strikes the group as plain silly. But an Easter egg hunt for tiny pink plastic fetuses--that's the ticket! "During the Lent season, we're going to have the first annual hunt for life," says Marty Andrade, a 23-year-old psychology and philosophy student. Last year, the group organized an affirmative action bake sale where the goods were priced based on the purchaser's ethnicity.

(snip)

Here in Minnesota, the Minnesota College Republicans have had the largest recruiting drive of any state in the organization's 112-year history. Since the beginning of the school year on September 7, the group has registered 5,000 new members on 68 campuses, doubling its numbers from the end of last year. At the Twin Cities campus alone, 600 new members got on board in a two-week period. By contrast, the College Democrats estimate their membership at 3,000 to 5,000 statewide, or half that of the College Republicans.

(snip)

Aside from a renewed sense of patriotism after 9/11, the guys in Campus Republicans say the trend is propelled by a number of other hard-line issues. For one, they say, the fear that Social Security is drying up has made young people more interested in their economic future. "Young people are becoming more savvy about economics and finances," says 22-year-old biochemistry student Jeff Dahl. The bespectacled and brainy Dahl was a Nader supporter in 2000 before befriending members of the Campus Republicans. There's also a resurgence of religiosity among younger voters. And because many young Republicans are the Reagan-era spawn of post-hippie baby boomers, the embrace of conservative values is a natural means of rebellion for many of them. "Plus, young people love guns," Dahl adds.

(snip)

Though much of the group's focus is on abortion issues, the men don't wince when asked why there are no women in the room (though one finally shows up later at an after-meeting get-together at Big 10). Currently, they say the male-to-female ratio is about 8 to 2. "They come and never come back," says Ochoada. "If we had Tupperware parties and stuff, we'd have more women," Dahl offers. It's unclear whether he's kidding.

(snip)

Despite the administration's many problems, the group contends more and more young people are finding Republican values a natural fit. "Republicans want to get the government out of people's lives, whereas the Democrats try to social engineer," Gromacki says, citing the smoking ban as an example. He says the conservative Republicans aren't engaged in a form of social engineering when they try to ban abortion, deny marriage to same-sex couples, or use religion to justify various social policies. "Uhh...It's a reversal of social engineering. We want to leave it up to the family unit," he says, stammering a bit. Dahl concurs. It's spontaneous order and not social engineering that the Republicans encourage: "It's the kind of society people naturally engage in by their nature, like a man and a woman. It's just how people are made."

- - -

I weep for my home state.

[Cerridwen]

1. Misogynistic, much?!

Though much of the group's focus is on abortion issues, the men don't wince when asked why there are no women in the room (though one finally shows up later at an after-meeting get-together at Big 10). Currently, they say the male-to-female ratio is about 8 to 2. "They come and never come back," says Ochoada. "If we had Tupperware parties and stuff, we'd have more women," Dahl offers. It's unclear whether he's kidding.




:puke:

[mac56]

2. Sweeping stereotype alert!

I bet they all live in their parents' basements.

[Atman]

3. I'm convinced...the youth of today are...

CLUELESS FUCKING IDIOTS!

"He says the conservative Republicans aren't engaged in a form of social engineering when they try to ban abortion, deny marriage to same-sex couples, or use religion to justify various social policies. "Uhh...It's a reversal of social engineering. We want to leave it up to the family unit," he says, stammering a bit."

Jesus H, of course he's "stammering a bit." He doesn't have the slightest idea what the hell he is talking about! But don't bother to learn the fact, young 'pubbies...they might get in the way of your parental rebellion. Fucking idiots.

[Demit]

4. That's some logic you've got there, plastic fetus boy.

"...He says the conservative Republicans aren't engaged in a form of social engineering when they try to ban abortion, deny marriage to same-sex couples, or use religion to justify various social policies. "Uhh...It's a reversal of social engineering. We want to leave it up to the family unit..."

You've got a future in Republican politics fer sure.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. They're simply younger versions of the guys my age who express

nineteenth-century attitudes about women and then wonder why women aren't interested in them.

I can see these Young Republicans some day joining the throngs of fifty-year-old patriarchal wannabes who send for mail-order brides from impoverished Third World or Eastern European countries because American women are "spoiled"--i.e. they hit back.