Ways the Republican party screws their faithful.

[TNDemo]

I have heard the question posed of what do you call Republicans who are not millionaires; answer - suckers. My brother (and other relatives) are freepers and they will be in favor of things that are not in their own best interest so I am always curious as to why they feel they should support it. So help me compile a list of ways the Republican party screws the average income folk.

[Burma Jones]

1. Keeps them believing it's all about Race

[onebigbadwulf]

2. underfunding education

overpricing health care and drugs
exporting labor
breaking unions
keeping down minimum wage
destroying the environment (which affects the poor more than anyone)

[Deja Q]

3. the repukes claim that if you work hard and all

that you'll make it big.

They appeal to peoples' better reasoning by saying "Don't you want more of your money back?" If people used their brains, they'd see how little they would get back.

In short: Repukes work for the large corporations. To get votes, they swindle and cajole the working class by switching words and making it sound like we'll get a lot if we support them.

Republicans are LYING SCUMBAG TRAITORS in that respect.

Gee, I got $300 from Bush two years ago. Didn't seem to help me in the end. How much did that CEO get? $1,000,000? He already has several millions, if not billions, how is one more going to help him?

They're gutting us to support themselves.

They are inhumane, inhuman garbage. And it truly is sad that they'll cheat their neighbor... :-( "One tin soldier"... great song.

[NewJeffCT]

4. hitting easy targets

They blame high living welfare queens by citing an isolated example or two... lawyers for running up the cost of health insurance by citing a frivolous lawsuit or two... affirmative action for the times it does over-reach or go too far (please note, I am in favor of AA)... political correctness for trying to teach Ebonics in schools and the other times it goes too far.

[sadiesworld]

5. Screwing with their retirement by:

Calling for a kinder, gentler SEC; Permitting companies to underfund pensions; Using SS surplus to fund tax cuts for the wealthy.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

6. "unions are bad, free trade is good"

"Sucker" is a very accurate description of Republicans who are not rich.

[Gildor Inglorion]

7. By practicing misdirection

The Repug messages are all about "God, guns, and gays," directing the voters' attention away from the real economic issues that actually matter to the average person. Gays aren't going away, nobody wants to confiscate your stupid guns, and God doesn't need the help of the GOP (Grotesque Oligarchical Prevaricators).

[Mr_Scarecrow]

8. Sending their footsoldiers into battle to die

to enrich large corporations like Halliburton. I'd say that's screwing them. No other benefits to the Iraq action. If someone responds with "We're safer for it," ask them if they really, deep down, feel safer about getting on an airplane since Saddam was caught.

[Vogon_Glory]

9. Dry-Gulches The Hunter and Fisherman

Today's GOP dry-gulches the hunters and fishermen who support it by fencing off federal lands from hunters for the benefit of mining and oil drilling activity and by loosening anti-water pollution regulation and gutting water quality rules enforcement.

I foresee a parting of the ways between many of the hunters who used to think that the GOP had its interests at heart and the suburban commandos who vote for the most rabidly anti-environmentalist candidates because those candidates are endorsed by the NRA or even more extremist pro-firearms organizations. Eventually some of the thinking hunters are going to realize they've been Bush-whacked.

[leesa]

11. Well you can't eat anything you catch anyway, so what's the problem?

Just kidding. The GOP corporatists and anti-regulation thinking of the GOP has so polluted our waterways and destroyed our open areas that hunting and fishing are simply a memory of times past.

Job loss is always greater under GOP and job creation is always weak.

The soldiers have been royally screwed over by the Republicans once again while the military-industrial complex is making gigantic profits. GOPers think more money to the military is a good idea, but they never seem to notice that it only goes into the pockets of the rich contractors. Our military is quite weak given that 50% of our national budget supposedly goes to the military.

The GOP is anti-constitutional, wanting to impose religious values into governance, which is a true basic of the constitution.

And you can bet your bottom that the GOP keeps tabs on guns, too, and they con people with the mythology of the Democrats want to take your guns away. Pure BS, but it works. Don't think the NRA membership list is in the possession of the GOP? They installed the patriot act.... don't think you will be allowed to keep your guns if that is fully enacted.

[BR_Parkway]

10. Your life would be better if it wasn't for THEM

It's all about pointing a finger in some other direction.

If you aren't rich, you would be if not for the tax & spend democrats and the welfare abusers - it's all THEIR fault

If you didn't get the job/promotion/college placement - it's all because of affirmative action - it's all THEIR fault.

If you aren't getting laid enough - it's all because of them homos (the badly stereotyped, sleep w/ any and all) - it's all THEIR fault

You're paying too much in alimony or child support? - it's all because of those "activist judges" - it's all THEIR fault.

Find any argument that the RePugs make and see who they are blaming, it's NEVER about personal responsibilty - and all the talking heads give those who are looking for excuses plenty of ways to blame the others.

[Ready4Change]

12. Reduced Veterans benefits.

Many middle class Republicans are proud of their miltary heritage. Ask them to explain why their current party leaders don't share that sentiment?

[Ready4Change]

13. Increased state taxes due to decreased federal funding.

These increased state taxes wipe out any gains the middle class saw in their federal taxes, while having a smaller effect on the tax gains of the rich.

[drdigi420]

14. simple: racism, bigotry, and hate

the republican party is the party of rich christian white guys

they pander to the bigotry and hate of their religious base

they want to paint the Democrat party as the party of 'niggers and queers', which makes their redneck base show up to vote against Dems, mainly to prove that they arent gay or black

[Ready4Change]

15. Repeated Republican promises proven to be empty via non-existant funding.

No child left behind: Underfunded. (Funds to meet new requirements are insufficient and have yet to be freed up.)

African AIDS relief: Funds tied up in red tape due to conditions requiring that they only go to programs promoting abstinence as the ONLY method of halting the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Hybrid Vehicle Programs: Ridiculously underfunded, and largely in the form of corporate relief, rather than R&D efforts.

Alternative Energy: Underfunded, and channeled largely into paths designed to look into new ways of consuming oil, rather than developing oil-free energy sources.