Anger and indignation fighting for Bush. Why?

[gulliver]

The most ridiculous little man in history has been foisted on Americans by the Republicans and ensconced in the Oval Office. Bush Junior makes a complete ass of himself every time he opens his mouth. He deceives like the worst used car salesman, he shows ignorance and arrogance, he looks small. He makes colossal errors in debate and on the world stage. So why isn't he the pure laughingstock his record proves him to be? How can his supporters even stand to be associated with him?

A big part of it is that Bush is ready to pound on the table. He and his supporters show anger and indignation, even when they have no case. Did Bush screw up the war on terrorism and make us all less safe by rushing into a quagmire in Iraq? "WE LOST 3,000 AMERICANS ON 9/11!" Bush's defenders shout indignantly. No pertinent facts needed. All bluster.

It is like the old lawyers' saying. "If the facts are on your side, pound the facts. Otherwise, pound the table."

That's what the Bushies are doing. That's what Bush's whole demeanor said at the last debate. It says he is angry and indignant and he invites listeners to believe that he has a good reason to be. That's complete trash. People should be angry all right. They should be angry at Bush.

[patdem]

1. Great observation...Love the pound table saying...

If you notice bush* pounds the podium lots when he is talking even to friendlies! VERY good points!!! Thanks!

[Skittles]

2. I think some sort of mass psychosis is going on

the only other option is to believe lots of Americans really, truly are beyond stupid. You are correct - speak for some time with a Bush supporter and you will be blown away by the absolute ignorance as they spout sickening RNC/FOX News talking points. But then you wonder WHY CAN'T THEY SEE FOR THEIR OWN EYES WHAT THE F*** IS GOING ON?????

[3113]

9. They truly are stupid

Here's one for you. A friend of mine went into the Republican hqtrs in Lamar Missouri, the birthplace of Truman. He asked why they had a picture of Truman on the wall. They asked, "what do you mean." He told them Truman was a Democrat. They replied indignantly, "He wasn't either." Scarry isn't it?

[Pobeka]

14. A form of mass denial, yes I believe this is true.

There are people who can't believe Bush is bad as he really is, because they built a psychological foundation for themselves that Bush/GOP is good, and everything else is bad.

The GOP pushed this brainwashing onto us as a society through the 70's, 80's and 90's, and has worked amazingly well, to the great detriment of the country. Because now, allegance to party stands above allegance to principle.

[endnote]

15. The majority of Americans ARE stupid.

Have you ever interacted with somebody with an IQ=100 ? If so, you must have realized that is pretty dumb. By definition, 50% of the population is under that.

[Cha]

17. This is like a half and half country and the half

that are stupid join the republican party. And you can have 10 college degrees and still be stupid, imv.

[Vincardog]

3. So why ain't we pounding the table outrages at the lies and abuse?

Why aren't the American people aware of the drastic dramatic failures at every level of this administration? Why isn't the discussion focusing on the Cronyism corruption and insidious insider dealings of this CABAL?

[donkeyotay]

4. Excellent point

We had the "angry white male" and the Republican Revolution. Well, they're still angry. Why? They own the media. They control the House, Senate, White House and, apparently, to some degree the courts. But they still act as if they are downtrodden and victimized. Go figure.

Great quote you made: "If the facts are on your side, pound the facts. Otherwise, pound the table." That's the only "why" I can think of.

[Fovea]

5. Stockholm syndrome of the damned

They know they are doomed if they try to appease the angry world gathering outside their door. They let their chimp pee on the whole neighborhood. Now they are defending the Chimp for all they've got...literally.

Like the German high command, once the bomb plot failed.
They, the damned, pray for a miracle and await the trials.

[Casandra]

6. FEAR is the word!

First time posting here. Please bear with me!

I've been watching, listening and trying to understand WHY so many are so defensive of Bush and his failures. How can this be? I finally began to approach those who are so avidly in the Bush camp and asked them 'How can you support this guy, after all he's done, not done and being investigated for who knows what?"

Here's your answer, almost unanimously "He keeps us safe!" As you can see, FEAR has been spoon fed to those who are 'swallowing' it. They are wrapping themselves, their lives and those of their families in fear. Somehow they really believe that Bush will keep us safe. Don't try to dissuade them either. I've never seen such a mind set since the frenzy after 9/11.

[oscar111]

8. racism, another strength of the little man, rarely mentioned but biggest

cause of voting for republicans.

IMHO, that is.

Polls cant get straight answers to "are you voting for bush because he is racist?"... so polls have stopped asking such.. if they evr did.

So we tend not to think about racism as a factor.. never read it in poll results.

BUT it is out there, and huge, i think.

We ignore it at our peril. We lose repeatedly because we dont deal with defusing racism.

that's the big reason the Moron is not a laughingstock.

[maine_raptor]

10. You hit a lot of truth there

Welcome to DU, Casandra :toast:

Even here in very small town America, there is an undercurrent feeling that somehow, for some reason the TERRORISTS might attack.

Completely unrealistic, irrational, but none the less THERE!!!!

It's almost like freezing in combat, the bullets start flying, you hide behind a rock and don't want to move, even though your training and logic alone dictate that the ONLY way you can stop the shooting is to get up and get the other guy first.

Bush is that rock for those sheeple that have just (post 9/11) entered combat (world wide terrorism) for the first time.

[MatrixEscape]

11. Good point

Oddly it is actually our Constitution that keeps us safe, first and foremost. It has been bravery amongst any group that keeps them safe and makes them successful.

I am surprised that any Americans, especially when you hear the machismo and bravado of some on the Right, would cower and submit to fear tactics being used to keep them in shock and awe.

Can the right amount of distorted sound bites turn people into droves of fear-driven fools? I hope they are not thinking that they are Patriotic in the traditional sense, in that case. They should check back in history and see if the brave and confident were the one's who threw off tyranny, conquered foes, and preserved stability. The meek and timid are the one's who tend to be subjugated by their own Fascist or tyrannical governments.

The reason I don't see the Right as all of them being totally stupid is that first, they count on belief over knowledge. They have made a choice to "follow". When you have committed yourself, in a rather religious way, to a doctrine or leader, I can see that by defecting or stopping to question it, you are also putting yourself in ideological jeopardy. You risk the censure of your fellows. It is an understandable bind.

So, even though many people are seeing the Bush Junta as not only a moral indignation, but a real threat to the future of America, we can't expect certain types of people -- steeped in propaganda -- to come around and hear the call of Liberty in its deepest, most sincere sense.

They are not going to stop and look at it as para-partisan when you get down to it. That's not a great position to be in and you only learn you may have been wrong after the fact. The Right seems to be focusing on the Left as its enemy these days, and they are missing the target because of that. It is one thing to bandy critique and even verbal salvos back and forth between political ideologies, it is another to mistake your opponent for the real threat.

I apologize for my generalizations used in service to the point.

[glitch]

12. That's my pet theory too - and Welcome to DU! We appreciate your views. nt

[newyawker99]

18. Hi Casandra!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[StClone]

7. I have a theory for some of these people

A sector generally feel inferior and empathize with Bush's foibles. They really see themselves (!) in his inarticulate, folksy, common man bumblings. No matter what they feel in the end he (they) will be shown to have outwitted the smarties (Liberals, Dems, smart people in general) and be right and save America. It gives them justification and excitement out of their ordinary course.

In reality it's part of "What's Wrong With Kansas." Gambling gives them a similar excitement where they believe the next roll will win them a life of wealth. When in fact few do and most end up just poorer for the experience but addicted to the buzz they get no matter the end cost.

People gamble, destroy their lives thinking that the next roll will make them rich. Almost none do yet they they keep voting Bush and gambling with their lives.

[RobinA]

13. Was Surfing Last Night

and came across Poppy debating Dukakis on C-Span. He had the very same petulant whine. It's genetic.

[KharmaTrain]

16. Monty Pythonesque

The GOOP reminds me of the woman who walks into the bedroom, sees her husband in bed with another woman. She starts to rant at him and seeing her he slowly gets up, starts dressing and all the while saying "I don't know what you're talking about".

20 plus years of non-stop, uncontested GOOP lies has created a self-generated perception of Repugnicans being more patriotic, "moral" and economically superior to the "libruls" (a characature of what we were circa 1969 Woodstock).

The memes also were that Repugnicans were more responsible (tax & spend libruls) and pro-Constitution (Second Ammendment).

Under Commander Bunnypants everything these goons have stood for have now been either compromised or distorted beyond all reality...and they've gone along for the ride. The further they get from reality, the more strident they get as this is the tactic they learned gets attention and have used it in the past.

As I've stated, I've never seen a campaign, especially an incumbent, this late in an election campaign who is still pandering to his base instead of trying to strip off moderates and undecideds. Their lies are far more important to perpetuate than accepting reality.