Elections 2012: BFP Watch Party

[Martina]

There is no doubt that this election was the deciding battle in the Culture Wars. That does not mean they are over. But white conservatives will never be able to dominate as they once did. The demographics won't allow it.

I heard that this election was the last one -- given current trends -- where you could win if you got a big turnout of whites and got 60% or so of that vote. That wasn't that hard in the past. It was possible yesterday, but didn't happen. It will never be possible again.

As of now, Republicans are losing ground with every demographic but white men. Every demographic. And the the folks they are losing ground with -- many of them are increasing in terms of percentage of the population.

It is possible that the GOP can re-invent itself. But it will take time. It cannot base itself on racism and homophobia. That will never work again, as dreadgeek points out.

It's a fucking watershed moment.

There will always be conservatives among us. It's a personality type, IMO. There's been a lot of social psychology on the subject. But it will look different forever more in this country. It will not be the race-baiting, woman-hating, queer-fearing conservatism we know so well.

Those people are still with us. But they can't win a national election again. Now, if you live in Alabama, . . . .

[UofMfan]

This is not only makes me happy, but shows the power of the women vote.

[dreadgeek]

Originally Posted by Martina

There will always be conservatives among us. It's a personality type, IMO. There's been a lot of social psychology on the subject. But it will look different forever more in this country. It will not be the race-baiting, woman-hating, queer-fearing conservatism we know so well.

Those people are still with us. But they can't win a national election again. Now, if you live in Alabama, . . . .

Let me say one or two things in defense of conservatives. Some (not all) of the social psychology on conservatives has really been on either right-wing reactionaries or right-wing authoritarian reactionaries. Neither of which I would call conservative. To me, conservatism is about caution, stability and a respect for evolved social solutions. So, for example, a conservative approach to dealing with Social Security and Medicare would be to tweak the retirement age, recognizing that when SS was created living to 65 was rare and living to 85 was rarer still. So with new demographic realities can come new realities of retirement age so start pushing the retirement age up, so if you're 45 now (as I am) I work until 70 or 75. If you are 30 you're working until 75 or 80. Turn the dial, don't flip the switch would be a conservative way of putting it. Real conservatism is in favor of both marriage equality and gays serving in the military because the former represents social stability and the latter represents a form of patriotism. Real conservatives recognize that just as government power can be concentrated and abused, so can corporate power and so corporate power must be checked not because corporations are evil but because we must protect the republic from plutocrats who will always seek to tilt the playing field more in their direction.

Does this sound like a political party you know? Yes, that's right, if you are a Democrat guess what *you* are now what conservatism looks like in America. In favor of preserving Social Security and Medicare? You're a conservative. In favor of repealing DADT and marriage equality in all 50 states (perhaps soon to be 51?)? Then you're a conservative. That doesn't mean you are a *Republican* just a *conservative*. That doesn't mean that you aren't a liberal, either, just that American liberalism has *become* a form of conservatism.

The insanity that has passed for conservative most of our adult lives is really right-wing reactionary politics that wraps itself in the mantle of conservatism to look respectable. Libertarian philosophy is too radical and too Utopian to be truly conservative. Ayn Rand acolytes are far too radical and Utopian. The Christian theocrats are so Utopian that they can't be considered conservative by any reasonable definition.

Cheers
Aj

[Martina]

I have read that conservatives prioritize fairness over compassion. They are both good values. But that makes them more sensitive to issues like welfare or affirmative action.

They tend to be more frightened by difference. That has been found in a number of studies. They are less open, less adventurous, less interested in others outside their own group. Purity is a a value that resonates for them. So that is rife for exploitation by racists.

When I was growing up, conservatives were against intervention in foreign wars, which was something I can get behind. They were more "Don't fuck with me and I won't fuck with you," something I can get behind as well.

The eighties and later Moral Majority conservatives who tried to impose their own standards and values on others -- those folks were NOT like the conservatives I grew up with.

The reason conservatism became so extreme was because white male privilege has come under attack since the sixties. So to fight back, they grabbed onto ideology -- Christian, racist, misogynistic ideology, which alienated a lot of otherwise conservative folks. That's what whites did when their privilege came under attack after the Civil War. They emphasized and elaborated on racist ideologies to justify Jim Crow laws and other restrictions on the freedoms of African Americans.

When I was young, conservatives weren't all that pro anything. They were more libertarian.

[Linus]

I saw this on Facebook (not sure if anyone posted it yet) and was curious what others thought:

[Kobi]

Linus, that is a very interesting map comparison. Have to mull that over.

[Sun]

Update on the post I made last night re: Sheriffs race in Maricopa AZ

Badass racist Joe Arpaio. Apparently some 480,000 votes were not counted and someone called the election. Many were early mail in votes. Looking forward to seeing the results. This is the Sheriff who is proud of his "Tent City" torture chamber.

Also open gun laws in AZ. Any idiot can get a gun. Nice place.

[girl_dee]

PLEASE lets get that maniac out of there. HOW is HE not in prison?!?!

[Corkey]

Originally Posted by Linus

I saw this on Facebook (not sure if anyone posted it yet) and was curious what others thought:

An accurate account of the red (confederate) states of America. For all we evolve, there are somethings that remain the same.

[Gráinne]

I may have posted this already, but it seems the last word: