Obama Won, But He Still Has to Contend with Millions of Americans Taught...

[Brewman_Jax]

Obama Won, But He Still Has to Contend with Millions of Americans Taught to Hate Their Own Government

http://www.alternet.org/obama-won-he-sti...government

From the article:

Quote:As Campaign 2012 ends, it is clear that perhaps the most profound transformation of American politics in recent decades has been the Right’s successful demonization of the federal government and its role in national life. Tens of millions of voters, especially white men, buy into Ronald Reagan’s dictum that “government is the problem.”

This animosity toward the federal government explains not only the Tea Party’s victories in 2010 but the buoyancy of Mitt Romney’s candidacy in 2012 despite his stunningly dishonest campaign and his off-putting political persona.

The hard truth for liberals and progressives is that the Right’s imposing propaganda machinery can make pretty much make anything into anything, whatever serves the Right’s ideological and political needs, while the Left has nothing to compare to this right-wing capability.

For instance, the Right’s propaganda has convinced many Americans of a bogus historical narrative which has the Framers enacting the Constitution as a states’-rights document designed to have a weak central government – when the reality was nearly the opposite.

...

Thanks to their latest and best anti-government reactionary, Ronald Reagan, too many, esp. RW minorities, have been conditioned to hate the federal government, and it's the same reason as before: It is about the money. The RW propaganda and media just provided the distraction.

[Fire1]

I've read where 15-20 red states have petitions to secede from the union and I say good riddance! I suspect most of them can't spell it let alone know what it means. Many of these states can barely make it as part of the union (Alabama, Louisiana, etc.). All I know is when a hurricane, flood or any other natural disaster strikes, DON'T CALL ON THE U.S. Use you own UNDERFUNDED National Guard!

[pappy]

(11-13-2012 10:20 AM)Fire1 Wrote:  I've read where 15-20 red states have petitions to secede from the union and I say good riddance! I suspect most of them can't spell it let alone know what it means. Many of these states can barely make it as part of the union (Alabama, Louisiana, etc.). All I know is when a hurricane, flood or any other natural disaster strikes, DON'T CALL ON THE U.S. Use you own UNDERFUNDED National Guard!

There is also a petition drive at the White House website calling for the deportation of anyone signing WH petitions asking for their state to secede.

Be careful what you wish for!

[Willinois]

There are progressive ideologies that aren't explicitly pro-government. Many Americans are populist in ideology, in that they don't really trust big corporations or big government. In fact, there are tea party members who don't like government because they see it as a tool of corporations. I don't think it works in the Democrats favor to be painted as the party of big government. That's how Republicans want the public to see Democrats.

[Brewman_Jax]

I guess that there isn't much question of the too-often racist nature of the rabid racist RW's hatred of government in general and PBO in particular. Even after Clinton won twice, there were no cries for secession from the USA.