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**TheNewMe** · 06-08-2011, 11:53 AM

The title of this piece is actually "They made their bed, but they don't want to lie in it," talking about Ryan's anti-medicare bill. The interesting part is where her inner "armchair psychologist" comes out. I also admit, I am fascinated by the inner workings of republicans, who believe others are as selfish as themselves...

http://crooksandliars.com/blue-girl/they...want-lie-i
Crooks and Liars
June 08, 2011 10:00 AM
They made their bed, but they don't want to lie in it.
By Blue Girl

Quote:...
I also have to admit that my inner armchair-psychologist is bemused by Ryan.

As we all know, he is a Randian, and Randians embrace an "ethic" of selfishness. I honestly believe that Paul Ryan thought that those 55 and older would be totally cool with throwing their kids and grandkids to the wolves, so long as they themselves didn't have to pay the penalty. I think he was taken aback when people asked "but what about my kids?" because he lacks the capacity for empathy that is required before one can think to ask such a question.

When it turned out that most people aren't sociopaths, I truly believe that Ryan was genuinely shocked. Not only that, it was a possibility he failed to consider, because he lacked the empathy necessary for that sort of foresight. Fortunately, that flaw always proves to be the undoing of the Objectivist Libertarians like Ryan -- not just because it energizes and mobilizes the left, but because it mobilizes people of faith as well, and as we well know, there are many people of faith in the ranks of the GOP.
...
But fat lot of good that pandering is doing when the most prominent piece of republican legislation out there, that has dominated the news for three months now, causes true Christians to recoil in horror.

Given this, it makes me laugh when Ryan thinks it is a "messaging problem."

***There Is No Spoon*** · 06-08-2011, 12:14 PM

(06-08-2011 11:53 AM)TheNewMe Wrote: Given this, it makes me laugh when Ryan thinks it is a "messaging problem."

Well, it is a messaging problem. People don't like his anti-Christian, pro-selfishness & greed message.

What I want to know is - if it's so easy for people with empathy to see (liberals), and just as easy for people of faith to see the Republican sociopathy, what does this say about the 30 - 40% of people who will ALWAYS vote Republican?

Oh, you say they must be sociopaths? I can't really argue that point. Wink

**Sugarloaf** · 06-08-2011, 03:28 PM

(06-08-2011 12:14 PM)There Is No Spoon Wrote: What I want to know is - if it's so easy for people with empathy to see (liberals), and just as easy for people of faith to see the Republican sociopathy, what does this say about the 30 - 40% of people who will ALWAYS vote Republican?

Oh, you say they must be sociopaths? I can't really argue that point.

That last sentence- lolz

As to your question, I've often wondered about the same thing. Here is my little theory...

If you break it down a bit, there are always going to be some apolitical types who vote R just because they always have- never really taking the time to truly evaluate Republican dogma to see if it's the right fit. I'd be willing to bet these types make up about 8 to 10%.

The true Randians are probably another 5%

Randian leaning but capable of just enough empathy to avoid the clinical definition of sociopath, meh - I'd say another 5 to 10%

The rest? Shrug

Delusional maybe? Wink

**Velleity** · 06-08-2011, 05:55 PM

(06-08-2011 12:14 PM)There Is No Spoon Wrote: ... what does this say about the 30 - 40% of people who will ALWAYS vote Republican?

Oh, you say they must be sociopaths? I can't really argue that point.

I have to say that I do find them to be sociopaths but for some reason I don't find that answer to be satisfying. If you ever figure this out Spoony, please let me know.

Of course we know people who don't vote Republican who fit a similar profile. Shrug

**SeattleGirl** · 06-08-2011, 01:01 PM

While what Ryan wants to do is decidedly not funny, I found myself highly amused by this little story.

***NJMaverick*** · 06-08-2011, 01:08 PM

hence the surprise

**Dimwitted Fool** · 06-08-2011, 01:48 PM

(06-08-2011 01:08 PM)NJMaverick Wrote: hence the surprise

Absolutely. Ryan may be the most notorious one right about now, but this is true to some extent for all of of us, no matter our religion, politics, or worldview.

After all, I know I'm the brightest, most educated, and otherwise superior person in the room, and even if I'm not, I'm close enough to it to understand that if everyone saw the facts I've seen and analyzed them properly, as I have, they would have no choice but to agree with me-- it's simple logic.

**PoliticalTiger** · 06-08-2011, 08:30 PM

I think most Republican's are not only sociopaths but also psychopaths!

**janedrake** · 06-08-2011, 08:37 PM

Amen -- and that's it in a nutshell -- Paul Ryan is a sociopath. And he also drank the Kool-Aid that Republicans gained the House not based on a Koch-financed pack of lies, but because "the public" actually backed the GOP's grand plan to dismantle the social safety net. Ryan is insane. And reality has finally caught up with him.

***azmouse*** · 06-10-2011, 09:04 AM

Republicans are for the most part mean, hateful people. And eliminating Medicare and Social Security are mean, hateful things to do.

**Hekate** · (This post was last modified: 06-15-2011 12:34 AM by Hekate.)

(06-10-2011 09:04 AM)azmouse Wrote: Republicans are for the most part mean, hateful people. And eliminating Medicare and Social Security are mean, hateful things to do.

I have to continually remind myself to substitute "GOP" for "Republican" when the wrath rises in me, because like you I know some good decent people who are still Republicans and I can't condemn all of them to Hell for the sins of their politicians and their politicians' corporate masters.

Both hubby and I have gotten to the point that when a GOP politician is being interviewed we have to turn off the tv machine Screen_of_death

or risk throwing the thing out the window.

God damn the GOP. I f**king hate the GOP. Angryfire

***azmouse*** · 06-15-2011, 08:35 AM

(06-15-2011 12:33 AM)Hekate Wrote:
(06-10-2011 09:04 AM)azmouse Wrote: Republicans are for the most part mean, hateful people. And eliminating Medicare and Social Security are mean, hateful things to do.

I have to continually remind myself to substitute "GOP" for "Republican" when the wrath rises in me, because like you I know some good decent people who are still Republicans and I can't condemn all of them to Hell for the sins of their politicians and their politicians' corporate masters.

Both hubby and I have gotten to the point that when a GOP politician is being interviewed we have to turn off the tv machine or risk throwing the thing out the window.

God damn the GOP. I f**king hate the GOP.

I used to work at a small business run by a gay couple who were incredibly nice. I looked forward to going into work each day, that's how wonderful the work environment was. I'd work for them again in a heartbeat. Incredbly they were also Republicans. Something I'll never understand... how someone would be a member of a political party that despises who you are.

I'll have to remind myself to use GOP too. I have the feeling there are many registered Republicans out there who hate what their party has become but are still having a hard time leaving it. Too bad. All we can do is hope they come to their senses.

**mzmolly** · 06-10-2011, 12:05 PM

LOL!

That's a great talking point!

**kahuna** · 06-11-2011, 04:03 AM

The shocking part to me about the ryan plan is not that he thought senoirs would embrace it at the cost to everyone else, but that he thought that voters under 55 would embrace it. It's the rebellion of the massive amount of voters under 55 the repukes have to worry about.

**RoyGBiv** · 06-11-2011, 06:02 AM

(06-11-2011 04:03 AM)kahuna Wrote: The shocking part to me about the ryan plan is not that he thought senoirs would embrace it at the cost to everyone else, but that he thought that voters under 55 would embrace it. It's the rebellion of the massive amount of voters under 55 the repukes have to worry about.

There are definitely some strange electoral calculations going on at Republican headquarters, and I have yet to grasp what it's all about.

The conventional wisdom is that seniors wouldn't care because it didn't affect them and that those under 55 either wouldn't notice or would be convinced by the "deficit reduction" talking point that they'd go for it. There is at least some sense in this in that low information voters tend not to look past the next few months of their own lives and don't see the broad picture of consequences that come with many of these proposals. Ryan, it seems, is playing a game with the selfishness gene by expecting people to see in this more money in their pockets now (even though that wouldn't happen) and not thinking about the fact they're going to be broke, un-insurable, and unable to deal with medical bills in the future.

I must admit that I didn't expect the backlash on Vouchercare that we've seen, and I'm still anxious about it, not sure it will last. But here's to hoping.

**mcar** · 06-11-2011, 07:37 AM

They really were counting on seniors not caring, weren't they? I guess they figured if they got the 55+ crowd's vote, along with the small % of people who will always vote R, no matter what, it would carry them to victory.

Guess they forgot that lots of senior citizens have kids and grandkids they actually care about. A fatal mistake, that.

**Sugarloaf** · 06-11-2011, 09:36 AM

(06-11-2011 07:37 AM)mcar Wrote: They really were counting on seniors not caring, weren't they? I guess they figured if they got the 55+ crowd's vote, along with the small % of people who will always vote R, no matter what, it would carry them to victory.

Guess they forgot that lots of senior citizens have kids and grandkids they actually care about. A fatal mistake, that.

True that ^

Welcome to DFP mcar Wave

**mcar** · 06-11-2011, 06:46 PM

A belated thanks for the welcome. I'm liking it here.

(06-11-2011 09:36 AM)Sugarloaf Wrote:
(06-11-2011 07:37 AM)mcar Wrote: They really were counting on seniors not caring, weren't they? I guess they figured if they got the 55+ crowd's vote, along with the small % of people who will always vote R, no matter what, it would carry them to victory.

Guess they forgot that lots of senior citizens have kids and grandkids they actually care about. A fatal mistake, that.

True that ^

Welcome to DFP mcar

**Treestar** · 06-11-2011, 10:15 AM

They think it is so logical that no one can disagree.

**SeattleGirl** · 06-11-2011, 01:57 PM

(06-11-2011 10:15 AM)Treestar Wrote: They think it is so logical that no one can disagree.

I call that illogical logic.

**Born_A_Truman** · 06-13-2011, 11:15 AM

I think most who vote GOP are either wealthy, and think others should pay for government services--and by that they always target services for the elderly or poor--or, they buy into if government would stop taking their money, they too would be wealthy.

If the GOP had their way taxes would only pay for national security and everything else would be on the individual. Let them build their own roads, fight their own forest fires, test their own food, guide their own airplanes, etc.