Fear-mongering: On their path back from the wilderness, the GOP shouldn't use fear as a strategy

News Type: Opinion — Seeded on Thu Nov 20, 2008 2:08 PM EST

Article Source: mcclatchydc.com

politics, bush, republicans, gop, george-bush, fear, nixon, richard-nixon, fear-mongering, southern-strategy, willie-horton, george-h-w-bush-george-w-bush

Seeded by spiffie

Ever since Richard Nixon's infamous "Southern strategy" of 1968, Republicans have won power largely by convincing voters that strange and exotic others were to blame for all their ills. It's the feminists' fault, they said. Or the blacks. Or the Hispanics, the Muslims or the gays.

The names change, but the playbook remains the same, the appeal to fear unchanging: Your way of life is threatened by these people and only we, the GOP, can save you.

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4.9

4.8

{"commentId":4141477,"authorDomain":"spiffie"}

spiffie

That multicultural coalition celebrating Barack Obama's victory in a Chicago park two weeks ago underscores this and underscores, too, that hope will always, eventually, triumph over fear. As Christmas once came to Whoville regardless of the machinations of the Grinch, the future has come to America regardless of GOP promises to restore sepia yesterdays.

It's hard to argue with Dr. Seuss.

{"commentId":4141477,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"spiffie"}

3 votes

#1 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 2:09 PM EST

{"commentId":4146295,"authorDomain":"mightyblogger"}

Pacific Northwest Blogger

I'm afraid of the GOP. They sold me on fear.

{"commentId":4146295,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"mightyblogger"}

1 vote

#1.1 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:20 PM EST

{"commentId":4146648,"authorDomain":"susibv"}

GoldenGateMami_Susi

I will not fear monger in a boat

I will not fear monger to win your vote

I do not like Green Eggs and Ham

The GOP is a big, fat SCAM.

{"commentId":4146648,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"susibv"}

1 vote

#1.2 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:46 PM EST

{"commentId":4146670,"authorDomain":"susibv"}

GoldenGateMami_Susi

Dr. Seuss Rocks!

{"commentId":4146670,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"susibv"}

1 vote

#1.3 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:48 PM EST

{"commentId":4141776,"authorDomain":"schnoo"}

schnoo

I'm just afraid we're not going to recover from the past eight years.

{"commentId":4141776,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"schnoo"}

4 votes

#2 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 2:24 PM EST

{"commentId":4141882,"authorDomain":"spiffie"}

spiffie

Oh now, schnoo, where's that basic American optimism? We'll be fine by 2016 after eight years of President Obama.

{"commentId":4141882,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"spiffie"}

4 votes

#2.1 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 2:29 PM EST

{"commentId":4142030,"authorDomain":"rdonaldsnyder"}

R. Donald Snyder

I think we will, but I have no doubt that within a few months after Obama is in the White House the lunatic right wingers (esp several who post here) will be crowing that he hasn't really gotten anything done. I mean it took them 8 years of corruption and incompetence to screw America up as badly as they have and it's going to take a long time to fix it. Yet they're already calling the bad economy the "Obama recession". Their lies and smears are all they have left and they're going to keep using them, in spite of the fact that the bulk of voters are sick of them.

{"commentId":4142030,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"rdonaldsnyder"}

6 votes

#2.2 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 2:39 PM EST

{"commentId":4142083,"authorDomain":"schnoo"}

schnoo

I'm no doom-and-gloomer, but I've got a feeling we're in for a long and bumpy ride.

{"commentId":4142083,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"schnoo"}

5 votes

#2.3 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 2:42 PM EST

{"commentId":4143122,"authorDomain":"beagles4me"}

Fausts son

Schnoo,

I agree but we can make a difference by standing up to the ill winds of demigogues, everyday in everyway we will speak loudly and often the message that our troubles were caused by rightwingers and the conservative ideologues.

Speak loudly and don't carry a stick at all, truth will prevail.

{"commentId":4143122,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"beagles4me"}

2 votes

#2.4 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 3:44 PM EST

{"commentId":4143848,"authorDomain":"testaal"}

Tiemen

It takes more than that cowboy moron and his corporate thugs to bring this country down. Give it some time and he'll be nothing but a bad memory.

{"commentId":4143848,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"testaal"}

3 votes

#2.5 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 4:26 PM EST

{"commentId":4146029,"authorDomain":"beagles4me"}

Fausts son

Nostradamus I presume? We never forgot Hoover.

{"commentId":4146029,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"beagles4me"}

2 votes

#2.6 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:00 PM EST

{"commentId":4146775,"authorDomain":"susibv"}

GoldenGateMami_Susi

Schnoo I agree......but one thing is being thrown into the car with your ass up like we have been the last 8 years and one thing is being thrown into the car looking ahead with at least an inkling of what direction we're headed.

{"commentId":4146775,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"susibv"}

2 votes

#2.7 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:54 PM EST

{"commentId":4142307,"authorDomain":"ppflock"}

3sheets2thewind

Oh come on now don't you want to see a Palin/Bachmann ticket in 2012?

{"commentId":4142307,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"ppflock"}

2 votes

#3 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 2:55 PM EST

{"commentId":4142429,"authorDomain":"spiffie"}

spiffie

I hear Marilyn Musgrave is looking for work.

{"commentId":4142429,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"spiffie"}

4 votes

#3.1 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 3:02 PM EST

{"commentId":4142687,"authorDomain":"kylen"}

KyleN

I think they shouldn't either but don't kid yourself Democrats use the same strategy and it works for them as well. It always works for whoever is currently out of power. For Democrats it's the rich, capitalists, religious, whites that make up the targets for their fear mongering.

It's also gone on far longer than '68 in both parties and the parties before them as well.

{"commentId":4142687,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"kylen"}

2 votes

#4 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 3:18 PM EST

{"commentId":4143210,"authorDomain":"paulpeg1"}

Paul-534930

My fellow Americans, the only thing we have to fear is........... robocalls from the GOP!

{"commentId":4143210,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"paulpeg1"}

3 votes

#5 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 3:48 PM EST

{"commentId":4144409,"authorDomain":"mrmajek"}

MrMajek

The Obama administration will have a fingerprint or two on the future of the GOP, too. If he can get this monster to fly, they will have no choice but try to offer something somewhat similar. Keep in mind, once upon a time the differences between the parties was methodology, not ideology. The far extremes are going to get smoothed and won't be the power bases that they once were...on either side. Ensuring a future for this country is bigger than single issues, anger, and ignorance.

{"commentId":4144409,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"mrmajek"}

1 vote

#6 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 4:58 PM EST

{"commentId":4145552,"authorDomain":"brandonragle"}

Brandon Ragle

What is wrong with a political party rallying its base? Last I checked, the majority of my co-ethnics voted against Obama. Given the complete disaster that was GW Bush, that is really saying something.

White fertility rates and church attendance are the strongest indicators of whether a person will vote for the GOP. This is all the more reason why they should dump the Rovian minority outreach efforts vis-a-via amnesty for illegal aliens and homeloans for the unqualified and get back to basics: shrinking the government, cutting taxes, and fighting the culture war.

{"commentId":4145552,"threadId":"424238","contentId":"2132700","authorDomain":"brandonragle"}

3 votes

#7 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 6:21 PM EST

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"424238","isPrivate":false}

SPIFFIE

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Fear-mongering: On their path back from the wilderness, the GOP shouldn't use fear as a strategy

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