ChrisL
Diamond Member
Much of the vitriol and name calling can be attributed to Newt Gingrich. He made it a point to paint his opposition as evil and god hating. He convinced his colleagues to go out of their way to at every discussion with his political adversaries to regard them in bad terms. Where there used to be a mutual respect in congress it was transformed into a war of philosophies that took no prisoners.
Every disagreement was transformed into an affront to all that they believed in and respected. God, Guns and Gays was expanded to include abortion, immigration and socialism as the evil that attacks the model the RWers envision for our nation. Obviously much if not all of the obsticals to this so called perfect vision were inherently unattainable due to the constitution. They have to be careful attacking the constitution so when prevented from exercising their will they conveniently blame the so called "Liberals" for blocking their paths. Keep in mind that the language in use now is much more derogatory that in previous times. Once convinced that they no longer needed to respect those that oppose their agendas the insults fly freely.
The emergence of Trump is the end result of the way the RW operates. Insults that used to not exist were allowed to become veiled then open and now there are no constraints. There are no mutual laws to respect in addressing one's opposition.
All this anger and insult combined with a RW culture that rejects any and all responsibility for their actions has created a field and a game without rules. Politics has been reduced not to agreement and bargaining to create action but to only a matter of money spent on advertising. If you party's backers can fund a won election and as a group win enough of them to have majorities and power then your opponent be damned. Eventually it works both ways when the rules are clear. The dems have to do the same to win elections as the public seems to only respond to the lowest common denominator.
Now, as opposed to before when cordiality seemed the basis for winning an argument, it is the most clever and repeated insult that the public responds to. True or false seems not to matter. Nasty and degrading is what the public wants and what the public gets.
Newt Gingrich may have had a big hand in setting the vitriol into motion but it is now the public that demands more dirt being slung by our politicians. The real cause of the evil way our representatives communicate is that we do not say no to it at the ballot box.
Yeah, because you Communists were always so polite.
I mean, that Atom Bomb commercial you ran on Goldwater was the epitome of class and decorum, Comrade.
Is everyone who disagrees with YOU a commie? Lol. Get over your 1950s mentality, please.