The RNC slides displays the dichotomy in the GOP. the GOP has two major components: the country clubbers and the emos or emotives. The RNC slide that follows indicates the Republican party is aware of this dichotomy.
The country clubbers run the party and believe they own America. Examples are the Koch brothers, the Scaifes, the Bush family and the Romneys.
Most of these people come from affluent families and have completed college. Many went to ivy league schools.
If you attended a large state or private university, you saw their children. Most arrived at school in late model cars and lived in fraternity and sorority houses.
In fact, the fraternity or Greek system is the pipeline for many GOP leaders. Tapping dancing Idaho senator Larry Craig was the president of his fraternity, Delta Chi.
Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin was a member of
Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He is now the chairman of the House budget committee.
The other side of the GOP coin are the
emos or
emotives. These people were the C students in high school. Many of the men were jocks on the football team and now work in sales. Many of the women were cheerleaders or baton twirlers. Most of them peaked in high school.
Some went to college but didn't get it, like it or do well. Sarah Palin fits well in this category because she struggled in college: She attended 5 colleges in six years.
Joe the Plumber is another person who a a GOP emotive. These folks are reactionary and have a strong anti-intellectual streak.
The ditto heads and Tea Baggers are, for the most part, under educated emos. They want the America they thought was promised to them in the high school text books.
When I first heard this quote, I was amazed. I though these must be some really naive people. However, there are books written on this subject.
When you get to college, you learn that a lot of the stuff taught to you in high school were half truths or bull shit!
You can throw in the religious right and the evangelicals in to the emo category as well. Many believe that there destiny is controlled by invisible beings who fly around in the heavens or live deep in the earth.
They believe by praying to these divine beings and attending church that their family life will be improved. If only it were that easy!
Can Emobama appeal to emo-independents?
So what is the point of this editorial? It is that it is unlikely the country clubbers will ever vote Democratic, but there some emo-independents that can swing Democratic or Republican.
This idea of the sage citizen who eschews party affiliation, is unbiased and persuadable by reason and facts, is very much a myth,” said Scott Keeter, director of survey research for the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.
“Most people are committed to a party.“. . .But there are very few people who fit the archetypes of the wise, centrist independent.
To sum up: Most “independents,” as pollsters and pundits commonly define the term, are in fact committed to one party or the other.
Keeter states that the truly unaffiliated are not politically engaged, and are unlikely to vote.
However, one in three "independents" is truly independent and doesn't lean toward either political party.
Rightardia would prognosticate most of these are independent emos. These are the people the Democrats need to win in the next election.
Democrats must appeal to their emotions to win them over. Rationality and facts won't work on these people unless they are directly affected economically.
sources:
City Schools and the American Dream: Reclaiming the Promise of Public
Education (Multicultural Education Series (New York, N.Y.)The Failed Promise of the American High School, 1890-1995, David L. Angus
Understanding The American Promise, Combined Volume A Brief History of the United States
graphic courtesy of bartcop.com
