Republicans' Belief in Evolution Plummets

[Beskar]

The religious right is growing in power and influence and pushing out the libertarian and economic conservatives. Ideologies that once overlapped to a certain extent are becoming strained, and it is becoming more and more difficult to vote GOP if you do not buy into a fundamentalist Christian worldview. For example, scientists have largely abandoned the GOP.

It has been like so since Clinton and the election of Bush Jr within my time-frame, I cannot speak earlier than that as I wasn't really around to comment. It is scary when you notice how it increased from Obama's initial election to the last election. It is part of my overt messages where the Republican party needs to be abandoned and in the vacuum, the Democratic party is split with the more libertarian efforts becoming the 'new right' separating from the liberal/socialist left. Republican party is a laughing stock to pretty much everyone not on the 'in'. Not really about left/right, more about sensible/idiot. There are sensible right-wing and they deserve to be freed from the idiotic right.

[Lemur]

There are sensible right-wing and they deserve to be freed from the idiotic right.

In fairness, there are abundant idiots on the left. They just seem to somehow be more marginalized, less able to set policy or press demands.

No idea how that works.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

In fairness, there are abundant idiots on the left. They just seem to somehow be more marginalized, less able to set policy or press demands.

No idea how that works.

Ebbs and flows. Ebbs and flows. in 1968 and 1972 it was the unrestrained leftists dragging down the Dems.

Oh, and Lemur, congratulations/condolences on the color change.

[HoreTore]

In fairness, there are abundant idiots on the left. They just seem to somehow be more marginalized, less able to set policy or press demands.

No idea how that works.

Yeah, catholic socialists will always be a bit odd...

[Sarmatian]

In fairness, there are abundant idiots on the left. They just seem to somehow be more marginalized, less able to set policy or press demands.

No idea how that works.

Why do you think he's an idiot?

[a completely inoffensive name]

Why do you think he's an idiot?

Because the media smear campaign against him was successful.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Because the media smear campaign against him was successful.

Or, just perhaps, Lemur is as underwhelmed by blindered "capitalism is evil and the USA the imperialist aggressor" ideologues as he is by blindered "God, guns, 'murica" ideologues? I tend to err on the side that our Lemur can actually think for himself.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Interesting. I'm not sure whether there is a long-term trend in the GOP towards fundamentalism, or if their relationship with it is more one of recurring highs and lows - the hight points occuring when there are perceived threats to traditional Christian/American values and the associated way of life. Remember the rise and fall of Moral Majority and the like?

Also, I wonder if these figures might be an indirect consequence of some other changes of direction within the party. If they have had much success in their planned drive to get more support from devoutly Catholic Mexican immigrants, these figures may reflect that. Or maybe the GOP has lost its more moderate support with recent debacles, leaving it with the more religious and hardline core.

Could be a few things going on here, alas as a non-American I'm not in the best place to say.

[Lemur]

Why do you think he's an idiot?

Or, just perhaps, Lemur is as underwhelmed by blindered "capitalism is evil and the USA the imperialist aggressor" ideologues as he is by blindered "God, guns, 'murica" ideologues?

That's part of it, and that I'm really turned off by ideologues of all stripes. I forget who said it, but "If you start with certainty, you will end in doubt; but if you begin with doubt, you will end in certainty."

Ideologues know the answers, they just need to massage the facts to fit. Or heck, just ignore facts if they're inconvenient.

I don't mind a propagandist, though. Much respect to Leni Reifenstahl, at least on a technical level. Having watched maybe three of Moore's films, I just find them sloppy. The reasoning, the logic, it's all sub-par.

So ... his films are the works of an ideologue, and worse, a sloppy ideologue.

[Sarmatian]

That's part of it, and that I'm really turned off by ideologues of all stripes. I forget who said it, but "If you start with certainty, you will end in doubt; but if you begin with doubt, you will end in certainty."

Ideologues know the answers, they just need to massage the facts to fit. Or heck, just ignore facts if they're inconvenient.

I don't mind a propagandist, though. Much respect to Leni Reifenstahl, at least on a technical level. Having watched maybe three of Moore's films, I just find them sloppy. The reasoning, the logic, it's all sub-par.

So ... his films are the works of an ideologue, and worse, a sloppy ideologue.

Documentaries are inherently biased. They tend to tell a story and present a point of view.

I found them interesting and felt he got the tone right, regardless of whether each single piece of information in there is correct. Bigger problems is that they're about stuff most 'muricans would rather ignore, imho.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Or, just perhaps, Lemur is as underwhelmed by blindered "capitalism is evil and the USA the imperialist aggressor" ideologues as he is by blindered "God, guns, 'murica" ideologues? I tend to err on the side that our Lemur can actually think for himself.

OK.

[The Lurker Below]

Why do you think he's an idiot?

Moore could take a few pointers from ideologues with film production training.