I’m not saying that’s wrong, but it’s also more complex than that. It’s not only the ultra rich supporting them. Take it from someone who lives amongst them.
Is there a massive corporate / monied influence behind the GOP? Sure, but that’s true of the Democrats too. Given that that’s our only options as long as we have a first-past-the-post, winner take all voting system (unless or until we institute ranked choice or some other alternative voting system), then the Democrats are the only one of those two parties that at least takes some actions and speaks words in support of the poor and middle classes. If you look at their actions, anyone who is not ultra rich should be voting for Democrats over Republicans unquestionably.
However, we have about 48% of our citizens in any given class that aren’t the ultra rich who will vote Republican until their dying breath. In my state in particular, about 60% of the population votes Republican, despite being next to dirt poor.
We’ll even vote for progressive policies - we legalized weed, voted for Medicare expansion, turned down “”“Right to Work”“” laws multiple times, etc. - and then our own legislature that these assholes voted in will work to undo those measures that passed a popular vote however they can. They keep trying to reintroduce RtW laws every handful of years, they defunded the Medicare expansion. If they fail to stop the progressive policies, then they turn to profiting off of them through crony capitalism like they did with the cannabis industry by only giving out manufacturing and dispensary licenses to a small pool of people, and their cronies of course got first dibs.
So don’t have any illusions - poor people vote Republican. In droves. It’s due to ignorance, and bigotry, and racism, and a disregard for their own interest, but they do.
That doesn’t entirely discount the theory being proposed in your OP article, but it doesn’t explain Republican voting blocs everywhere. It just might explain Florida however.
I do agree that ignorance and bigotry amongst the poor contribute to right wing voting, but it’s also worth noting that this is ultimately cultivated by the right wing media. Oligarch owned channels pump out slick content that promotes views that are favorable to the rich. And of course, when it comes to the economic policy the difference between democrats and republicans is minimal. So, no matter which party is in charge, lives continue to get worse for the majority.
Sure, you don’t have to tell me about the right wing media machine. Most people I knew growing up got sucked into it and are beyond any rational thought now.
For the difference between Dems and the GOP on economic policy, I won’t argue that the leadership and majority of the Democratic party are neoconservative “”“centrists”“” - in other words, they’re conservative Democrats. There is a minority segment of the party that is progressive however, and once in a while they do something that is truly beneficial for everyone. The same can never be said about the GOP.
Sure, any progressive people end up in the dem party, but the amount of influence they have appears to be minimal. End result is that we see a ratcheting effect where the repubs ram through really unpopular policies, while dems prevent any progress to the left. The system overall continues to shift into neofeudal fascism. The only way out of this is to build worker power through on the ground organization, unionization, and then political participation in form of strikes and protests. That’s how workers won their rights in the 1930s where mass worker unrest forced the government to pass the New Deal.
Agreed on all points. Just to add, I also believe that not much else can happen on the political stage unless we implement a ranked choice or other alternative voting system, to allow 3rd parties some chance of gaining traction.
Nah, it’s t he American gentry that’s the core support for the GOP https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/09/trump-american-gentry-wyman-elites/620151/
I’m not saying that’s wrong, but it’s also more complex than that. It’s not only the ultra rich supporting them. Take it from someone who lives amongst them.
Is there a massive corporate / monied influence behind the GOP? Sure, but that’s true of the Democrats too. Given that that’s our only options as long as we have a first-past-the-post, winner take all voting system (unless or until we institute ranked choice or some other alternative voting system), then the Democrats are the only one of those two parties that at least takes some actions and speaks words in support of the poor and middle classes. If you look at their actions, anyone who is not ultra rich should be voting for Democrats over Republicans unquestionably.
However, we have about 48% of our citizens in any given class that aren’t the ultra rich who will vote Republican until their dying breath. In my state in particular, about 60% of the population votes Republican, despite being next to dirt poor.
We’ll even vote for progressive policies - we legalized weed, voted for Medicare expansion, turned down “”“Right to Work”“” laws multiple times, etc. - and then our own legislature that these assholes voted in will work to undo those measures that passed a popular vote however they can. They keep trying to reintroduce RtW laws every handful of years, they defunded the Medicare expansion. If they fail to stop the progressive policies, then they turn to profiting off of them through crony capitalism like they did with the cannabis industry by only giving out manufacturing and dispensary licenses to a small pool of people, and their cronies of course got first dibs.
So don’t have any illusions - poor people vote Republican. In droves. It’s due to ignorance, and bigotry, and racism, and a disregard for their own interest, but they do.
That doesn’t entirely discount the theory being proposed in your OP article, but it doesn’t explain Republican voting blocs everywhere. It just might explain Florida however.
I do agree that ignorance and bigotry amongst the poor contribute to right wing voting, but it’s also worth noting that this is ultimately cultivated by the right wing media. Oligarch owned channels pump out slick content that promotes views that are favorable to the rich. And of course, when it comes to the economic policy the difference between democrats and republicans is minimal. So, no matter which party is in charge, lives continue to get worse for the majority.
Sure, you don’t have to tell me about the right wing media machine. Most people I knew growing up got sucked into it and are beyond any rational thought now.
For the difference between Dems and the GOP on economic policy, I won’t argue that the leadership and majority of the Democratic party are neoconservative “”“centrists”“” - in other words, they’re conservative Democrats. There is a minority segment of the party that is progressive however, and once in a while they do something that is truly beneficial for everyone. The same can never be said about the GOP.
Sure, any progressive people end up in the dem party, but the amount of influence they have appears to be minimal. End result is that we see a ratcheting effect where the repubs ram through really unpopular policies, while dems prevent any progress to the left. The system overall continues to shift into neofeudal fascism. The only way out of this is to build worker power through on the ground organization, unionization, and then political participation in form of strikes and protests. That’s how workers won their rights in the 1930s where mass worker unrest forced the government to pass the New Deal.
Agreed on all points. Just to add, I also believe that not much else can happen on the political stage unless we implement a ranked choice or other alternative voting system, to allow 3rd parties some chance of gaining traction.
Yeah, first past the post makes it pretty much impossible for any smaller parties to participate.