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Somewhere in America, a psychology graduate student is doubtless preparing the definitive thesis of the modern conservative mindset. After all, the Bush years produced a cottage industry of analyses on the roots of Dubya's "dead or alive, bring 'em on" macho talk. And now that Sarah Palin has added "impotent" and "limp" to a right-wing vernacular replete with over-sexualized and even homoerotic terms like "bend over" and "ram down our throats," it's clear that the leading lights of the Republican Party could use a little couch time with Dr. Freud.
As authors including Tom Frank (What's the Matter with Kansas?) and Rick Perlstein (Nixonland) among others have thoroughly documented, the conservative narrative of victimization, violation and persecution by coastal liberals and Ivy League elites - even when Republicans are in power - long predates the likes of Sarah Palin and even Richard Nixon. But in recent years, the not-too-thinly veiled innuendo of the new vulgarians on the right has descended to appalling new levels.
Even before the election of Barack Obama, right-wing radio host and Viagra enthusiast Rush Limbaugh debuted "bend over" as a Republican talking point.
Paging Dr. Freud: Conservative Leaders Clearly Have Something Besides Politics on Their Minds
Article Source: Crooks and Liars- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (5)
Take, for example, Matt Kibbe of Freedomworks, the right-wing money machine helping fund the ersatz grassroots Tea Party movement. Democrats, Kibbe declared, "jammed the stimulus bill down our throats" and "this health care bill down our throats." As Huffington Post reported, Tea Party favorite Rand Paul wrapped his lips around the same expression when defending coal mine operators:
Paul claimed Obama "cares nothing about Kentucky and cares even less about Kentucky coal."
"We have a president who is forcing the EPA down our throats."
And so it goes.
In recent years, a growing number of studies have revealed the conservative mind to be uncomfortable with uncertainty and often immune to empirical evidence contradicting its most deeply held beliefs. In The Political Brain, Drew Westen suggests that this is due in part to the neurology and emotional processing of the brain. Given their sexually-laden rhetoric, today's Republicans clearly need help from Sigmund Freud's successors. Because if their words are any indication, conservatives have something besides politics on their minds.
Freud would have a field day with some of these folks.
- 9 votes
#1 - Sun Sep 5, 2010 5:12 PM EDTConservative Leaders Clearly Have Something Besides Politics on Their Minds
There is nothing that could filter into their minds.. they would have to remove their heads first.
- 3 votes
#2 - Sun Sep 5, 2010 11:37 PM EDTI believe most of us have encountered the "locked" minded who do not budge for a moment and continually accuse others for their downfall in life. I think this mindset begins very early in an individual's growth and exacerbates as they develop. Fear, guilt, insecurity, lack of self-worth, resentment of the successes of others all plays a part. If you aren't just like them you must be the enemy and no amount of logic or reasoning with sway the way they feel. They usually live in a materialistic world and just know someone is out there to rip them off!
- 1 vote
#4 - Mon Sep 6, 2010 2:11 PM EDTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
