Why do congressional Republicans vote together while Democrats rarely do? For the past five years of the Obama administration, Republicans have marched in lockstep to oppose just about everything Obama and the Democrats have wanted. Yet the Democrats rarely march together. Recently, for example, 22 Democrats in the House joined every Republican in voting to delay the individual mandate in Obamacare. And why is the GOP also so much more disciplined on message? When its leaders tell them to call Obamacares cost controls death panels, or to say the rich are job creators, or the poor are takers rather than makers, they all repeat the same words. (Frank Luntz, their message consultant, once said: Theres a simple rule. You say it again, and you say it again and you say it again, and you say it again, and you say it again, and then again and again and again and again, and about the time that youre absolutely sick of saying it is about the time that your target audience has heard it for the first time.) Democrats never stick to the same message. They rarely say the same thing the same way even twice. In fact, their messages often conflict. Why? This isnt a new phenomenon. Will Rogers once said I’m not a member of any organized political party. I’m a Democrat. I think the reason for the difference -- the Republicans discipline, Democrats lack of discipline -- has to do with the kind of personalities the two parties attract. People who respect authority, follow orders, want clear direction, obey commands, and prefer precise organization and control, tend to gravitate toward Republicans. People who dont much like authority, recoil from orders, dont want to be directed, often disobey commands, and prefer things a bit undefined, tend to gravitate to the Democrats. In short, the Republican Party is the party of the authoritarian personality; the Democratic Party is the party of the anti-authoritarian personality. I generalize, of course, but I think my characterization is generally true. And it means Republicans will almost always be more disciplined about voting and messaging than the Democrats -- which gives them a clear advantage in times like this, when the two parties are at war with each other and Americans are deeply divided, angry, and confused.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 15:17:19 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015