Why Authoritarians Now Control the Republican Party

Findlaw.com ^ | 9/21/07 | John Dean

[imd102]

Excerpt: In addition to being especially submissive to established authority, Altemeyer's research revealed that those he calls right-wing authoritarians also show "general aggressiveness" towards others, when such behavior is "perceived to be sanctioned" by established authorities. Finally, these people are always highly compliant with the social conventions endorsed by society and established authorities. These basic traits, submissiveness to authority and conventionality, are the essence of those Altemeyer describes as right-wing authoritarians. If these traits are not present in some significant (albeit varying) degree, he does not consider the subject to be a right-wing authoritarian. However, these people can, and often do, consistently reveal they have many other interesting traits as well.

Based on Altemeyer's study, as well as those of other social psychologists, I prepared a list of the additional traits that these personalities [Republicans], both men and women who test high as right-wing authoritarians, often evidence: highly religious, moderate to little education, trust untrustworthy authorities, prejudiced (particularly against homosexuals, women, and followers of religions other than their own), mean-spirited, narrow-minded, intolerant, bullying, zealous, dogmatic, uncritical toward their chosen authority, hypocritical, inconsistent and contradictory, prone to panic easily, highly self-righteous, moralistic, strict disciplinarian, severely punitive, demands loyalty and returns it, little self-awareness, usually politically and economically conservative/Republican.

[Madame Dufarge]

Again, I have prepared a listing of the traits revealed in the testing of these remarkably manipulative and cunning personalities, who are typically men

"O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us!"

[imd102]

Anyone read Dean’s book Conservatives without Concious? I actually picked it up at used store for a couple of bucks, but after reading this article I think I can save myself the time, as I believe i have the gist of it. (I had never seen him on TV before, as it sounds like others have, so I just wanted to see what he was all about).

[pankot]

Where is the bulls—t alert? Besides, old news, sounds like he plagiarized Eric Hoffer.

[Betty Jane]

Who is John Dean? Really, I have no idea who he is.

[Cicero]

highly religious, moderate to little education, trust untrustworthy authorities, prejudiced (particularly against homosexuals, women, and followers of religions other than their own), mean-spirited, narrow-minded, intolerant, bullying, zealous, dogmatic, uncritical toward their chosen authority, hypocritical, inconsistent and contradictory, prone to panic easily, highly self-righteous, moralistic, strict disciplinarian, severely punitive, demands loyalty and returns it, little self-awareness, usually politically and economically conservative/Republican.

All of this highly specialized, highly scientific terminology really loses me.

[Betty Jane]

Oh that John Dean. Never mind. Always remember to read further down. The answer is almost always there?

[toddlintown]

How’s Moe?

[AnotherUnixGeek]

mean-spirited, narrow-minded, intolerant, bullying, zealous, dogmatic, uncritical toward their chosen authority, hypocritical, inconsistent and contradictory, prone to panic easily, highly self-righteous, moralistic, strict disciplinarian, severely punitive,

I think these qualities are common to ideologues and crack-pots of every political stripe. If liberals can't recognize these qualities in the typical Kos poster or Hollywood blow-hard or some global-warming cultist who never took a high school physics class, they have no business claiming to see them in anyone.

[duffmadison]

the liberals do the same thing just islam is thier religion and they hate married people

[JSDude1]

It’s the same sanctimonious liberal crap: “Conservatives are mean”—Waaa.

[weegee]

Dan Rather still claims that his forged memos are genuine in spite of repeated denials.

[KarlInOhio]

Sounds like he is describing Hillary to me?

Not quite.

"Uncritical towards their chosen authority" - Hillary recognizes no authority other than her own ambition.

"loyalty and returns it" - no. She'll toss away people like used tissues. Occasionally the DC Park Police have to handle the pick-up.

[pissant]

John Dean is a flippin retard.

[kenth]

Well, he did mention a study so the rest of his diatribe must be true!

[AmericanExceptionalist]

If we are to believe the author, most of modern conservatism--and especially the dreaded neoconservatism--is steeped in authoritarian thinking.

Of course, I do feel rather comfortable to be placed in the same company as Alexander Hamilton, whom the author apparently sees as the patron saint (or demon, from his perspective) of "authoritarian conservatism."

[stephenjohnbanker]

“John Dean help plan Watergate and then blamed everyone else. John is a piece of crap”

John Dean is a whore and a coward!

[nathanbedford]

Again, I have prepared a listing of the traits revealed in the testing of these remarkably manipulative and cunning personalities, who are typically men: dominating, opposes equality, desirous of personal power, amoral, intimidating and bullying, faintly hedonistic, vengeful, pitiless, exploitive, manipulative, dishonest, cheats to win, highly prejudiced (racist, sexist, homophobic), mean-spirited, militant, nationalistic, tells others what they want to hear, takes advantage of "suckers," specializes in creating false images to sell self, may or may not be religious, usually politically and economically conservative/Republican.

One needs merely to lay that description down next to the name Bill Clinton to instantly recognize that John Dean is full of shit.

[bkepley]

What do you think?

I think John Dean reminds me of Chester the Child Molester. Everytime I see him I feel the need to take a shower.

[Jack Black]

Dean is a miserable Weasel. Dean is a convicted felon. Dean was part of the group of people who brought Nixon down, first by behaving horribly in his job, then by lying about it for a plea bargain.

I have zero resepct for him.

The fact that he is a total left wing butt-boy is odd, but it happens here and there. David Frum comes to mind. If you are a really horrible individual and you are forced out of the right, the Donks will find a place for you.

[RockinRight]

Sounds like nothing more than the MSM/Academia/DU description of conservatives which is so far from accurate it’s not funny.