[jenny65]

You said a mouthfull there. And I know those same people you described. I don't know if it's laziness or fear. I suppose a bit of both.

Then there are those who prefer to let others think for them, and take everything Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter (or Carville, Begala, etc.) says as gospel, and pretend to be "informed".

I don't know which type is worse.

[WindMinstrel]

I think the vast majority of our population -- left and right, rich and poor -- don't really bother to think out their views. How many conservatives do you know who are Republicans because they're pro-Life? Or Dimocrats who "feel bad about the poor"? Or, for that matter, Libertarians who only care that pot be legalized?

Most of our bretheren (those who bother to vote at all) are single-issue voters, or vote the same party every year because that's what they've always done.

[headsonpikes]

That feeling of helplessness and powerlessness is spiritual poison.

It's amazing how many adults lapse back into a state of mind that they rejected as maturing teens, namely, an unquestioning acceptance of arbitrary authority.

This latter state of mind is political poison.