Southpark Republicans

Tech Central Station ^ | October 7, 2002 | Stephen W. Stanton

[discostu]

The presidential election was won by less than 200 votes. At this time with the country in the mid point of a major transition no group is too small to matter. As the author points out, if the GOP were primarily a white Christian party it would be toast, that's just not a large enough percentage of America to win elections by its self. This group is the Reagan-type candidates. People that in some ways were associated with the Democratic Party and liberalism but have seen things change over there and can't take it any more. Welcome to changing times, the definitions of 20 or even 40 years ago simply don't work any more. Things change, the definition of positions change. Remember, the GOP started the first conservation movement in this country. The world's not made of single issue voters.

[discostu]

Wow who'd a thunk, the son of Marines gettin' back up by the Navy. The Marines and the Navy never work together. /smiling sarcasm

Thanks sailors.

[Norwell]

Should I have written about Bill Schneider Steve? Do you know of anybody who writes for the popular press and touches on demographics aside from Sowell and Wattenberg? It certainly would not be Buckley, Will or Rusher. Nope, the only two I know happen to be a black (Republican?) and Jewish Democrat. I am sure you are no doubt familiar with them all.

Since you familiar with Sowell's work you know he writes extensively of destructive social patterns of the racial group of which he is a member. There is not a whole lot of irony there. Certainly no more than if I referenced Stephanie Guttman and Kate O'Bierne in outlining a case opposing women in combat.

[BlueLancer]

Close ... I did two years at the Naval Academy but did 20 in the Army.

(It does kind of make it hard to decide who to root for when the Army/Navy football game comes around though.)

[steve-b]

Most of them disagreed with Reagan on social issues, but they were tired of their paycheck belonging to the government.

Methinks Norwell is the only person in the country who has never heard of "Reagan Democrats".

[Phantom Lord]

The two best parts of that episode were when Chef pushed them out of his house while still sitting on his couch, and when he later showed up at their house with luggage, cash, and plane tickets out of the country.

Simpson's Did It!

[discostu]

As I said, your milage may vary. It was Reagan's fyscal conservatism that drew my family across. Reagan did a lot of reaching, I htink we're both focusing on the part that spoke to us the most. But notice Reagan didn't put into law any of his social conservatism (IMHO becuase most of it shouldn't be a matter of law, it's just how things should work in our society). The fyscal conservatism became a matter of law. From my seat the reason he almost beat Ford was because Ford schlumped through most of the primaries, and the election (until the last couple weeks, which was almost enough to beat Carter). Also Ford symbolized Viet Nam and Watergate, to episodes people really wanted to put behind them. I've long been of the opinion that the GOP threw the 76 election. Nixon era price controls were starting to have their impact on the economy, the press had quite effectively laid Viet Nam at Nixon's feet, everything was a mess. 1976 to 1980 were already staged to suck rocks, better to have it under a Democrat (who miraculously found a way to make things worse, Carter has hidden talents) and let a GOP pres ride in and save the day.

I think a demographic study would back up this article quite thuroughly. A quick perusal of FR shows it. There's a significant body of people on FR that watch South Park, listen to heavy metal, and might even purvey smut once in a while. Yet they're GOP all the way. It's a much bigger group than you think. It has to be.

[Norwell]

I thought Bush actually lost the popular vote.

I did not write any group was too small or that the Republicans should forfeit the Roukma-Republican vote. I think the author is writing from anecdotal experience and Bill Schneider is writing with the demographic knowledge of a polster. Schneider views the election in terms of ethnicity and religion, primarily. With some exceptions, white areas are strongly republican. Almost without exception, nonwhite areas (to include Indian reservations) vote democrat.

[Phantom Lord]

There's a significant body of people on FR that watch South Park, listen to heavy metal, and might even purvey smut once in a while.

I could be the poster child!

And let us not forget that we are also Simpson's fans.

[discostu]

Silly me, I spotted the Naval Academy thing in your profile, completely missed the 12th Cav stuff.

Either way your teams wins.

Thanks for your service, stay well.

[rb22982]

Frequency of "South Park" viewing was not examined.

The article wasn't saying that all "southpark republicans" watch southpark.

From the article:

...Yet in spite of its coarse language and base humor, the show persuasively communicates the Republican position on many issues, including hate crime legislation ("a savage hypocrisy"), radical environmentalism, and rampant litigation by ambitious trial lawyers. In one episode, industrious gnomes pick apart myopic anti-corporate rhetoric and teach the main characters about the benefits of capitalism....They strongly believe in liberty, personal responsibility, limited government, and free markets. However, they do not live by the edicts of political correctness. ...

The RINOs mentioned in the article don't even favor the above.

[Billthedrill]

Arrrrrrrr, ye sea-goin' bellhop!

...and a happy almost-USMC birthday - Semper Fi!

[HAL9000]

Maybe if South Park was a little more than adolescent, ignorant potty-jokes, it would be funny.

I've only seen about five minues of South Park - it was the episode that was a parody of Janet Reno's grabbing of Elian Gonzalez.

But if South Park viewers vote against Democrats, more power to them.

By the way, the web site that published this article - Tech Central Station - coined the phrase 'homicide bombers' that was subsequently adopted by the White House.

[discostu]

Actually, you were. I ad you and Bella and StoneCold (and the rest of that crowd of usual suspects) in mind when I wrote that. Glad you noticed.

[discostu]

Not me, I didn't have the guts to serve (I admit freely the weakness was my own, so much for Norwell's idea of "too good to serve", not me, too chicken, that was me), but both my parents and one of my uncles. And my grandfather was in the Army in WWII. And my father-in-law was career Air Force. Not related to anybody that was in the Navy, but I have lots of friends that were (why do so many Navy men retire to the desert? did you guys get sick of water or something?).

That's right the anniversary is coming soon, usually that signals some cool stuff on History Channel.

[Bella_Bru]

LOL! What I liked is that Chef actually started to sing to them before he realized what they said the problem was.

[Norwell]

And so it would be. In later years, pundits would talk about the "Reagan Democrats," the pro-life, anti-Communist voters who were more at home in bowling alleys than country clubs. By stressing themes of family, neighborhood, and peace through strength, Reagan brought them together with the traditional Republicans who worried about capital gains.

An explanation stolen from John J. Pitney Jr., Associate professor of government at Claremont McKenna College & author of The Art of Political Warfare. This is the Reagan Republican definition I am accustomed to seeing.

Now as for Reagan implementing a social agenda, perhaps I misunderstood, but I thought he:

Attempted to appoint judges who'd overturn Roe V.Wade, such as James Buckley and Robert Bork

Endorsed Constitutional Ammendments to protect the flag and allow prayer in school

Instituted a We Ask-Don't Belong-Don't Join policy regarding homosexuals in the military by executive order shortly after taking the presidency

Fired homosexual aides while Governor in California

Ended sex-integrated basic training (at least in the Army) begun under the Carter Administration

Vetoed bills publicly funding abortion

Ended all abortions at US Military Facilities

Campaigned vigorously on behalf of candidates like Paul Laxalt, Jesse Helms and Malcolm Wallop. I'd say this is at least a fairly decent effort at implementing social conservatism and the fact he had varying degrees of success does not mitigate the fact he made an honest attempt to do it.

Now, if you want somebody who speaks out of both sides of his mouth, look at GWB as regards enforcing immigration laws.

[Norwell]

Many Navy folks retire to the desert because there are a fair number of installations (San Diego, Twenty Nine Palms) in the desert.

The same phenomena applies to Army folks in the Southeast.

Bottom line is most of them end up there after their hitch. If you are from New England it is tough to get home.

[CollegeRepublican]

That was one of the funniest episodes.

"Yep, close my eyes, and suck it out of a tube" WTF!!!

[discostu]

Not that desert, I mean where I am, Tucson AZ. Where the nearest ocean is 6 hours drive away (coincidentally in San Diego). The real desert. 29 Stumps is OK, but it's not a very dry heat. There's tons of Navy guys out here. And Marines, you see a lot of the black red and gold window stickers. Technically this is an Air Force town, but the retirees never seem to stick around. I think maybe they just get sick of water. Or maybe they don't want the reminder. My father-in-law stoped riding in planes the minute he retired.