We all know at least one stereotypical Conservative. They watch Fox News religiously. They already own or want to own lots of guns. They claim there is a “war on Christianity.” They wear hats that say “Make America Great Again.” They assume people that can’t work are lazy moochers. I could go on, but I think you know the person I’m talking about. I know they aren’t all like this, but there are many extremists out there who fit this description.
Have you ever wondered why they are like that? Well, I have found an article on “Forward Progressives” that details just how these conservative “zombies” are created:
1. Fear Tactics
Fear is a great way to exploit people and to get them to believe you. AutoStraddle made a lovely chart showing us how this process works:
2. Education (Or Lack Thereof)
Conservative networks don’t do well with people who are more highly educated. A study performed by Psychological Science said that people who scored lower on IQ tests as a child were more likely to hold conservative views later in life. A psychologist at the University of Virginia, Dr. Brian Nosek, had this to say about the subject:
“Reality is complicated and messy. Ideologies get rid of the messiness and impose a simpler solution. So, it may not be surprising that people with less cognitive capacity will be attracted to simplifying ideologies.”
3. Give Them Groups To Hate
There are many groups that conservatives love to hate. Right now and for many years prior to now, it’s the LGBT community. The Conservatives we’re discussing are against same-sex marriage. They just keep finding ways to not acknowledge the Supreme Court ruling that said that banning same-sex marriage in any state is unconstitutional. Lately, it’s been about transgender people in the bathroom.
4. Make Themselves the Victims
Many conservatives cry about the “persecution” of Christians. Some even claim that there is a “war” on Christianity. It’s not just the religion issue. Evolution is a big issue, too. Most recently, Rush Limbaugh said that evolution is a hoax because the gorilla didn’t turn human. That’s not how evolution works.
5. Guns, Guns, Guns
Of course, these conservatives are obsessed with guns. The NRA recently endorsed Donald Trump; he replied by saying we should get rid of gun-free zones…everywhere. It’s even gotten some law enforcement officers concerned about the expanding gun rights.
6. Create Catchy Phrases
Donald Trump says, “Make America Great Again.” The Tea Party has plenty of slogans of their own, here are a few gems:
- “$11 Trillion and climbing – Now that’s a lot of change!”
- ” Armed and Dangerous … WITH MY VOTE”
- “CAP (your income) & TRADE (your freedom)”
- “Don’t Tax Me Bro”
7. Lie and Repeat The Lies
Donald Trump has uttered plenty of lies during this campaign, and his followers just eat it up. Trump claims he is self-funding his campaign, but there are “Donate!” buttons all over his website. Somebody even took the time to tally up Trump’s lies. He clocked in at 71 lies per hour.
8. Religion
Yes, I’m sure there are people of other religions who are conservative, but there are many many Christians who are conservative. These extremists are known as “the Religious Right.” In 2008, 65 percent of white Evangelical Protestant voters voted Republican; whereas, only 24 percent of them voted Democrat. Only 27 percent of non-Religiously affiliated voters voted Republican.
What do you get when you combined these things together?
“A fearful, false patriot who despises anyone who’s not just like them; devalues education; loves guns; almost always feels like the world is out to get them; who repeats spoon-fed talking points whether or not they even make sense, all while masking their intolerance with code words and justifying all of this because their party is the party fighting for “Christian values.”
Featured image via Flikr by Rusty Ray available under a Creative Commons license
