To quote from the article by Ronald Brownstein,
"In the modern political era, Democrats never expect to carry white men, who reliably tilt Republican."
He presents the results of a recent ABC/Washington Post Poll that shows 62% of white men prefering Bush in the 2004 election to 29% for an unnamed Democrat.
Why is there such a huge difference? Brownstein says that white men like Bush's macho stance on terrorism. I ask, Why do they prefer being macho? I believe there are 3 reasons:
1 - FEMINISM - Many white males feel inferior to women in the face of the gains women have made in the workplace, in the home and in society. Instead of working hard to improve themselves, they become pessimistic and adopt a competitive, confrontational attitude.
2 - AFFIRMATIVE ACTION - Like the women, the blacks have made a great deal of progress. Yet there are white men that cannot do as well as some blacks. Again, they become pessimistic and express themselves with complaints and aggression.
3 - LAISSEZ FAIRE CAPITALISM - Republicans believe that government should not interfere with the miraculous workings of the free market. To succeed in this laissez faire environment an entrepreneur needs to essentially be at war with his competitors. To buttress his ego, he needs to win. If he does not win, he becomes pessimistic. Even if he does win, he may become pessimistic about being able to win again. Since winning is everything, he is always aggressive and confrontational - a likely Republican.
The highly competitive nature of white male Republicans is the result of their pessimistic outlook on life. Republicans see enemies everywhere they look - starting with Democrats. They are so pessimistic, they are afraid that women will advance ahead of them, that blacks will achieve goals they could not and that government regulation to benefit the little guy will leave less money for them.
To which I counter:
1 - Women have a lot to teach you. Women have a more cooperative nature. Women have more compassion; they are concerned with their neighbors and friends. Women work for the benefit of the community. Women are more reliably Democrats.
2 - Blacks are preponderantly Democrats because they can't live in fear, as Republicans do. To give their life meaning, they must be optimistic and filled with hope. Joining the Democratic Party is natural for them.
3 - Entrepreneurs are reliably Republicans because they believe in laissez faire. They do not realize there is no such thing as laissez faire. Their businesses thrive because of the infrastructure - financial, political, legal, scientific and social - provided by the American government. To prove this point, try out your enterpreneurship in Saudi Arabia.
If you are a white male, think about these ideas. Do you want to remain a pessimistic Republican filled with hatred and aggression toward the rest of society? Or would you rather become an optimistic Democrat working together with other people for the good of the country?
