Is Politics a Liberal Game?
Over on Dave Carter's thread, "What Say You?" Ricochet member Freeven offered a brilliant observation — so good that it deserves its own thread. So I am posting it here on Freeven's behalf (without his knowledge or permission, let it be noted):
Alas, government is a Liberal's game. The best conservative candidates, almost by definition, never get off the bench. They have better things to do. Liberals will ultimately prevail because they've got their All-Stars matched up against our second stringers.
That point deserves a lot more attention and warrants a lot more discussion. I have noticed the same phenomenon. Liberals and Democrats always seem to be more deeply involved in politics, and the level of their emotional commitment is downright unhealthy. Plus, liberals are far more likely to view politics as a livelihood. A liberal acquaintance once explained it to me very succinctly: "There is a feeling among Democrats that, if you don't win, you don't eat."
On the whole, conservatives and Republicans seem to lead happier, healthier lives. They actively avoid politics because "they have better things to do." Politics is, after all, a pretty sordid business that very obviously attracts the worse kinds of human beings.
So, is politics a liberal game? Do they have an inherent advantage?
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May '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
Politics has to exist. Always has, always will. And there's a truism that states that anything not expressly conservative eventually becomes liberal. As Churchill said, "we wanted nine battleships, the Admiralty insisted on twelve, so we compromised on fourteen."
However, it is fun that the libs are trying to call timeout on politics at the moment. Maybe a sign we're winning.
Jul '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
The observation that conservative, productive people are less attracted to elective politics is commonplace - and true.
What is not so often recognized is that politics goes far, far beyond elected officials. There are thousands of special-interest groups that seek to influence policy - ACORN, Public Interest Research Group, LaRaza, the NAACP...the list is endless.
Here is where Leftists have a huge advantage, because numbers count. There are enormous numbers of Leftists willing to act as foot-soldiers in these organizations for very little compensation, because they have no real value to offer in the private sector. Conservatives have better things to do.
And over time, those Leftist organizations have managed to work with Leftist politicians to fund themselves with taxpayer money. Just think of the hundreds of millions of dollars Planned Parenthood gets from government entities. And multiply it by the thousands of groups you've never heard of.
Jul '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
"Politics" ain't a liberal game, government is a liberal game.
Conservatives are too busy working and producing in the private world.
May '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
Democrats are the modern version of the people who hung around the King's court seeking favors. They are the astrologers, mathematicians, scholars, artists, entertainers, and sycophants who live by providing services to the King.
The Republicans are the Bourgeoisie, performing useful work, but not having time to spend the whole day at court. They are useful to the King when the King needs money, but otherwise held in contempt by the aristocratic coterie.
Edited on Dec 17, 2010 at 10:46pmJul '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
outstripp: Democrats are the modern version of the people who hung around the King's court seeking favors. They are the astrologers, mathematicians, scholars, artists, entertainers, and sycophants who live by providing services to the King.
The Republicans are the Bourgeoisie, performing useful work, but not having time to spend the whole day at court. They are useful to the King when the King needs money, but otherwise held in contempt by the aristocratic coterie. · Dec 17 at 10:45pm
Edited on Dec 17 at 10:46 pm
I like that.
Nov '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
Kenneth
outstripp: Democrats are the modern version of the people who hung around the King's court seeking favors. They are the astrologers, mathematicians, scholars, artists, entertainers, and sycophants who live by providing services to the King.
The Republicans are the Bourgeoisie, performing useful work, but not having time to spend the whole day at court. They are useful to the King when the King needs money, but otherwise held in contempt by the aristocratic coterie.
I like that.
Kenneth beat me to it. My reaction was identical: I like that.
Dec '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
Great analogy. But it is worse than that. Extending the analogy... they wish to be the power behind the throne. And they want to use that power to rule the country and its citizens in the name of the King.
Dec '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
The irony is that while liberals want to run everything and everybody, they have, for the most part, no experience in running anything but their mouths.
Edited on Dec 18, 2010 at 12:03pmJul '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
For liberals, government is their religion. They are trying to immanentize the eschaton.
Aug '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
I don't think its a matter of their all stars against our second stringers. I look at Democrat politicians and most seem dumber than rocks. What they are is very strident about repeating talking points and platitudes that are usually rooted in envy. They have a natural advantage given the fallen state of man.
Taking personal responsibility is a tougher sell than being provided for, so yes, progressives have an easier time of it by appealing to envy, sloth, and entitlement. It's simply easier in the short run to think yourself a victim. Or they promise freedom from consquences (abortion), or freedom from guilt (offloading charitable giving to the state so they could feel good about being compassionate and generous - but with other people's resources).
Progressives simply play to human vices rather than to human virtues (and, not coincidentally, why they hate Christianity with the passion they do )
Edited on Dec 18, 2010 at 1:29pmAnd when conservatives forfeited the education system to the Left, they made their task orders of magnitude more difficult. Conservatives failed miserably when they allowed the Left to 'get to the children' .
May '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
I disagree that the "best conservative candidates, almost by definition, never get off the bench".
I tend to agree with Kenneth- more on the Right have jobs and real lives, where their self-esteem is not dependent on public reinforcement.
There is also a definitional problem on our side- what is the definition of a "conservative candidate"? In Minnesota, we had a prize, and he was vilified by the Far Right as a RINO.
But occasionally you do find a good one. There is a possibility that Rubio may be able to progress as long as he isn't pushed too fast too soon before he is ready to take more steps.
Aug '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
Lady Kurobara
Kenneth
outstripp: Democrats are the modern version of the people who hung around the King's court seeking favors. sycophants who live by providing services to the King.
The Republicans are the Bourgeoisie, performing useful work, useful to the King when the King needs money, but otherwise held in contempt by the aristocratic coterie.
I like that.
I like that.
And when the King is a conservative ? That's what we're trying to get resolved isn't it ? How will we get the throne and how will we govern ?
It's bread and circuses anyway for the masses. At heart we're all Kenneth: secure the borders, build the roads, and not much more. So recognizing that, do we see any way out of our model to the adulation of the crowd ?
Or are we back to square one-compromise. How much are we willing to compromise ? Can we change the politician from the appearance of the giver to one of the leader ? Do we have to compromise to lead ? What does the general or the king offer besides safety in numbers and strength ?
Has Western Civ evolved past that ?
Dec '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
If not for Wikipedia, I still wouldn't know what you are talking about.
Oct '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
I don't know that politics is a Liberal game as much as it's an emotional game. That is, to succeed you need to tap into people's emotions far more than you need to tap into their intellect. Liberals cannot argue on facts; their currency is emotion. It's all they got (if you doubt this, just think back to the last time you debated a Liberal about ANYthing...it's impossible, because they don't THINK, they FEEL, because it takes far less effort to feel than it does to think).
Liberals by their very essence (for whatever reason - nature, nurture, weren't breast-fed, were breast-fed too long, etc.) tend to be ill-equipped to think analytically. Thus, politics (the ultimate emotion-driven game) fits them like a hand in a glove (albeit not OJ's hand or glove).
May '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
The other thing is that liberal politicians win tangible payoffs for themselves and their constituents. Conservatives, in general, just try to protect their flanks, which isn't so much fun.
Oct '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
Y'know, my previous comment may be barking up the wrong tree. The reality is that without a sustained, (un)healthy assist from the "mainstream" media, Hollywood, and college campii the Left in America would be on life-support if not outright dead by now. They're only still relevant because of the massive subsidies by the aforementioned elements of American society. And in spite of those subsidies, the Right still wins politically far more often than it otherwise would, if government were the Left's game. To use the metaphor from Freeven's original post, our 2nd- and 3rd-stringers school their All-Stars all the time.
So is politics the Liberals' game? Not, not at all. They couldn't win squat politically on their own. Give America a disinterested media for a decade and the Libs would become the Washington Generals - nothing but a sock-puppet opponent. (sorry 'bout the mixed metaphors)
Jul '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
I'd have something really useful to add, but I'm still at work.
Nov '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
At the end of Bobby Jindal's book (which I read recently), he says that if we are to reform the country we conservatives must be willing to get involved in government/politics. As an academic physician, I'm actually in a position where such a thing might be possible for me, but I am not sure how to get involved, or even who might be able to offer me some ideas or guidance.
Those on the Left, in contrast, have a whole system worked out for engaging people in politics from early in their education. I'm sure it's true in other fields, but I know it's true in medicine: check out the AMSA website for an example of how they do it.
Nov '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
Simply put, the narrative is not on our side. The liberals spin a tale of good versus bad that continually recharges itself. There is always a wrong to be righted. And as always, there is work to be had for these unnecessary heroes. Community organizing anyone?
Liberals have the systemically unfair advantage of seemingly being a side of virtue and justice and that recycles itself with each generation. Liberals can make the argument to an eternally igorant/ gullible/ innocent mass youth that conservative policy is inherently unfair, using nothing more than anecdotal evidence. Regardless of how much macro success there may be serving as evidence to the contrary, there will always be have-nots that are available to be "defended", rights that need to be wrong.
It seemed to me by the late 1990's that with victory in the Cold War, an economy that was, relatively speaking, on fire, and social problems like crime seemingly on the wane, that the Truth had become self-evident. Unfortunately, an entire generation was raised during that time with the new status quo as its point of reference. It found its own supposed victims to defend and villains to fight.
Nov '10
Re: Is Politics a Liberal Game?
There is an industry out there for liberals to find employment for being liberal. Success is measured in terms of virtue generated. Talk about a difficult KPI to measure.
Those in its employ go to bed believing that they are saving the world, and blaming the ills they are fighting against on those out there performing against a bottom line.