Why is there such a backlash against Liberalism?

[LBJ Revivalist]

Why?

[phk]

Elitism

[FloridaRepublican]

The exact same question could be raised by the other side.

[greenforest32]

Ignorance and cultural traditions (religion is a big one)

http://www.gallup.com/poll/125021/mormons-conservative-major-religious-group.aspx

[Dr. Cynic]

I think actually that it's just a prejudice against European governments and the fact that a majority of Americans are frankly not smart enough to distinguish between being Liberal\Socialist\Communist.

Those that are still fighting the Cold War can't seem to see the difference. Americans, by nature are individualistic and distrustful of any kind of government. They don't like to pay taxes and they are far more religious than Western Europe, which seems to have gotten over the fact that religion and politics should be separated. Americans don't want that. Americans want a religious person to lead them for some unknown reason.

[opebo]

Desperation.  Cornered rats bite each other.

[Roemerista]

The GOP isn't the religious party, its just the party that accepts religious people. Liberalism in the US has been quite spiteful of people of faith.

Or I can go with the single "national" identity of the United States seems to revolve around a spirit of independence, and the protestant work ethic. These things are quite contradictory towards liberalism.

[dead0man]

Backlash?  What do you mean?

[opebo]

Backlash?  What do you mean?

30+ years of extreme right-wing governance, declining popularity/increasing hostility don't convince you?

Or maybe you doubt that anyone ever liked liberalism - not so!  (see the 1950s).

[Link]

Why?

If you say extremist stuff there will be a backlash.  It's as simple as that.  It doesn't matter if you are a conservative or a liberal.  The United States is a center right country so obviously certain unreasonable right wing ideas are given more credence than they should be.  But if you are far right wing you will have problems.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Liberalism in the US has been quite spiteful of people of faith.

Religious people in the US have been quite spiteful of intelligence.

[angus]

Why is there such a backlash against Liberalism?

I guess it's mostly the condescending attitude of the "liberals" that puts me off.  The post above this one is a perfect example of that.  The holier-than-thou prudishness, the bigotry, narrowmindedness, and the tendency toward speech control also offends me. 

That said, I'm a pragmatist and a swing voter and when their ideas are timely I usually go along.

[Phony Moderate]

Atheists do tend to be more intelligent than religious people, though.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2111174/Intelligent-people-less-likely-to-believe-in-God.html

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Why the term "Liberalism". American Conservatives, Libertarians, Socialist, Progressives, were all Liberals. Liberals believe in Democracy. Progressive is the term which should of been used. Progressives use "Progress" as an excuse to basically make America a Social Democratic (note, not Socialist) state. People can make their own choices. Its MY fault that I failed 8th grade science. My teacher, Mr. S (I wont use names, not that it really matters) should not lose pay because I am a dumbass.  Progressives tend to feel that they know what is best for everyone, and can make the choices for an individual.

Why the backlash against Conservatives and Libertarians? We believe in responsibility, and cleaning up our own problems, which we create for ourselves. This is a perfect example in a humorous yet classic form. Why the backlash against religion? People believe in various Gods. I believe in Jesus. Im in the process of being born again. I think religion feels a whole in our life; even if their actually is no God (and I believe their is a God), it still is a good thing to have, it gives us hope.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Atheists do tend to be more intelligent than religious people, though.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2111174/Intelligent-people-less-likely-to-believe-in-God.html

Intelligence tested are biased towards the person with a higher degree of education, which is itself an expression of one's economic class.

[fezzyfestoon]

Largely because of the massive portrayal of it as a generally uninformed, anti-American, lazy, immature ideology. There has been much effort involved in the slamming of liberalism in America into nonexistence. People can't identify as liberal because that automatically means they're all sorts of irrelevant, incoherent, and disconnected from reality regardless of their specific views. Liberalism is dirty in America. It's now spreading to the bitter vitriol being passed off as "news" regarding the Wall Street movement. It's a combination of angry ignorance and insecure dominance.

[Ebowed]

The GOP isn't the religious party, its just the party that accepts religious people.

Okey dokey.  Democrats accept religious people and the GOP accepts Christians.

[Username MechaRFK]

Largely because of the massive portrayal of it as a generally uninformed, anti-American, lazy, immature ideology. There has been much effort involved in the slamming of liberalism in America into nonexistence. People can't identify as liberal because that automatically means they're all sorts of irrelevant, incoherent, and disconnected from reality regardless of their specific views. Liberalism is dirty in America. It's now spreading to the bitter vitriol being passed off as "news" regarding the Wall Street movement. It's a combination of angry ignorance and insecure dominance.

And most Americans despise the hippies. When most average Americans think about American liberalism they always mention about the hippies along with Hollywood and Barack Obama. Most think all liberals are latte slipping, tofu eating, Commie loving, feminist, gay lover, people killer, radicals that hate America types. This is not true of course. That'll be like someone saying all conservatives are rednecks that isn't tolerant of anyone but white men. Even when you go up to blue states such as myself(have family in Vermont and Massachusetts), all I ever hear about is how people on welfare are sucking up all the hard working taxpayers money, illegal immigrants are taking our jobs away, how liberals are bunch of pussy's, how all long hair people are hippies, how liberals want to take guns away from hard working white people and give to the gangs, how Michael Moore is idiot, how Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter are the worst presidents ever and how Ronald Reagan was the man that saves us all from that disaster.

[dead0man]

Largely because of the massive portrayal of it as a generally uninformed, anti-American, lazy, immature ideology. There has been much effort involved in the slamming of liberalism in America into nonexistence. People can't identify as liberal because that automatically means they're all sorts of irrelevant, incoherent, and disconnected from reality regardless of their specific views.

Sounds a lot like another ideology that starts with a "liber-" too, but I'm guessing most liberals have too much angry ignorance and insecure dominance to see that

[fezzyfestoon]

Largely because of the massive portrayal of it as a generally uninformed, anti-American, lazy, immature ideology. There has been much effort involved in the slamming of liberalism in America into nonexistence. People can't identify as liberal because that automatically means they're all sorts of irrelevant, incoherent, and disconnected from reality regardless of their specific views.

Sounds a lot like another ideology that starts with a "liber-" too, but I'm guessing most liberals have too much angry ignorance and insecure dominance to see that

I don't know if it's the fault of liberals entirely, but you're right that there is definitely a stigma attached to that other "liber-" ideology. If you ask me, it's very telling that the only philosophy in this country that is fully accepted and respected as legitimate is conservatism.

[fezzyfestoon]

The GOP isn't the religious party, its just the party that accepts religious people. Liberalism in the US has been quite spiteful of people of faith.

Or I can go with the single "national" identity of the United States seems to revolve around a spirit of independence, and the protestant work ethic. These things are quite contradictory towards liberalism.

The GOP makes a specific point of being the home to "persecuted" Christians. The entire sickening movement of victimization going on from the conservative side of politics spreads beyond that as well. Liberals are constantly being pointed to as the persecutors against an increasingly powerful - yet increasingly small - sect of extremely religious people. The cultural significance of Evangelicals reaches so far beyond their numbers and affects so many other people in the name of reversing persecution that never existed. They force things like teaching creationism in schools by almost implying it used to be there and the foaming-at-the-mouth secularists removed it out of hatred for Christianity. There's a constant misrepresentation of the liberal agenda to empower Evangelicals with a false sense of constant danger at the hands of secularists. The Democrats have a slightly more open policy towards people of all religions simply by virtue of NOT putting it in their platform that they specifically view causes that serve exclusively Christians among the most important.

That "independent" feeling is also extremely manufactured and manipulated. It's probably the favorite tool of the the Republican Party in its quest to falsely advertise what it is they give us. They cherry pick certain unrelated issues and make them out to be issues for champions of independence. People who don't pay taxes are "independent". People who buy guns are "independent". It's just like Sarah Palin's "real America" comment. Conservatives are glorious and doing good across the nation while liberals live in a fantasy world they're trying to ruin...that also ruins the conservative world. It's a constant effort towards inflating the egos of conservatives and turning liberals into squirrely, bitter, deceptive, and conniving traitors against their good Christian...I mean American way of life.