Question to Republicans

[Ban my account ffs!]

Why is it that conservative talk show hosts, party leaders, and other officials within the Republican party, as well as many Republicans at places like Free Republic, Redstate, etc. seem so angry?

It's an honest question.  The conservatives on this forum seem to have long tempers, and even though I don't understand some of your beliefs, I commend you for being generally very nice!  Perhaps you better than anyone can give some insight into the blood boiling anger that seems to come from people like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.

It's an honest question. 

[MODU]

The same reason why Democratic spokes people sound so angry . . . to get attention.  The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

[opebo]

The same reason why Democratic spokes people sound so angry . . . to get attention.  The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

The right-wing already has all the grease MODU.. they're just trying to keep it.

[Lief 🗽]

I've also observed the same thing as Snowguy. Conservatives, especially the ones in the media, seem much, much angrier than liberals. I know it's kind of stupid, but look at the websites where you can buy conservative shirts versus those where you can buy liberal shirts: the conservative shirts literally call for the assassination of Hillary Clinton, while the worst the liberal shirts do is make fun of Bush for being an idiot.

[Boris]

To be perfectly honest, I find the left-wing to be far more angry than the right-wing. As they should be.

[Colin]

To be perfectly honest, Snowguy, you should talk. You're hardly portray a calm, saintly demeanour on this forum. You've gotten, how should I put this, hot under the collar quite a bit. So don't bemoan others for acting in a way that you yourself have often acted. I do have to say though that I don't shout or get angry about politics. If I'm yelling at someone its because I like yelling at people.

[Beet]

From my limited experience online, leftists will say stuff like 'the constitution is dead', 'democracy' is finished, etc. etc., whereas rightists will say that stuff but also back it up with 'we'll kill you', 'a civil war is coming' etc. etc.

Speaking of radio, I'd expect political talk shows on the AM dial to have a hard right lean. But in the Washington DC area the main FM news station, WTOP, which carries weather and traffic also uses conservative commentator Cal Thomas for almost all of it's opinion. We're talking about people driving to work in the morning in a large, Democratic metropolitan area, not exactly a niche market. Technically, he's "part of" commentary and analysis, (a liberal, Mark Plotkin, occasionally comes on), but Plotkin rarely comes on and he seems to specialize in local DC issues. Thomas seems to do all the commentary on national issues. That seems pretty unfair. I guess they can't find a nationally syndicated liberal political commentator for radio.

[Ban my account ffs!]

To be perfectly honest, Snowguy, you should talk. You're hardly portray a calm, saintly demeanour on this forum. You've gotten, how should I put this, hot under the collar quite a bit. So don't bemoan others for acting in a way that you yourself have often acted. I do have to say though that I don't shout or get angry about politics. If I'm yelling at someone its because I like yelling at people.

I haven't tried to portray myself as a calm, level headed poster on this forum.  I get very passionate about politics.  This passion, however, is *never* rooted from anger.  If I am angry, it is because I am frustrated.  I frustrate myself honestly trying to figure out why on earth someone would invade other countries to "protect" us and "the American way"... because I see these same people as destroying the American Way and eroding our rights away, the very basis of what America is, in the name of "protection" and "security"... and I see them being pissed right down the toilet and half the country is going "oh well, isn't that just dandy.  I think I'll go eat at the All You Can Eat Buffet, now" and the other half is divided between people who call the anti-war crowd "anti-American" and saying they should leave and the anti-war crowd is not really getting anything done other than getting a nasty sunburn in the awful Texas heat for nothing it seems, because the 25% of the pro-war-no-matter-what crowd isn't changing their minds and the other half are too busy lining up at the soft-serve machine and watching the clock so they can pick their kids up from soccer practice.

Then somewhere along the line, America starts to get restless because we've been in Iraq for 4 years and the progress can be measured on one hand and the death toll is rising, the dollar is plummeting, gas prices are skyrocketing, the country is getting ravaged by natural disasters, and our infrastructure is literally going down the river... and they go to the polls and scream as *quietly* as possible "CHANGE!"... none of which happens for whatever reasons you will believe and because our president has no political capital and nothing to lose...

And you have people like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity seemingly making up "disasters" that we should be worried about like illegal immigration and how it's taking over the country and how we're being infiltrated with terrorists and its the "libs" that have allowed it... all while ragging on the left for doing the same thing with Global Warming and other issues.  No, you will not wake up in the morning with an illegal immigrant in your bed, and you will not burn to death when you go out to fetch the morning paper (unless you live in southern CA.. ouch.. too soon?)!!

It's all so intertwined and tangled up in hypocrisy and hot air that it just gives me a headache... so i spend most of my time watching the weather and planting trees because I can be outside and away from the Texas Twang or the Latte Liberals who spit scalding coffee all over you and gasp when you say "DO YOUR JOB"...

(sigh)...

Again, Colin.. my apologies.

[dead0man]

So people on the left think the people on the right are angry jerks and vice versa?  Who knew!?

(I'll admit that there are probably more people on the right that want to "Nuke Mecca!" than on the left that want to "Nuke Rush!", but it's probably pretty close.)

[J. J.]

When people see something they don't like, they get angry.  Both the extreme left and right see things they don't like and they get angry.

I can think of two national figures that were on opposite ends of the spectrum and not angry, Ronald Reagan and Hubert Humphrey.

[Sam Spade]

Why do you think people at Daily Kos, MyDD, etc. are so angry as well?

JJ is essentially correct, however.

[Colin]

Again, Colin.. my apologies.

No need to. Passion is sometimes necessary. I'm just stating that sometimes the anger that you see can come from sources that are quite similar to your own. No hard feelings, I hope.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

From my limited experience online, leftists will say stuff like 'the constitution is dead', 'democracy' is finished, etc. etc., whereas rightists will say that stuff but also back it up with 'we'll kill you', 'a civil war is coming' etc. etc.

Speaking of radio, I'd expect political talk shows on the AM dial to have a hard right lean. But in the Washington DC area the main FM news station, WTOP, which carries weather and traffic also uses conservative commentator Cal Thomas for almost all of it's opinion. We're talking about people driving to work in the morning in a large, Democratic metropolitan area, not exactly a niche market. Technically, he's "part of" commentary and analysis, (a liberal, Mark Plotkin, occasionally comes on), but Plotkin rarely comes on and he seems to specialize in local DC issues. Thomas seems to do all the commentary on national issues. That seems pretty unfair. I guess they can't find a nationally syndicated liberal political commentator for radio.

This is what happens to liberal political radio commentators.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Berg

[Ban my account ffs!]

Well, I think that was an extreme case, Jfern. 

There are "terrorist" organizations on the left as well... doing things like burning down Hummer dealerships with absolutely no thought as to whether someone might die in the process or how much they are actually polluting in doing so.

My personal opinion (though I admit I am completely biased) is that getting angry about things like destroying the planet as we know it and invading other countries based on "mistruths" (I won't even call it a lie) is justified. 

Getting angry is even justified when people come out with alarmist crap like "the oceans will rise 23 feet" and not explaining that that is a major *if* and even *if* the Greenland ice sheet did completely melt, even at a fast rate, would take hundreds of years...

But my interpretation is that while the left often gripes about the right, we are often simply dismissive.  We sit there picking our jaws up off the floor and then we go "wow.. what an idiot"...

The right seems to take it a few steps further.. carrying out full on character assassinations.

It seems that conversations go like this:

Righty:  "Bill Clinton disgraced the presidency.  He lied and committed adultery.  he should be impeached and should burn in hell."

Lefty:  "Oh, whatever.  Get a life."

Lefty:  "Bush is a war criminal.  He should be tried for war crimes and locked up after being impeached."

Righty:  "If you don't like it, leave!!!  We are a Christian nation."

Lefty:  "Don't bring gOD into this.  ABortion is a woman's right."

Righty:  "I'm gonna kill you."

How do you respond to something like that?

[WalterMitty]

you want the honest answer?

most angry conservatives think that poors, negros and ne'erdowells are getting a free ride, while they foot the bill.

[WalterMitty]

Why do you think people at Daily Kos, MyDD, etc. are so angry as well?

JJ is essentially correct, however.

because they believe bush was selected rather than elected.  they also believe he got us in a war for no good reason and in the meantime he has been an enemy of civil liberties.

[dead0man]

This is what happens to liberal political radio commentators.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Berg

One time, 23 years ago?  Maybe that's why liberal talk radio sucks so much, anybody with enough talent to do it properly doesn't have the balls for it.