anchor link to jump to start of content

The Seattle Times Company NWclassifieds NWsource seattletimes.com

space
NEXT home page
Letters to NEXT
NEXTopia Weblog
Polls
Speak out
Meet the NEXT team
space
space
NEXTopia

Welcome to NEXTopia, a Web diary in which NEXT writers — and readers — share their evolving thoughts on a variety of issues. The opinions you read below are those of the individual writers, not necessarily those representing The Seattle Times.
Respond to NEXTopia
Currently, NEXTopia cannot automatically post readers' comments on the blog. However, writers and editors will regularly post your name and comments unless you note otherwise.

space space space space
Meet NEXT
Our freelance team and advisory board members who contribute to this blog.

Photo of Christina Asavareungchai
Christina Asavareungchai
E-mail | Bio

Photo of Sharon Altaras
Sharon Altaras
E-mail | Bio

Photo of Drew Avery
Drew Avery
E-mail | Bio

Photo of Althea Cawley-Murphree
Althea Cawley-Murphree
E-mail | Bio

Photo of Camille Coldeen
Camille Coldeen
E-mail | Bio

Photo of Chris Collins
Chris Collins
E-mail | Bio

Photo of Dana Dibble
Dana Dibble
E-mail | Bio

Photo of Karan Gill
Karan Gill
E-mail | Bio

Photo of Randy Henderson
Randy Henderson
E-mail | Bio

Photo of Gavin Hesse
Gavin Hesse
E-mail | Bio

Photo of John Hieger
John Hieger
E-mail | Bio

Photo of Hana Kawai
Hana Kawai
E-mail | Bio

Photo of Anne Kim
Anne Kim
E-mail | Bio

Photo of Kailani Koenig-Muenster
Kailani Koenig-Muenster
E-mail | Bio

Photo of Brent Ludeman
Brent Ludeman
E-mail | Bio

Photo of Nate Robinson
Nate Robinson
E-mail | Bio

Photo of April Seipp
April Seipp
E-mail | Bio

Photo of W. John Schroder
W. John Schroder
E-mail | Bio

Photo of Daniel Thies
Daniel Thies
E-mail | Bio


Colleen Pohlig
E-mail | Bio

Robert Hernandez
E-mail | Bio

Tracy Cutchlow
E-mail | Bio

Eric Devericks
E-mail | Bio

James Blethen
E-mail | Bio

Boo Davis
E-mail | Bio

Carlin Pressnall
E-mail | Bio

space
June 25, 2004

Re: Republican blame game

Somehow, the argument that Republicans simply aren't creative doesn't jibe. I've known artistic people who were also conservative Republicans.

If I had to try and generalize, which is usually a bad idea, I would say that those attributes that tend to lead toward a more liberal view - empathy for others, or a willingness to be open-minded and (the antithesis of conservatism) open to change, etc., also tend to run strong in what you would probably consider classically artistic types.

However, as with most things, it is not black and white. It is a matter of degrees. There are plenty of liberals who aren't artistic, and plenty of conservatives who are. Heck, look at O'Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh - they are hugely popular fiction writers.

It is also important to remember that people adhere to specific parties or ideologies for different reasons. So while there are certainly a lot of people who are conservative Republicans for fiscal reasons, there are plenty of rich Democrats as well.

A person may be poor and be Republican for no other reason than Republicans oppose abortion. And that person may be really creative in making huge posters of aborted fetuses to post up on church lawns in front of busy roads to traumatize passing children (like at the church next to my home).

If they paused to think about how voting for Republicans for supposed Christian reasons actually hurt the poor, the sick, the environment, and all the other things Christians should probably care about, they might change to being a Democrat, and make huge posters of starving and abused American children instead. But probably not.

As for the whole liberal media thing, I see stock reports on every news show, but rarely a labor rights tracker, or a health care gap update. I hear all kinds of news on interest rates and GDPs, but rarely news on poverty levels or prison populations. The media isn't really liberal, though many members of the media are. The media isn't overly conservative either. It is a product. It is a business. It sells what sells. Fear sells. Scandal sells. Sex sells. Making people feel good about themselves or our "great nation" sells. The illusion of middle-class America sells. News sells, but too much truth is often a hard sell, especially if it implies we might have to make some changes in our country or, worse, our lifestyles.

Certainly, the Republicans have done a good job of establishing a strong hold on the media though. Fox News, conservative talk radio, media conglomeration, all good strategic moves on their part. People tend to believe what you spoon feed them, especially if it confirms what they want to believe anyway. The Democrats are only now catching on and trying to catch up. Go Air America.

Respond to this posting

 
Posted by Randy Henderson at June 25, 2004 05:30 PM


 October 2004
S M T W T F S
          1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31            

 ARCHIVES
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003

 RECENT ENTRIES
Delay of ethical thought
Politics as usual
Scholarships
Re: I-872 not that tricky
I-872 not that tricky
More Moore
VP debate
VP debate facts and results
VP debate
I-872 is tricky

 LINKS

Other blogs to watch

Liberal

Talking points memo
Altercation, by Eric Alterman (MSNBC.com)
Daily Kos - Political Analyst
Cursor
The American Prospect - Tapped
Whiskey Bar
Counterspin Central
The War in Context
Between the Lines

Conservative

The Belgravia Dispatch (London conservatism)
Real Clear Politics
Anne Coulter
The Right Coast
National Review Online
The Daily Dish - Andrew Sullivan
Banana Republican
ScrappleFace

Other

Antiwar.com
Reason online - Hit and Run
Juan Cole - Informed Comment
Calpundit
DaveBARRY.com
Think About It

Local

Stefan Sharkansky's Shark Blog
Seattle Sucks
Tikun Olam
Afterthoughts

Entertainment

Pop Culture Junk Mail (local pop culture)
Three Imaginary Girls (local indie-pop music)
MISCmedia.com (local)
MOBYlives (literary critique)
Blogcritics.org (everything pop culture)


Powered by
Movable Type 2.51


SUNDAYS IN THE PAPER, ALL THE TIME ONLINE
line
Speak out: NEXT welcomes letters and opinion submissions
More opinion from The Seattle Times

seattletimes.com home
Home delivery | Contact us | Search archive | Site map | Low-graphic
NWclassifieds | NWsource | Advertising info | The Seattle Times Company

Copyright

Back to topBack to top