THE REPUBLICANS STILL DON’T GET IT!

It’s amazing how the Republicans still don’t get the why’s and wherefore’s of Obama. They rale that he’s ruining the country economically and militarily. They tear their hair out wondering why someone would do such things as spend the next generation into oblivion.

Some say he knows exactly what he is doing, that he is a Marxist/Socialist, hell bent on imploding America per various renditions of the Communist subversive tutorials. Others call him an angry black man, in step with his America-hating reverend Wright.

The problem, though, is that the Republicans, like most of us, cannot use the psychological technique of projection beyond a certain point. Projection is when one attributes to another what one is thinking or feeling or would think/feel if in the other person’s shoes. It is the best way to achieve empathy with another person. Only then can you really understand him.

For example, if law abiding people could really put themselves in the shoes of the criminal, they would understand why pro gun laws prevent crime. In case you are wondering how it works, try to imagine yourself as a criminal (hard, isn’t it?) who is casing a neighborhood of luscious houses to rob. How would your criminal mind rank houses, by the fancier cars in the driveway? By the likelihood of diamonds or Oriental rugs inside? Think. Feel. Just stop reading a minute and think/feel about it.

You are going to enter someone’s home, right? Wouldn’t you wonder first and foremost whether there is someone in there with a gun, ready to shoot you? Wouldn’t you? Wouldn’t you? Only then can you understand how the availability of guns deters crime.

Now let’s put ourselves in the position of the average voter. Not the educated, intellectual voter, but the voter who succumbs to tabloid exposes at the checkout counter, who buys on impulse. The voter who takes his child to unhealthy fast food restaurants, because it is too much trouble to ignore his pleas or because it’s easier and cheaper. That’s the average American, someone who succumbs to the pleasure principle too much and the reality principle too little. The ones whose kids grow up fat and grow down frail.

The average voter also likes it when someone gives him something for nothing. What pleasure. Forget the reality of no free lunch. Reality is for Republicans to worry about. The Democrats have figured it out years ago: Give. Even better, promise you’ll give. Then each one of us, not just those inferior, pleasure seeking, unrealistic voters, like it. Man, he just gave us lower tuition, or he says he will–he’ll try, anyway. He just gave us free birth control, or he says he will–he’ll try, anyway. He just gave us less taxes–or he says he will–he’ll try, anyway. Hmmm. OK, I’ll take it. I’ll vote for him, because he’ll give me stuff–or he says he will–he’ll try, anyway. After all, he said he will.

Get it, now, Republicans? Whatever else Obama is, he certainly is someone who gets the fact that if you promise something to people, they’ll believe you enough of the time. People don’t like to think of others as duping them.

Obama also gives concrete things, like money, while you Republicans give abstract, esoteric things like freedom. You get the value of each, but the average voter does not.

The Republicans of the 1990’s started to get it. That’s when they stopped ranting about overspending and got into the earmark game. Give ’em this. Give ’em that, and they’ll give you. . .votes. Looking at the big picture, when the Republicans stopped talking about not giving, they got. . .votes.

So, Republicans, you might focus on the perils of promises, but the average voter focuses on the possibilities of promises. Once you get it, you can deal with it. Get it?