Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Bush and Kerry Supporters Have Separate Realities

Willravel · 10-23-2004, 10:14 AM

This was a tasteful way to continue OpieCunningham's thread, ty. What you have to remember is that you don't have to vote for Kerry or Bush. I know full well that Bush made aweful mistakes, and that a lot of his supporters are to devoted to see the truth. Likewise, because Bush's mistakes were so obvious, Kerry supporters are willing to overlook the possibility that he has a poor record of consistancy.

My explaination of the Bush follower confusion of the facts is written in the closed "Most Bush Supporters: Intentionally Ignorant or unable to process reality?" thread (http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=73419).
In that thread I wrote:

"Outside of these people [people who are too busy with their own lives to care about political responsibility], you have the dissonant people. People who have sacraficed a lot with Bush in office and don't want to be wrong about what they put so much work into. Imagine you voted for Bush (some don't have to imagine, obviously). You've been protecting him since he stole the election. You vote for him, he loses, but steals the election and people ask you why. So you fight them on it. You didn't vote for the loser! So you start in a pattern of defending him. Next he starts going on vacation for years at a time. People call him lazy, you say he's doing his job. You start to have a vested interest in how people see Bush. Then 9/11 happens. We all want to hunt down the killers. You know your president won't let you down. So he goes after Ossama. Everyone is with you all of a sudden. Bush is going to get them! Then we attack Iraq. You are back in the position of defending Bush's actions. So now you can see a pattern of defending your decision back in 2000. Now here comes the election...time to fight with all of your might!

Why does this happen? Dissonance. If someone is called upon to learn something which contradicts what they already think they know — particularly if they are committed to that prior knowledge*— they are likely to resist the new learning. Even Carl Rogers recognised this. Accommodation is more difficult than assimilation. You have vested interest in him being right, even if the facts stand in stark contrast."

I feel great pity for those who are so dedicated that they start to dissacociate with reality. This is a sign on mental illness on a national level. I'd even call it an epidemic. My family will not be living in a nation that is slowly turning into an empire. If Bush (or Kerry) wins, and the nation continues to decay (less freedoms, more 'safty', missinforming people, media control, blatent lies, self interest, etc.) I will simply leave. I have done quite a bit to try and start the changes necessary. No one cares. I won't raise my children in such a place. This 'seperate reality' concept is a symptom of a much larger sickness. Empathy is losing to self interest. It's a damned shame.

IMO.

10-23-2004, 10:14 AM	#3 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	This was a tasteful way to continue OpieCunningham's thread, ty. What you have to remember is that you don't have to vote for Kerry or Bush. I know full well that Bush made aweful mistakes, and that a lot of his supporters are to devoted to see the truth. Likewise, because Bush's mistakes were so obvious, Kerry supporters are willing to overlook the possibility that he has a poor record of consistancy. My explaination of the Bush follower confusion of the facts is written in the closed "Most Bush Supporters: Intentionally Ignorant or unable to process reality?" thread (http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=73419). In that thread I wrote: "Outside of these people [people who are too busy with their own lives to care about political responsibility], you have the dissonant people. People who have sacraficed a lot with Bush in office and don't want to be wrong about what they put so much work into. Imagine you voted for Bush (some don't have to imagine, obviously). You've been protecting him since he stole the election. You vote for him, he loses, but steals the election and people ask you why. So you fight them on it. You didn't vote for the loser! So you start in a pattern of defending him. Next he starts going on vacation for years at a time. People call him lazy, you say he's doing his job. You start to have a vested interest in how people see Bush. Then 9/11 happens. We all want to hunt down the killers. You know your president won't let you down. So he goes after Ossama. Everyone is with you all of a sudden. Bush is going to get them! Then we attack Iraq. You are back in the position of defending Bush's actions. So now you can see a pattern of defending your decision back in 2000. Now here comes the election...time to fight with all of your might! Why does this happen? Dissonance. If someone is called upon to learn something which contradicts what they already think they know — particularly if they are committed to that prior knowledge*— they are likely to resist the new learning. Even Carl Rogers recognised this. Accommodation is more difficult than assimilation. You have vested interest in him being right, even if the facts stand in stark contrast." I feel great pity for those who are so dedicated that they start to dissacociate with reality. This is a sign on mental illness on a national level. I'd even call it an epidemic. My family will not be living in a nation that is slowly turning into an empire. If Bush (or Kerry) wins, and the nation continues to decay (less freedoms, more 'safty', missinforming people, media control, blatent lies, self interest, etc.) I will simply leave. I have done quite a bit to try and start the changes necessary. No one cares. I won't raise my children in such a place. This 'seperate reality' concept is a symptom of a much larger sickness. Empathy is losing to self interest. It's a damned shame. IMO.