I just came by the most fascinating article written by an psychologist who was attempting to discover why Americans vote for Republicans, even though it seems against their self-interest, and why liberals do not understand the mind-set of Republicans and Conservatives. Actually, it seems to be attempting to answer the question of whether Republicans are evil, or are we just dumb. However, along the way he accidentally makes a few interesting points.

Have you ever wondered when you are talking to a liberal, why they can’t get the basic tenant of what you are talking about? For instance, in college I would often debate them in class and they could never comprehend where I was coming from. I’ve read Marx/Engles, I know all about the far left ideology, I understand it perfectly well, I just think its all horse crap. However, I always noticed this disconnect in their responses to me. It was almost like we were arguing different things because they could not see the basis of where I was coming from.

Well, as it turns out, there is a reason for that. According to Prof. Haidth, Conservatives, he said, prove quite adept at thinking like liberals, but liberals are consistently incapable of understanding the conservative point of view. “Liberals feel contempt for the conservative moral view, and that is very, very angering. Republicans are good at exploiting that anger.â€? This quote comes from a New York Times article about this same article. Ann Coulter wrote a book called “How to Talk to Your Liberal Friends.” I’ve often felt a book like that would be useful. If I sit down and try to talk about tax policy all I get is “Bush lied children died.” Even among elitist liberals like my father (a law professor) there is this inability for him to truly see the point I’m trying to make in many instances.

Haidth also identifies another problem liberals consistently have:

This is the first rule of moral psychology: feelings come first and tilt the mental playing field on which reasons and arguments compete. If people want to reach a conclusion, they can usually find a way to do so. The Democrats have historically failed to grasp this rule, choosing uninspiring and aloof candidates who thought that policy arguments were forms of persuasion.

Man, does this describes just about every Democrat from Obama to Kerry to Gore or what? However, notice, this does not describe Clinton. Clinton got it. What is his most famous quote (not that one) “I feel your pain.” Whether he did or not, Clinton always came off as a humble good ole boy who did get what America was all about. With Gore, Kerry and even Obama you just do not have that same sense. I mean, we get they intellectually understand the Constitution, etc., but they don’t get the community aspects of America, what I would call mom, apple pie and the flag. That is where there is a large disconnect between liberalism and conservativism.