Things only a Republican could believe.....

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When did Republicans (Conservatards), go Batshit Insane?

From: Kelmanza

It came with the so-called 'Reagen Revolution' and then continued to accellerate during the early 90's with the 'Geingrich Revolution;' though you all likely experienced its fruition under the George W. Bush's presidency and campaigns. After the election of JFK and the civil Rights movement; with LBJ singing the civil rights bill and 'kissing the south goodbye' for the Democratic Party, Libertarian leaning Barry Goldwater lost the election for the republicans but turned the south red for the first time in a century. it hasn't really turned back.
Watergate forced the republicans to 'rebrand;' and under reagen they employed cutting edge PR techniques and treated the presidency like a product. The actual policy was less important than its appearence; it was style over substance. Even Iran-Contra couldn't tarnish Reagen. In the age of mass media, the republican party found a way to make selfishness sheik and thoughtlessness a source of pride.
The Karl Roves of the world were hard at work thought he late 80's and 1990's, catalyzing fringe social conservative movements (like the pro-lifers) and making fearful traditionalists angrier and more fearful of this 'other' who continues to encroach on their way of life.
the bush presidency was the crowning achievement of this movement; a president who, outwardly at least, appeared stupid and anti-intellectual. someone who claimed to speak with God. Reagen was ambivalent about religious causes, bush was not. gone was anything resembling the goldwater republican of the 1960's. ideology was gone, all that was left was backlash. its not important to discuss what conservatives think, it is only important to discuss the threats we are supposedly facing and how leaders are making the fastest, safest decisions possible that require very little thought and a great deal of trust in their abilities to protect us from 'the other.' then in 2008, 'the other' was elected president. since then, conservatives have gone batshit insane.