Is conservative violence & harassment against recall workers part of a concerted effort?
Well, examples of conservatives acting out against individuals gathering signatures for a recall of Republican Gov. Scott Walker can be found HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, and no doubt the examples I’ve cited aren’t the only examples of conservatives behaving badly towards recall signature gatherers.
So here’s my question – if conservative really believe Gov. Scott Walker is in no danger of actually being recalled, why are they resorting to violence against recall signature gatherers and destruction of recall petitions?
Because they know police nor newspapers in this state will stand up against them.
Concerted? Given that at LEAST 2 of the perpetrators have direct GOP ties (Waukesha and Racine county organizations), it wouldn’t surprise me whatsoever.
I think you answered your own question,
Here’s my theory but it’s still just a theory: There are two kinds of people in the world, people who care about winning and people who care about outcomes. Let’s call them competitive people and policy people. Competitive people only want to win, no matter what the policy outcome of their winning is. They pick a side and stick to that side with a fierce loyalty. The other group, the policy people, stick to a policy because they believe it produces good outcomes, regardless of which team proposes it. One group is emotionally attached to victory, and one is emotionally attached to outcomes.
I believe these two groups of people are unevenly distributed between the two major parties. I believe the GOP consists of, at this point, 90% competitive people and 10% policy people. The Democrats are more 50/50.
That’s my theory…
Phil, I really like that analysis. Of course, it doesn’t take into account that they bend over for the corporations against their own interest, but maybe injecting a theory of tribalism into your theory might help account for that.
Phil- I think that’s a good assessment. The dwindling few that still support Walker view politics as some kind of sporting event, and any edge they can pull for their “team” is to be taken advantage of, regardless of the effects of such a move. These pom-pom wavers don’t care about facts or reality, they just care about WINNING AND POWER.
When you think that way, any concept of fair play goes out the window. Ed Schultz said it best last year when he said “Those guys (the Tea Baggers) are playing for keeps!” And the Dems better understand that the GOP doesn’t care about making life better for anyone other than their little group, and you can’t play ball with those types of people.
And that’s why we have to get them all out of office as quickly and thoroughly as possible.