tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13200055.post3145957867823237748..comments2023-11-05T02:49:28.946-05:00Comments on Bull City Mutterings: When Beliefs Become More Like PossessionsBasioneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13513338518929461384noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13200055.post-49337178996119528052011-08-10T23:15:35.173-04:002011-08-10T23:15:35.173-04:00What a great opportunity and a great trip! So man...What a great opportunity and a great trip! So many things to comment on and so little time.<br /><br />- 9 to 11% seems to be a pretty standard slice of political typology these days (at least according to Pew which is where you may have gotten your figures) regardless of whether it's Tea Partiers or New Coalition Democrats or whatever.<br /><br />- Too many people base their opinions on testimonials and talk shows and too many people use the data and information that most suits their arguments and world view (not accusing you of this - just making an observation). I just ran across this article - http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/05/mind-reading-why-expert-predictions-in-the-media-are-so-often-wrong/ - and the author has a couple of books out that I'm pretty interested in (although I don't know when I'll get around to reading them). It sounds like it might be something you'd appreciate as well.<br /><br />- My sense of the Tea Partiers is that they're not any happier with the debt Bush ran up than the debt Obama ran up. However, you may have greater first-hand insight into that with the folks you talked to. My brother has come "this close" to coming out to me as a Tea Partier and he had no use for Bush, so the fact that a Republican President was fiscally irresponsible wouldn’t necessarily preclude a Tea Partier from believing that fiscal responsible should be the goal.<br /><br />- Given that you took the Northern route, it seems likely that you passed through states that ran 80%-90% white. Testimonials and 2nd hand experiences may be the only information they have because there's a dearth of first-hand experience. If I had to guess, I'd say that you're unique in that you've actually gone out of your way to get to know Tea Partiers. How many Tea Party critics have done the same? And if they haven't, they're stereotyping is no more valid (as if stereotyping ever is). I've felt for a long time that there are folks living on the East and West coast of the US who'd much rather serve in the Peace Corps in a developing nation than spend a year in North Dakota or West Virginia or wherever.<br /><br />- The only people held hostage are those that lack the moral fiber to stand by their principles in serving the best interests of the United States - and that runs across the political spectrum.<br /><br />- Another way to look at the Tea Partiers stance could be through the lens of Resistance theory. Basically, I ascribe to the belief that people resist for one of three reasons - they don't get it, they don't like it, or they don't like you. The challenge is figuring out which kind of resistance you're seeing. Right now there's plenty of resistance based on the "I don't like you" model (something I'd really like to tackle in the coming weeks and months). But people often mistake the "I don't like it" for "I don't get it" and think that further data and rational arguments are going to make a difference. If I REALLY believe I don't like it, but you keep treating me like I don't get it then I start to feel like you think I'm stupid which ain't a basis for shifting my attitude and perspective.<br /><br />Anyhow, Reyn. Thanks for providing such a thought-provoking post. These are issues I think about at length and it was nice to have the opportunity to engage.Jim Ullmanhttp://www.twitter.com/jimullmannoreply@blogger.com