Conservative Republicans (maybe all Republicans) have resorted to a couple of new buzzword terms to demonize Democratic efforts to enact broad federal voting rights legislation and support for abortion rights. The evil theory in the first instance is termed “federalization.” In the other arena involving abortion law challenges, a state attorney general’s office deplored decades of “constitutionalization” of jurisprudence related to Roe v. Wade by SCOTUS.
As many pundits are fond of characterizing, the GOP folk are very skilled in the messaging competition. Unfortunately, the messages too often transform into an unyielding and unhealthy political ideology little susceptible to evolving circumstances.
The Cochise County, Arizona, board of supervisors recently declined by a 2-1 vote to accept $1.9 million in COVID relief funding from the federal government, one of 200 jurisdictions in America to do so, according to a New York Times article. The county has a population of some 125,000. The funding averaged over $15,000 per resident.
Opposition to approval of accepting the funds centered around a belief–or lack thereof–in mask and vaccine mandates. Bisbee, population 4,923, is the county seat and site of an abandoned copper mine as well as the area’s Copper Queen Community Hospital. The local newspaper reported in October 2021 that data demonstrated the county had 15,328 COVID cases–about 10% of the population. Hospitalizations were numbered at 872, with 335 deaths.
One of the two negative Republican votes to decline the funds was supported by a statement that “The overall trend is toward threatening and eroding constitutional rights.” The other vote was rooted in doubt about the effectiveness of the vaccines. That board member was reported as not being vaccinated and had asserted that her COVID infection, for herself and her family, was successfully eliminated by doses of ivermectin. She also traveled to DC but did not enter into the building during the January 6th assault. Cochise County’s Republican chair was one of 11 who claimed to be a certified elector in a state won by the Democrat.
It is somewhat surprising that the Republican majority in Cochise did not accept the funds and turn around with a tax rebate to its citizenry created by the unnecessary monies. No need for gerrymandering when elected officials provide hard cash tax refunds.
An ideological disconnect between sound governance and decision making may be a form of political cognitive dissonance in a personal and collective way. It is a dangerous formula when the distortion is translated into decisions that affect the common good and deviate from the clear task to serve the public. Cochise County’s experience in ideological warfare is emblematic of the political pathology expertly disseminated by cohorts within the GOP. Sadly, Democrats have not been and may not be equipped to craft countermeasures or counter messaging to defend and advance their arguments.
An ideological disconnect between sound governance and decision making may be a form of political cognitive dissonance in a personal and collective way. It is a dangerous formula when the distortion is translated into decisions that affect the common good and deviate from the clear task to serve the public. Cochise County’s experience in ideological warfare is emblematic of the political pathology expertly disseminated by cohorts within the GOP. Sadly, Democrats have not been and may not be equipped to craft countermeasures or counter messaging to defend and advance their arguments.
Certainly, there exist opportunities to fashion responses but it is possible that Democrats are genetically unable to do so. It may also be that Democrats are content to rely upon historical political messages such as New Deal, Fair Deal, and War on Poverty for continued political sustenance as constituencies continue to change and evolve.
It’s time to add some upbeat buzz to the lexicon of Democrats. As a broad epithet, the term “occulturization” serves as a universal pejorative implying the intimate relationship with a number of GOP candidates and campaigns with conspiracy sources such as QAnon. The term appears to be appropriate to the two naysayers in Cochise County.
“Divisivication” is useful to challenge the expanding Republican attack on the absence of critical race theory curricula in public school systems. On an episode of Saturday Night Live in 2000, Will Ferrell, as George W. Bush, gained some notoriety for his invention of “strategery” as the one word description of his campaign. Democrats should consider “suppressification” to describe the legislative efforts of Republicans to limit voting opportunities.
Republican resilience in the face of an absence of a national political platform opens a wedge to characterize them as “nakedians” or “spectrans” suggesting the discovery of his royal nakedness in children’s lore and the Christmas tale ghost of Dickens. Surely, the awkwardness of “federalization” and “constitutionalization” can yield, be put asunder by equally powerful counter missiles from the opposition.
If cognitive corruption is to exist and prosper, both sides have a duty to hurl “slings and arrows of outrageous” words as offensive and defensive maneuvers. Professor Irwin Corey (d. 2017) was billed as the World’s Greatest Authority, capable of pontificating with equal ignorance on any topic. Corey could function as theorist and spokesperson for both political parties. One political party ought not to be the monopoly usurper of the universe of brickbatism.
Categories: democrats, elections, Issues, legislature, National, political discourse, political parties, politics, republicans
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