Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Christian Piatt

Home
Progressive Christian
Anger, Fear and the GOP Implosion

Anger, Fear and the GOP Implosion

Last updated on: March 6, 2012 at 5:30 pm by Christian Piatt

Anger, Fear and the GOP Implosion 2012-03-06T17:30:32+00:00 Christian Piatt

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

It seems lately that the Republican party is painting itself into an angry corner that it can’t find its way out of.

Rush Limbaugh’s recent loose-lipped “slut” comment is a clarion call to his significant conservative base to forge ahead in a direction that leads nowhere good. Basically, he cast negative, sexually charged aspersions at Sandra Fluke, a college student who publicly advocated for health insurance that included birth control.

As this piece in the Christian Science Monitor notes, his comments – and the greater sentiment they reflect – point to a sexual double standard among many social conservatives. But that isn’t what is tripping up the GOP right now.

Anger is their Achilles heel.

The disgruntled voices from the Tea Party set the tone for the political landscape on the right this election season. In order to appeal to this constituency, candidates determined that they had to resonate with the anger they heard from within the conservative populist swell.

I use the word “populist” in this context with tongue firmly in cheek, given the fact that the billionaire Koch brothers have funded the movement. But that’s another article in itself.

The problem is, when negative dynamics such as fear or anger are at the core of your message, such fervency tends to take on a life of its own at one time or another. Sure, every politician or highly public figure trips up at one time or another under the intense media microscope we live with today, but such emotions are inherently untamed; they long to manifest themselves in a form of their own invention.

Anger and fear are wild. Though powerful and often effective they will not be tamed. And eventually, they will turn on their maker.

So how is it that a young, black senator from Illinois came to turn the entire political system on its head four years ago? Yes, he had a team that possessed a remarkable understanding of social media and grassroots organization. But at the heart of Obama’s message, there was a drumbeat of optimism. Call it trite or superficial if you will, but people want hope. They may be motivated by anger or fear for a time, but hope sustains.

And it worked. Regardless of anyone’s feelings about his term in office thus far, he won a hard-fought election.

Newt Gingrich is a prime example of the flame-out potential of a perennially angry candidate. Like kerosene on a smoldering fire, he ruptured the GOP field with a passionate fury. And a few weeks later, he can hardly earn a paragraph in the editorial pages, let alone any more headlines.

This anger acts much like any other fundamentalist message does. It galvanizes a minority base while alienating the rest. Though a more synthetic, positive message may not stoke the embers the way a fiery diatribe might, it is what any successful candidate requires today to appeal to enough of the electorate to command a consensus.

Of course, this oversimplifies the substance of governance behind the rhetoric of politics. But for now, governance takes a back seat, at least until after the November elections.

To everything there is a season. Even Jesus expressed anger in moments. But seasons inevitably end.

christian science monitor

Previous Post

March 5, 2012

The Piatts are Headed for Portland

Next Post

March 7, 2012 On Gay Marriage, Marijuana and Pat Robertson

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category atonement belief bible Bill O'Reilly Buddhism CCM children christian piatt christianity Contemporary Christian Music current events derek flood Easter education Everyday Sunday faith faith and culture Frank Schaeffer great commission Haaz Sleiman Hobby Lobby Homebrewed Culture humor ISIS Jesus John Paul Lederach Killing Jesus LGBTQ marc driscoll Mission Year Music My Jesus Project Nat Geo parenting politics popular culture postChristian prison reform Ray rice religion republicans sacrifice sexuality theology Uncategorized video violence wild goose festival World Vision young adults

Select a Month December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

We were commanded to send away our foreign wives and children to remain faithful to God. Who are we?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The returning exiles The Levites The standing army The Priests