Example: Farmers. The farm crowd, typically, votes Republican. They like Republicans despite the fact that liberals actually created subsidies and crop protection insurance. But, hey ... they like Republicans. They supported the Republican candidate for president in 2016 because he wasn't a Democrat. He knew nothing about agriculture and really had nothing to offer them. Now, with his tariffs and destructive trade wars, farmers (especially those in the Midwest who supported him big time) are in trouble! But they still support him! Well, hey ... he somehow found $12 BILLION to bail them out. But economists say that's a drop in the bucket; there are many more losses to come. These farmers will still vote Republican because ... they won't vote Democrat. They will hurt themselves .... and they don't seem to care.
Example: Wall supporters. Just this week, the White House announced that the current president is hiring a dozen more attorneys to grab land along the border so he can build his friggin' wall. Uh ... just wait until those land owners, many of them owners of ranches that have been in their families for decades, are notified that their land falls within eminent domain. Poof! Land is grabbed for "public" use. Will they still support this titular head of the Republican Party? You betcha ... he's a Republican and they won't vote for a Democrat. They will hurt themselves ... and they don't seem to care.
Example: Seniors. Don't get me started on this bunch (and I'm one of them)! Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell ... and the current resident of the White House ... are ready to slash Social Security and Medicare. But seniors are still voting Republican! Wow, the stupidity is mind-boggling! Republicans came out and actually announced they would be targeting Social Security and Medicare (in order to make up some of the revenue losses from the tax bill they passed), but seniors will head to the polls on November 8 and punch the GOP candidate. They will hurt themselves ... and they don't seem to care.
Example: Supporters of public education. Oh, wow, this one takes the cake! State legislatures controlled by Republicans have been slashing public education funds for years ... and putting a lot of that money into charter/private schools. Don't tell me folks support public education, public school students, and teachers ... while they vote Republican! Their vote tells me exactly what they support and it sure isn't public schools! They will hurt themselves, their children, their grandchildren and society at large ... and they don't seem to care.
So WHY do people vote Republican when that vote has shown to be detrimental to the general welfare of this country? I believe it's the old "tax and spend liberals" mantra that Republicans have been shouting for years. People believe it since it's been hammered in their heads for so long. Well ... grow up, do some research, and you will find that argument to be false. A report released last week tells us that recent tax-and-spending legislation passed by Congress (yes, a REPUBLICAN Congress) is helping to drive up the federal deficit and push the national debt as a percentage of annual economic output to levels not seen since just after World War II. The report comes from the non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and the figures have been confirmed by the Congressional Budget Office.
If you are voting Republican because you are a fiscal conservative, then you are incredibly ignorant about the current situation. Tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations bring in less revenue. Then when government spends unnecessary funds on a ridiculous wall, farmer bailout ... the list goes on and on ... you have spending that overwhelms revenue. Any sixth-grader with a $10 allowance can understand that!
Tax and spend ... yep! Republicans reduce taxes for the wealthy and big business ... and then spend money that isn't coming in.
And people will still vote Republican even though they hurt themselves ... and they don't seem to care.
