Re: The 2nd Term - Round 2 - Amensty for Some, Miniature AR-15s for Others...
So, to the question of are most conservatives/Republicans/etc scum sucking racists? Here's how I see it:
Righties don't hate Obama anymore than they hated Bill Clinton who is white as a ghost. However, when people dislike someone, they're more willing to embrace derogatory ideas about them whether they believe it or not. So for example, the # of people polled who think Obama is a Muslin, or was born in Kenya, most likely is overstating the # who actually believe that. However, if it makes a point ("I don't like the Prez") people will jump on board. A dozen years ago over 50% of Republicans polled thought Clinton had Buddy the Dog offed before it could turn informer. I have to believe most of those didn't really think the dog had evidence that would have buried the Clintons, but I'll let them speak for themselves.
Now the problem is this. The GOP has been too willing to give haters a prominent voice in the party. When you give these people a platform, when they're sitting side by side with your politicians on news shows, etc you're going to be guilty by association. Far too many an elected Republican official has embraced Birtherism which is blatently racist. I doubt too many of them actually believe Obama was born in Kenya, but kissing @ ss with the people that do in order to win their votes means you own their views for better or for worse. As Jeb Bush put it in his speech to the rest of the dinosaurs the other day, the GOP is now the anti-everything party. That's fine if you're anti-tax, but when its anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, anti-gay, people will obviously start to speculate about the motivations. Don't take my word for it, just look at the party's own self-evaluation that they just published.
For example, Old Pio will often talk about violence in Chicago. How often as a Republican gone there to see first hand? How about proposing some solutions?