Whenever a new poll shows Bush's ever sinking numbers, I see two reactions on the lefty blogosphere:
- Yay! Bush is down to X percent!
- What's this? X percent of voters STILL like him?
I've always had a hard time understanding what goes on in the minds of people who still like Bush. But one thing changed that. A phone call from my sister.
My sister was a Values Voter in 2004. Unquestioningly religious, but not very politically active. When Bush won, however, she sent me a gloating email that I still haven't forgiven her for. You know how family can be sometimes.
So I decided to ask her during the phone call: what with Katrina, the deficit, Iraq -- wasn't she feeling just an eensy bit of buyer's remorse over Bush?
Her one-word response: Nope.
Okay, so what's going on in the minds of these people who still like Bush? On this admittedly sketchy evidence, I picked two things:
- They're not very curious about politics. Many voters, like my sister, don't have much time to think about what's going on in the world. She also feels alienated by politics. Ironically, the people that she thoughtlessly elected have made politics so frightening that she is now even less likely to pay attention to it, although she will still vote thoughtlessly.
- They're stubborn. There is no way that my sister will tell me that she doesn't like Bush anymore -- it's become too big a thing. That would mean admitting she was wrong. Or at least she thinks that's what it means. She chooses instead to believe the fictions: Bush is a good man who is doing his darndest to protect us from terrorists (or liberals, or whatever).
Now take a look at those two things. Incurious. Not good at admitting they've made a mistake. Remind you of anyone?
No wonder they like Bush so much. He is their people.
