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MillennialExistential's avatar

I want to float one other potential factor. Increased lifespans.

There's the old saying that "Science advances one funeral at a time". I think the same is true for social change. People are not as flexible in their belief systems as they like to think, and for a long time, generational turnover was what drove social progress. Now, with people living longer, voting for longer, and holding onto power longer, there's more inertia thwarting generational progress.

One thing that stuck with me from the podcast, is Sarah seems to know why these people cling to the Republican party despite what they've become. She kept dancing around it. These people hate social progress. Sure, there are some wealthy business owners who are up in arms about marginal tax rates or regulation, but they are a tiny fraction of a minority. Most Republicans stick with the party because they are mad about all the non-white people they see, or the gay couple, or their non-binary nephew.

Because Sarah is a kind, curious person, she has a hard time admitting the simple truth, that these people are mostly just bigots, and are fundamentally incurious and uncaring people at heart. Their worlds are small and constrained, and they resist every attempt to make them even the tiniest bit more open. Sadly, for most of them, they'll take those beliefs to their graves.

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Kathleen Weber's avatar

Why Isn't Biden Winning By 20 Points?

Because the GOP is better at slander than just about anybody in world history. Watching them at work is like seeing a gold medal performance at the Criminal Olympics.

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