How do you negotiate with crazy people?

[andrewducker]

• 67 percent of Republicans (and 40 percent of Americans overall) believe that Obama is a socialist.
• 57 percent of Republicans (32 percent overall) believe that Obama is a Muslim
• 45 percent of Republicans (25 percent overall) agree with the Birthers in their belief that Obama was "not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president"
• 38 percent of Republicans (20 percent overall) say that Obama is "doing many of the things that Hitler did"
• Scariest of all, 24 percent of Republicans (14 percent overall) say that Obama "may be the Antichrist."

From

I mean, I know a lot of, say, Conservatives in the UK have beliefs I don't agree with.  But the vast majority of them, so far as I can tell, just have different experiences to me, and different opinions about how things should be organised.  They don't believe that the leader of the oppositon is the fucking antichrist, or other things that can be disproved by 30 seconds with Google.

Comments

[kurosau.livejournal.com]

I think the problem that you're falling into is another one of stereotypes. The idea of Democrats and anyone agreeing with them being posh twits is the same exact kind of stereotype as the toothless Republican hick. It's false and basically derailing to the argument.

The way we deal with these sorts of situations is to continue as is being done, and to offer good news sources and truth to dispel misinformation. Yes, it sucks that polling shows that some people hold some really ignorant views. But some of those views are anywhere near as crazy if you look at them through the lens of authoritarianism. The mindset that supports the Republican party most fervently is going to divide the world into two camps. Us and The Other. Obama is The Other, and he's in a place of power, and he's the leader of the opposition, and for a long time the religious right in America has been pushing the idea that the end times are coming.

In that light, suspecting that he's the anti-christ, while still pretty goddamn despicable, seems like a lot less water for them to cross.

It is reasonable to say that such people are crazy, because there's no way you can engage with them in the debate of 'is Obama the anti-christ' and such. But it is probably a better idea to offer better information instead of calling them crazy.

[meihua.livejournal.com]

The idea of Democrats and anyone agreeing with them being posh twits is the same exact kind of stereotype as the toothless Republican hick. It's false and basically derailing to the argument.

Well, of course. I said that this is the messaging received by some of the voters the OP is discussing. Of course it's misleading stereotypes, that's what messaging is.