Lefty liberal "progressives" don't even like America or Americans. They believe it is fundamentally broken, something which needs a complete reorientation and restructuring from the bottom up.

You can see this impuse by looking at some lefty bumper stickers.

You've seen these cars, the ones that go by plastered with all sorts of bromides and smug phrases. It's all about getting the Sheep to wake up.

They are constantly scolding us to love the earth; be peaceful; stop eating meat; sayings attributed to Ghandi, Einstein and American Indian chiefs; asking us to imagine peace, the need for the Air Force to have a bake sale to buy their bombers, etc.; asking us how expensive it is to not educate a child; telling us defend Roe v. Wade, while at the same time asking "What part of 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' Don't You Understand?"; demanding we all Question Authority (except, of course, when they become the Authority)....

Scold, scold, scold, scold....

They of course are not The Sheep, nor any of their friends who agree with them; they are the Awakened ones. They consider themselves, proudly, to be among the elite, awash in a a sea of benighted fools. They want to be seen as an atypical American. They last thing they want to be, egads!, is a "typical" anything, let alone a "typical American."

Where as conservatives - or at least those who dislike the "progressive," smug, self-satisfied, scolding elite, are proud that they ARE "typical Americans," and see themselves, happily, as part of the mass of America. On their cars you'll see "America: Love it or Leave It."

These people see this as their country, warts and all; the former see this as just some place, unfortunately, they have to live in for now.

Oh, they love "typical Americans" in the abstract and imaginary.

Look at Hillary's grotesque pandering to what she imagines to be the Common Folk. Well, they "sit around the kitchen table" trying to sort out their weekly bill, trying to make ends meet and wondering why they, good Sunday church-goin', huntin', hard workin' Salt-of-the-Earth can't seem to catch a break.

When the men-folk are done workin' at the factory which their daddy and daddy's daddy worked at (no doubt, for lunch they had a ham sandwich packed by the little woman, in one of those big black lunch boxes with a plaid Thermos full of coffee), they hop into the old Ford truck and drive over to the local, privately-owned Bar and have a shot or two and beer from a can. You can find a hat rack filled with Cat Diesel Power caps at the doorway.

They imagine a "Lake Wobegon" kind of Common American, at best. Hell, look at Garrison Keillor himself as a perfect example of this elitist condescension! At worst they imagine a Common American that is sick, dysfunctional, hiding the most grotesque abuses and ignorance behind their religion and guns, etc.

In reality they wouldn't spend two minutes in that Bar, unless they were passing through on a road trip and blogging about it as if on safari some where.

In reality they think they're all idiots. Look at Howard Dean's entire campaign, which boiled down to, "Vote For Me You Knuckle-Dragging, Common, Dim-itted Middle Americans! I'm On Your Side!"

No, they dont even like America.

we jest don't like folks that hate jest as much as the idjuts ya think yer talkin about.

Ultra liberals and ultra conservatives are different sides of the same coin.The sensible middle is where things happen.

It is elitist to paint all democrats as exactly the same with the paint supplied by Karl Rove, Rush, and Sean 'Mr. Smug' Hannity. They divide this country and you fall for it. Is it impossible to care about the environment without being labelled as radical by you 'conservatives'? Is it wrong to ask that this become a better country? You can go on happily embracing the adminstrations divisive tactics. We will choose to try to make this a better country.

GOBAMA

Naw, just don't care for people like you.

Why are none of the "experts" regarding "Liberal Views" actually Liberals?

I find that interesting. Perhaps I, as a redneck, should become an expert regarding the "Black Viewpoint"?

Hahahahahahahahaha!!!

Touche--well said.

"On their cars you'll see "America: Love it or Leave It."

This saying makes no sense to me. If you truly love something or someone and they're having problems, you do your best to help make it better. You stay.

Nothing is perfect. America isn't. I can love it, and yet still admit that she has flaws that we can work on to leave this country a better place for the next generation.

Then again, I don't have any bumper stickers on my car, so according to your post that must mean I believe in nothing?

I guess we all hope that one day, intelligent people will out number morons. One can only hope.....

Where is the play book for a liberal anyway? The only reason people call themselves liberals is because someone on the right uses that term. There is no manifesto, no liberal ideology. I think its the absence of ideology in fact.

Tend to be idiots. It makes no difference which side of the fence they're on, left-wing or right-wing. Also, anyone spewing ignorant garbage like yours falls under the idiot category as well. You do sure give conservatives a bad name.

SOunds like you, I'd say.

Your post is nothing but a collection of strawmen - that is, ideas about Liberals or Dems which you made up or got from some other ignorant person, and then attacked as if they were real Lib or Dem positions.

If Libs didn't love America, they wouldn't pay attention to its shortcomings, or try to address them. They'd just ignore them, play video games, make money, buy a new SUV or something.

Kinda like you guys on the Right do...:)

Woolley:

Where is the play book for a liberal anyway? The only reason people call themselves liberals is because someone on the right uses that term. There is no manifesto, no liberal ideology. I think its the absence of ideology in fact.

That is an interesting point, and also, I would add, precisely the reason the conservative movement has had so much success over the last 20 or so years. They have a playbook. We know what they stand for. They remain fairly consistent in their worldview.

I think Early Bird is having some fun baiting you here (he was voting Obama, last I checked). However, if one were able to cleanly distinguish between "liberal" and "leftist," he's exactly right. Leftists do hate this country, no matter how much they insist otherwise. And they should, because this country does not hold anything for them. So the bumper sticker about "loving it or leaving" should actually be taken as "friendly advice."

I guess you have never heard of John Locke.

they have a playbook...they walk in lock-step and they never have to wear themselves out thinking. Someone higher up always does that for them...

The right-wing doesn't own this country but the act like they do...that is what your comment betrays about leaving the country being good advice for those leftists.

I am a liberal and I love being a liberal and I love my country. I have always been patriotic. And if you studied a bit of history you would find out our declaration of independence came very much from the writing of John Locke. John Locke may be considered the father of liberalism.

Max, it may surprise you after reading my original post, that I am very much FOR Obama, and even have an Obama sticker on my car.

I had never expected to be excited by a Democrat, being a Republican. But I am a true conservative, one with the belief that government should be small and focused on some core tasks, not invading people's bedrooms, or unnecessarily invading other countries, all while growing the size and scope of the government in ways which would have made LBJ blush.

I live in Los Angeles to a black woman, spent years in academia, work in clinical trials research. I live in West Los Angeles, and drive to work in Santa Monica listening to NPR. Ugh. I can't believe it!

You'll notice I didn't say anything about "Democrats" let alone "all Democrats." The stereotype which Hillary is trying to appeal to right now, pretending she's a Regular Jane who shoots and drinks shots at bars, would be Democrats.