Listen, this is what's going on. Millions of conservatives have been guided by leadership, by events, by their own situations, and by the spirit of the times to give a collective and sustained "fuck you" to those whom they perceive as self-appointed purveyors of shame.
Republicans have rejected--or have persuaded themselves to try to reject--the shame of being white, or being rich, or being successful, or being rural, or being traditional, or religious, or Republican, or American.
They will no longer feel shame on account of the judgment of those whom they perceive as elitist and snobby America haters. To be accused of falling short by THAT group is a badge of honor.
But their lack of shame--that is, their shamelessness--only brings its psychological compensations when they maintain solidarity. Shame is a natural feeling and the result of living in groups, and it can only be fought off with affirmation of another group.
The problem isn't the reaction of anger against liberals. There is something potentially good, frankly, in their pride and spirit, something that affirms their humanity in its particularity, in its resistance to the fashions of the day.
The problem is its unboundedness and sweep, and its creeping tendency to define identity solely by opposition. Increasingly they would be perfectly happy to cut off the branch on which they sit if they thought it, and they, would land on their liberal enemies.
In short, trying to shame them into decent behavior will be wholly counterproductive. Nothing from the outside will change their behavior. They will have to be persuaded from within, or by exceptionally clever outsiders, that it is in their best interest to rejoin democracy.
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