Culture war began w/ slavery ...Our STANDS on the issues are irrelevant...

Per digsby:


...But, I have come to realize that the main problem isn't our competence in those areas and indeed, it never was. They were just another "issue" with which to beat us over the head. The problem is the same as it ever was. It's the culture war and it didn't begin in the 1960's.

It grew out of America's original sin (or perhaps it's original hypocrisy) about slavery. And it's colored our vision of ourselves ever since. It's roots are in the north south divide, but it also cuts across rural and urban, modern and traditional. It's a problem of identity,grievance and intractability. It's centered in religion and race.
....

Please read entire post:

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2004_11_07_digbysblog_archive.html#110010604608660694

but I am not sure I understand what you are trying to say. If it is not about the issues, then how is "us and them" defined? If the issues change and the goal posts are shifted, then how are the "sides" delineated?

....http://digbysblog.blogspot.com

I think that his point in the essay I linked to is that no matter what the issues are, the subtext that the right brilliantly manipulates is "us" vs. "them" and and in the "red states" the "us" are those with lingering resentments over the civil and women's rights movements and now gay rights-and the origins of those resentments can be traced all the way back to the civil war. There are people who, deep down, just don't like black people, want to keep women in 'their proper place', and think gays are disgusting. But, since it's not 1944 anymore and you can't get away with running on a 'dixiecrat' platform like Strom Thurmond, the appeals are more subtle and coded.

Someone said it was as if people last week voted for whichever 'team' they were on. For a lot of white people, esp. men, their 'team' is best reflected in their eyes by the Republican party. It's the Goldwater southern strategy, except this guy argues that it's not just the issues of civil rights, but a deeper hatred or resentment that has been handed down thru the generations since the end of slavery.

These people don't care what your particular position is on a particular issue, what's important to them is whatever their team leaders say is important and that's why the goal post keep changing. Whenever we take up a position that used to be in the Republican playbook, they take a more extreme position and their 'team' follows along because...it's their team.