I haven’t documented it, but I got the distinct impression that the vast majority of right-wing commentators were in full agreement with Mitt Romney’s comments about the 47% and his explanation that he lost because the president gave “gifts” to his political base. I certainly noticed a lot of agreement in the comments sections of right-wing blogs. It seems to be almost an article of faith on the right that the Democratic Party is filled with “takers” and the Republican Party is filled with “makers.”
There is also a strange obsession with Europe. Specifically, it seems to be desperately important to a lot of right-wingers that America not become more like European countries. Europe is supposed to be full of people who lack all initiative and have sunk into a horrible state of dependency. Part of what makes America great, and certainly better than France or Germany, is that we don’t pamper our poor by giving them “gifts.”
Most of the people expressing these opinions have never been to France or Germany, or even Greece. Having traveled to Europe a few times, I can confirm that the people there have nice things. I usually wind up wondering why they have so many nice things compared to Americans. We can’t even agree to pay for grass seed for the National Mall.
In any case, most of Europe is quite nice and they seem to be pretty good at business and commerce, too. They have their problems, but then so do we. I don’t consider the Democratic Party to be a “European” party, at least not a left-wing one. But, even if I did feel that way, I wouldn’t see it as any kind of threat to traditional America.
But, I don’t have contempt for anyone who signs the back of a paycheck instead of the front.
