The conservatives, especially the hard working Bible Belt folks, need to drop their blind defense of the wealthy. It's you they are stealing from! (well, and the rest of us)
Hammer meets nail. It comes down to politicians using their libertarian strain as a wedge. That sense of economic fairness and govt intrusion. I hear this constantly. It essentially boils down to an eventual argument about welfare. It's so frustrating even as I type this. FYI, I am firmly in the Bible Belt, and if there is anyone around here empathetic to these people, it's me. Even though I am not much of a conservative at all or religious. It's just...these are my people. Most of my family. Some friends. Although most of my friends are as socially liberal as I am. I do still have some libertarian strains though. But I was a SCARY right wing nut up until about 18 years old. I've spent the last 20 years of my life deconstructing how I ended up there. I understand the 'Tea Party' mentality pretty much thoroughly. Top to bottom.
Bible Belt folk: "I don't think the rich should have to pay more in taxes".
Me: "Why?"
Bible Belt folk: "It's not fair. I don't want to pay more in taxes and neither should they. Or anyone else. The Govt is too big".
Me: "You know...someone has to pay the bills".
Bible Belt folk: "Then we should get all these people off welfare, and stop sending millions in foreign aid to people that hate us".
Me: "relatively speaking, it's a drop in the bucket. You need lots of revenue and it can only come from slightly higher rates on the wealthy"
Bible Belt folk: "I don't believe that".
Me: "Well it's true. Besides, the rich have never made more money than they are making now".
Bible Belt folk: "Good for them".
Me: "But it's the non-rich that end up paying those bills".
Bible Belt folk: "Like I said, reduce the bills. Get all those people off welfare, stop fighting wars in Muslimville and stop sending millions to Africa"
Me: "Welfare is inevitable and it's not going away. Foreign aid might as well be the same as buying tanks. It's national security. And I agree with you about the wars."
Bible Belt folk: "Stupid Bush and those wars."
Me: "Yeah but don't you see? The same reason you voted to re-elect him in 2004 is the same reason you believe that taxing the wealthy is a great sin".
Bible Belt folk: "Huh?"
Me: "Politics. getting you to vote against your best interest".
And they simply don't want to believe they could be duped like that.
The personal pride meets the libertarian principle meet pure politics.
And Republicans continue to dominate these demographics.
Also...Bible issues but that's another subject.
Both parties are crap and don't care about anything other than lining their own pockets.
Truth, brother.