I think it’s important to look at what causes the “conservatives evil” viewpoint. Consider the political exposure for someone under 30. In my lifetime, the only conservative administrations I’ve been able to observe are Bush and Trump. I saw McConnell apply a new standard to deny a Democrat president a SCOTUS pick, and then 4 years later watched him ignore that standard in an even more egregious situation. In just the last few years I’ve seen LGBT people be increasingly demonized solely by the right. I’ve seen conservatives outraged at trans healthcare that’s recommended by medical/psychiatric experts. I’ve seen them outraged about basic vaccine science and wearing masks to stop the spread of disease. I’ve seen Trump baselessly claim his election loss was rigged, and incite an insurrection at our capital. I’ve seen abortion rights stripped away with absolutely no recourse. I’ve seen conservatives constantly harp on the national debt and deficit while a democrat was president, yet voted for tax cuts projected to add 1-2 trillion to the debt.
And perhaps the worst part, I’ve seen barely, if any, criticism of these actions by other conservatives – especially conservative leadership. They tacitly approve of all this because it strengthens their power politically. How could I look at all this and not come out with a visceral distaste for Republican politicians?
Note that I said politicians though, and not voters. I grew up in a mid Missouri college town, which was a rich blend of conservative and liberal thinking in general, not just politically. I know there’s value in conservative thinking – in just the abstract, it provides a necessary balance to liberal thinking, and questions if changes are actually needed. Often times I believe they are needed, but it’s an important mindset to consider.
All of this is why millennials and Zoomers have so heavily soured on the right. And the GOP still doesn’t see it. They’d rather suppress the young vote and wonder why we don’t see the brilliance in their ideas, instead of actually trying to understand the dislike.
