How did a party that represents only the super-rich get any popular support?

Answer 1

Because the super rich cons were able to convince Americans, via Madison Avenue, movies, TV, et al that being a Republican was an elite organization, and to not be one would mean you are just a commoner.

Also, the super rich Cons' campaign was to link the supporting of the present administration with being a patriot. However, the Cons never supported President Clinton during his administration. Who is calling who using "flip-flop" politics?

Further, anyone who does not blindly adhere to their dogma is a "Liberal."

See how the Yahoos on YA now call Bush a "Liberal," because of his immigration policy?

In short, the super rich sold many weak-minded, needy, identity crisis-ed Americans a bill of goods.

If you are not white, Anglo-Saxon Protestant, male and wealthy, then the Republican Party does not truly represent your interests.

Answer 2

Several strategies were used to bring the Republican Party to the disgraceful place it is in now. First, it took the fear and anger of middleclass America and found scapegoats: the “liberal” press, homosexuals, lousy public schools, blue-collar criminals (it employs the white collar criminals), and, of course, the granddaddy of them all, terrorism. Osama bin Laden and his band of 19 merry men did more to help keep us so tight-sphinctered with fear and anger than anything the Bush folks might have invented (which is why some conspiracy theorists actually believe the Bush folks either let 911 happen, or even helped the terrorists along.). It promised to take out all those bad guys that haunt the politically-manufactured nightmares of the white middle-class. This tactic has been spectacularly successful among conservative Christians who swallowed Bush’s words noun, verb and punctuation. Most of them still haven’t realized how badly they’ve been used.

There is a Dilbert cartoon which best exemplifies the second strategy the Bush folks have used so successfully. In the cartoon, the systems analyst tells his boss the software a salesman is peddling doesn’t work. The salesman responds by asking who the boss is going to believe: the designer of an award-winning package or a whining employee. The (precious few) critics of the administration are the whiners; you and I are the boss. We have let ourselves be sold a bill of goods over and over again. After all, who are we gonna believe? When various experts have pointed out the discrepancies between the administration’s presentation and the facts, the administration has attacked quickly and fiercely: it’s the folks suggesting there’s a problem who are the liars and the problem. We get confused, and decide we can’t trust anybody – and we retreat to our American Idol and YouTube.

That brings up the third strategy: the time-honored “bread and circuses” strategy. It’s been alleged the key to political success here in America is to keep the majority “fat, dumb, and happy.” As long as we’ve got ours, the leaders are safe. Aside from gasoline prices, the administration has done an excellent job keeping us entertained. That has kept us from noticing the social programs we’ll need later that are being undercut or eliminated. As long as we have our sports franchises, electronic gadgets, beer and chips and lawn chairs, we’ll tolerate just about any insult to the political process on our watch.

In the past 8 years, the Republican Party has become the tool of a rich and powerful corporate elite who have nothing but contempt for the rest of us. We keep voting them in for the very reasons they find us contemptible. And now you know how they do it.

Answer 3

Once again this is a Lee Atwater result. Atwater convinced a certain segment of white American society that despite the fact that they themselves were poor the party of the rich the Republicans were their friends

At the same time with the aide of Regan, Atwater began a general anti-intellectualism amongst the minions of the party. They made fun of and dismissed any one with an education as an "East (or West) Coast Liberal.

The elite of the Republican party of course continued to embrace education, especially higher education, but for the rank and file the idea of having a higher education became a mark that they were going to become liberals

And so they are now by an large less educated then their Democratic brethren and so are much more susceptible to not only slogans but to voting based on "non-issues" like gay marriage and flag burning. So the Republicans get popular support from the masses because they are told that some how this party is on their side. There is also of course the race card as well. The conviction by Middle Class whites that we some how have more in common with Super Rich Whites then Middle and Working Class Blacks and Hispanics. This is clearly visible in the immigration matter, not so much in being against the bill, but in the violent way that many of these under-educated Republicans want to handle the matter.

We are in fact in a dangerous times, an uncaring elite have an uneducated mass of underlings to do their bidding. And the opposition party is so disorganized and lead by folks without any real back bone.

Answer 4

Both parties support the poor equally, they just go about it differently. Democrats support the poor through handouts and Republicans support the poor by creating jobs, growing the economy and implementing help programs that encourage self reliance.

The poor depend upon the rich for their wages. When you increase taxes on the rich it is the poor who feel the pinch. When you make decisions that are good for business all around the wages of the lower and middle classes improve.

Answer 5

I suppose you are speaking about the reps. They do not only support the rich as you would suggest. They were the ones that instituted the latest tax cuts out there. I believe it is the Dems that are looking at repealing those cuts take a look at how much the middle class would pay in taxes after that happens and see who is supporting who.

Answer 6

It is called 'wedge politics'. Find a divisive issue and use it to rally the average masses to your cause. It doesn't matter what the issue is but it has to be controversial and marginal. Gay marriage, immigration, stem cell research, guns, etc...all these have been used in the past and will be used again.
Basically if you trick people into thinking an election is about one of these issues then they will forget about the bigger picture. Why do you think the Government is so desperate to keep climate change OFF the election agenda? They know they can't win that one as easily.

Answer 7

Because the super rich people who own the political parties also endorse their candidates with their news channels. Both the Democrat and Republican parties are owned by the super rich, anyway, but the Democrats only pretend to care about the poor.

George Soros is the super rich guy who practically owns the Democrats, and Rupert Murdoch practically owns the Republicans.

Answer 8

The same way the party that represents only the super dumb, and lazy gets its support, by class warfare.

Answer 9

Which party are you talking about? The one that is supported by 1/2 of corporate American or the one that is supported by the other 1/2 of corporate American and 99% of the Hollywood super-rich.

Answer 10

You must be talking about the Dems. Most of the super rich are dems. Just look at Hollywood