Is It In The Water?

By now we are all aware of the Romney/Ryan/Akin/IRD/Koch Brothers/etc. and the movement towards an oligarchy in this country.  The idea that the best thing for second class citizens is to be mothers, housewives and barefoot and pregnant.  The "hard decisions" that cut support for the poor, the underprivileged, babies, children and folks who need a hand up, students, and unions.   While I will continue to write against all this crap, vote against the fools that work against democracy and try to not revert to 1962 there is still a burning question that I have not heard a very satisfactory answer. 

Why does middle and working class America feel/believe that the world can only be saved by people like Romney and Bush and Reagan and Wall Street and Hedge fund presidents?  Why is the appeal to achieve tons of money so popular to them when everything the right-wing nuts do contradicts everything that they say?  Why do common folks, those who have achieved what they have by way of union activism now rip at the very seams of the fabric they are wearing?  And how is it that so many of the middle and working class believe that capitalizing social security, doing away with medicare, eliminating universal health care   are all good things?  Why is it that we believe that the  "hard decisions" are cutting food stamps and not depletion allowances? And why is it that the grand old party leaders can say whatever they want (ala Akin) regardless of what the science says and have everyone believe it is true? 

I can honestly say that while I worked in management almost all of my career and I openly negotiated at times against CTA and CSEA for contract rights I have always respected who and what they are if for no other reason that I recognize my parents successes as well as my successes s well as my children's successes are all built on what unions past and present have delivered.  I recognize that affordable housing -- actually an opportunity to own a home comes not willingly from the rich but from those in Congress who believed that to own a home was worthy of legislation.  To provide equality across the country was a God given right. That mistakes are made and forgiveness and mercy are more important than justice and punishment. But, alas, I appear to be in the minority.

I am open to anyone explaining this phenomenon to me.  Right now -- I cannot see it and I do not understand it.