4 ms·

It's not just elections, it's everyday politics. Politics is the last area where hate (of the other party) is socially acceptable.

by antidoh 14y ago

bratsche 14y ago
I don't think it's actually hate. I'm not precisely sure what it is, but it seems to be the same thing that causes people to gloat when their favorite sports team wins. And sometimes it's pretty mean-spirited in the sports realm as well.
- stcredzero 14y ago
  > I don't think it's actually hate. It is actually hate. It's a controlled hate. Sort of like feelings you get when watching a movie.
- clarkm 14y ago
  > I'm not precisely sure what it is, but it seems to be the same thing that causes people to gloat when their favorite sports team wins. I disagree. Though sports fans have moments when they feel intense hatred for the other team, almost every fan knows that at the end of the day, it's just a game. They know that -- just like their team -- their opponent was just trying to win as a matter of pride. The consequences of political contests are much more serious, which leads many political supporters to actually hate the other side. They don't see politics as a game; they see it as an idealogical war that directly affects their quality of life. Many actually think that politicians they don't agree with and their supporters are evil. If you want proof of this difference, just look at the comments on articles about sports rivalries and compare them to comments on articles about divisive political issues. However, I'd guess that if the winning team of a sporting event was allowed to modify the rulebook for all future games, it would begin to look a lot more like politics over time.
  - mayneack 14y ago
    It also helps that there are effectively infinite teams when compared to politics. If there was a sport with only two teams, and everyone was expected to be a fan of one of the two (passed down by your parents of course), we might approach a politics level conflict.
    - antidoh 14y ago
      There are always two teams: home, and everyone else.
- clarkmoody 14y ago
  The primary emotion I can recall coming from the left during the George W Bush years was hate. Come to think of it, they still hate Bush, c.f. the town-hall debate question this time around.

It's not just elections, it's everyday politics. Politics is the last area where hate (of the other party) is socially acceptable.

by antidoh 14y ago

It's not just elections, it's everyday politics. Politics is the last area where hate (of the other party) is socially acceptable.

bratsche 14y ago

I don't think it's actually hate. I'm not precisely sure what it is, but it seems to be the same thing that causes people to gloat when their favorite sports team wins. And sometimes it's pretty mean-spirited in the sports realm as well.

stcredzero 14y ago
> I don't think it's actually hate. It is actually hate. It's a controlled hate. Sort of like feelings you get when watching a movie.
clarkm 14y ago
> I'm not precisely sure what it is, but it seems to be the same thing that causes people to gloat when their favorite sports team wins. I disagree. Though sports fans have moments when they feel intense hatred for the other team, almost every fan knows that at the end of the day, it's just a game. They know that -- just like their team -- their opponent was just trying to win as a matter of pride. The consequences of political contests are much more serious, which leads many political supporters to actually hate the other side. They don't see politics as a game; they see it as an idealogical war that directly affects their quality of life. Many actually think that politicians they don't agree with and their supporters are evil. If you want proof of this difference, just look at the comments on articles about sports rivalries and compare them to comments on articles about divisive political issues. However, I'd guess that if the winning team of a sporting event was allowed to modify the rulebook for all future games, it would begin to look a lot more like politics over time.
- mayneack 14y ago
  It also helps that there are effectively infinite teams when compared to politics. If there was a sport with only two teams, and everyone was expected to be a fan of one of the two (passed down by your parents of course), we might approach a politics level conflict.
  - antidoh 14y ago
    There are always two teams: home, and everyone else.
clarkmoody 14y ago
The primary emotion I can recall coming from the left during the George W Bush years was hate. Come to think of it, they still hate Bush, c.f. the town-hall debate question this time around.