WHY EUROPEANS ARE DEMS!

[Michael Z]

I think Gustaf has a point, though it's not quite as simple as he put it. I don't think Republicans hate Europe, neither do I think they're hardcore nationalists like the media over here makes them out to be. It's a caricature, as Mr. Fresh pointed out. There is an extremist element to the GOP, but it's so small it's insignificant. The vast majority of Republicans are moderates like MarkDel or Supersoulty.

Still, Republican administrations do tend to be more bellicose and unilateralist than Democratic ones (please bear in mind that I'm speaking relatively), which consequently means that a Democratic administration acts more in Europe's direct interest (and also appeals to Europe's post-WW2 pacifism). And then there's the question of PR. Take Clinton. He knew how to sell himself to Europeans. He'd lived here so he knew what we like most about Americans; thus he portrayed himself as a guy who is cool, suave, straight-talking, rock'n'roll. And people here loved him for it. Bush of course is the polar opposite to Clinton in that respect, but that's really another thread entirely.

Huck Finn has a point about the Cold War, even though Thatcher was the only European leader who really saw eye to eye with Reagan. Mitterand and Kohl never quite warmed to him; ditto Brandt and Heath compared to Nixon. In fact, their relationship (or rather lack of it) could easily have resulted in a colder diplomatic climate similar to the one we are seeing now between Chirac/Schroeder and Bush, had it not been for the common bond of Nato or rather the threat represented by Soviet Russia.

[TheWildCard]

Uhhh hate to tell you this but your very very wrong as someone who has a very big european background I am offended by you saying Republicans dispise Europe. I disagreed with France, Germany and Russia does that make me dispise them? No. Also I do know of quite a few europeans that pretty much really dislike any American President(including Bill Clinton).

So Gustaf I'm sorry but theres no way you can convince me that Republicans dispise europe.

[Gustaf]

Uhhh hate to tell you this but your very very wrong as someone who has a very big european background I am offended by you saying Republicans dispise Europe. I disagreed with France, Germany and Russia does that make me dispise them? No. Also I do know of quite a few europeans that pretty much really dislike any American President(including Bill Clinton).

So Gustaf I'm sorry but theres no way you can convince me that Republicans dispise europe.

Hmmm...it seems like my post evoced much stronger reactions than I thought it would. I am happy to see that I might have been wrong, previous discussions on Europe on this forum gave me that impression. I would like to point out that I never used the word hate though, and I of course did  not mean avery Republican. It seems like it might even not be a majority, in which case I am happy!

It's still the way mane Europeans percieve it to be, though.

[afleitch]

I certainly don't think Republican's hate Europe, if they had, would Reagan have even bothered about it in his foreign policy? Being a Centre Left European, I give credit where credit is due. I do not like President Bush, but I did like his father and President Reagan, just as I admire Margaret Thatcher here in the UK. I would not dare say (as some fools have recently) that 'I Hate America' simply because Bush is prez. I would say that I love America because they have a system that allows Bush to be kicked out! I agree there can be some confusion. Tony Blair for instance is championed by the Neo-Cons, yet his actual policy positions in general would make Howard Dean seem cuddly to the Republicans, but to say they have a general disregard for Europe is naive.

[Gustaf]

I certainly don't think Republican's hate Europe, if they had, would Reagan have even bothered about it in his foreign policy? Being a Centre Left European, I give credit where credit is due. I do not like President Bush, but I did like his father and President Reagan, just as I admire Margaret Thatcher here in the UK. I would not dare say (as some fools have recently) that 'I Hate America' simply because Bush is prez. I would say that I love America because they have a system that allows Bush to be kicked out! I agree there can be some confusion. Tony Blair for instance is championed by the Neo-Cons, yet his actual policy positions in general would make Howard Dean seem cuddly to the Republicans, but to say they have a general disregard for Europe is naive.

OK, I don't know how many times I will have to restate what I meant...I started a discussion on how a healthy relationship between the US and Europe could be maintained, and the answer from the Republican could be summarized as "Who cares if Europeans don't like us, they're no good anyway". That is what led me to the conclusion, as well as the general ridicule of European countries that many Republicans seem prone to. I never used the word hate, and I did not mean to imply that every Republican feels a certain way about Europe. It seems like you have proved me wrong in thinking that a great many Republicans are rather hostile to Europe, and for that I am happy. I hereby apologize to anyone who felt insulted, and I retract my statement on Republicans.

Anyway, I thought of a more likely reason, it's funny that no one thought about it before. Roughly 50% of the 50% who vote vote Republican. That's a similar slice of the electorate that votes for the Conservatives in Sweden. But in many European countries voter turnout is much higher than in the US. In Sweden it's regularly at 80%. Maybe there are a similar number of left-wingers in the US, but they don't vote as much?