Editor’s note: The original version of this story had a summary paragraph with words attributed to Jeremy Duff but not written by the author of this story, words that should not have been attributed to Duff. The Wichitan apologizes for the error.
By Erin Hagy
Staff writer
Texas is a “red” state. Republicans have dominated state politics for nearly 40 years. Similarly, 64 percent of MSU students identify themselves as being Republican.
The stereotypical, radical Republican is a racist, homophobe who does not care about the poor. Stereotypically, they are mean-spirited, greedy, selfish, and intolerant. Clearly, however, the stereotypes do not fit for all Republicans, especially the Republicans on campus, a generally more liberal environment.
“Republicans are conservative,” Jeremy Duff, assistant professor of political science, said. “They are pro-life mostly and have traditional family values.”
Traditional family values mean they tend to be anti-gay marriage, Duff said.
“They have traditional, moral stances on social issues and tend to not support the legalizing of marijuana,” Duff said.
Duff also explained that Republicans are economically and fiscally conservative as well.
“They do not like big government and they don’t think the government needs to spend money to influence the economy,” Duff said. “They believe government needs to stay out of the economy and let free market run its course. They tend to believe that when the economy goes bad the government is the last thing we should look at to fix it and the government probably caused the economy to go bad in the first place.”
Olivia Whitley, a junior international study major with a minor in history and Spanish, and a registered Democrat, has her own thoughts on what a Republican is.
“A Republican is someone who suffers from an entitlement complex. They really don’t have a conscience and they have no empathy for those who aren’t in a similar place or from a similar background or financial status,” Whitley said.
She said she also believes that Republicans see the government as guiders, not providers.
“They are confused as far as government role. It’s a minority of people that have the superiority complex as well as the entitlement and they don’t care for anyone whose not in the same boat,” Whitley said.
Duff said entitled is not a word that describes a Republican.
“Republicans do not believe the government owes them anything. They do not think they are entitled to the government giving them money. They believe that you need to work hard on your own and that your own effort and your own work will give you success and that nothing should be given to anybody in life,” Duff said.
Junior Cortne Toller, a social work major and a registered Republican concurred.
“Republicans are stingy with their money,” Toller said. “Social programs are a good thing and some people really need them, it’s the people who take the money and use it wrong who make a bad name for them.”
Republicans believe and stand for a lot of things, but through all of them there was one stereotype everyone mentioned, old white males.
“It is the stigma that if you are a Republican you’re an old, traditional Baptist who doesn’t want change,” Toller said.
Duff said that democrats would characterize Republicans as rich white people or rednecks.
“Republicans are seen as businessmen, property owners, wealthy individuals, or backwoods rednecks,” Duff said.
Whitley also mentioned a stereotype, religion of Republicans and more directly, religion of Republicans at MSU.
“MSU is an oddball when it comes to being so conservative. A huge factor is that we are a part of the Bible belt. Another is that a lot of college students only look at one or two items from a platform to make their complete decision, and most of them pick gay marriage, and abortion and because they were raised in church and were taught that those things were wrong, they vote for the party that stands against those things without knowing what else they are voting for,” Whitley said. “Students are not focused on the things that are going to affect them immediately,” Whitley said.