Right-wing politics in the U.S are based on emotions rather than arguments. The author, Arlie Russell Hochschild, details how people of Louisiana have voted for Republicans despite making them even poorer. In her research, Hochschild wants to understand how conservatives feel about themselves and contemporary America. Hochschild met and interviewed people of Louisiana about their grievances and hopes. Louisiana remains one of the poorest states in the U.S. However, people in this state support conservative ideologies. The author interviews Mike Schaff, a former worker in the oil industry, who opposes environmental regulations that could have saved a drilling accident in town.
The issues affecting Louisiana stem from gender, class, and race. Most of the people supporting conservative ideologies in this state are white men. However, most of the citizens don’t consider themselves to be racist. The inhabitants of Louisiana believe that they are strangers in their land. Indeed, these people believe that black people have been given special treatment compared to whites. The majority of the citizens believe that President Obama rose to power due to preferential treatment.
The majority of Louisiana citizens are key supporters of free-market capitalism. Such ideologies have rendered them poor for years. However, their support for the Republican Party is absolute. In fact, they perceive liberals as their enemy rather than their fellow citizens. According to Hochschild, these people lack empathy and never trust members of the opposite party. People in Louisiana believe that supporters of the Democrat Party have forced their moral values on them. As a result, they better support Republicans and remain in poverty than supporting liberals who have no moral values and ideals.
