I think it is a matter of 'going along to get along' learned through generations of indoctrination and not simply a matter of 'not paying attention to the issues'.
No, its deeper than that - these people derive their self-worth from believing as they believe. Their teachers made it clear to them that if you are a good person if you vote Democrat, and a bad person if you don't. They were never taught how to pay attention to the issues or how to think for themselves - they have an ingrained, Pavlovian response to politics - because the Democrats have been marketed to them since they were children. Unicorns and skittles have been associated with the Democrats and the Nazis and Hilter are the embodiment of the political right. They don't think about it any more than they think about buying Coke vs. Pepsi, making that decision on who's ads make them feel best about themselves.
MichelleO took the daughter to a Girl Scout meeting last night. The other moms were discussing the impending budget cuts at the elementary school - The principal is threatening to not have enough desks for the children and requiring Class sizes of over 37 next year. The other moms had no clue as to why.. after all there was money in previous years! None of them understood that unemployment meant less income tax revenue. None of them understood that falling house values meant falling mill levy revenues. Non of them could connect the dots on their own, and were all for a Mill Levy Tax increase that the County is proposing -as if that would have no effect on them at all - its all of those evil retired old people in the county who don't want their real estate taxes raised! (no I didn't make that up) Could that be because they are on fixed incomes and inflation is killing them?
They will only start trying to pay attention when the reality of the situation affects them personally - like when their kid sits on the floor during school, and then their response will be to demand even more of what they don't pay for, never once stopping to think about what they are doing, or if it is right or moral. They are all 5 year old children. They want and they take. They aren't "trying to get along" because they have never once learned to feel empathy for others. They have no clue others are out there, and they certainly don't care what effects their actions may have on them. No "Its for the Children!" a phase that has as much meaning to them as "I'd like to buy the world a coke" - its just said by rote- sheep bleating to other sheep - "Hey I am a sheep!" , "Hey, I am a Sheep too!", "I feel happy being together as sheep!", "So do I!"
If they actually cared about their children they would realize that all hope for a prosperous future for their children is about to vanish. And they will cancel Music! And "Outdoor Lab!" Its a good thing I wasn't there because I would have told them flat out - "You voted for Democrats, they over promised on pensions to teachers and you have no money because the retired teachers are still paid near a full salary and other benefits - for doing nothing. You have condemned your children to grow up in a 3rd world country, where they will be lucking if they learn to read and write - much less get access to "outdoor labs" and Music lessons. If you cared about your children at all you would have spent a minute and asked yourself how you can consume more than you produce without being a drain on everyone and everything around you. You worry about preserving the planet because it strokes your pathetic little egos, and you never once thought about preserving the system that brought peace and prosperity to America - and instead you vote to change it, impoverish your children, and destroy their futures, because you are too selfish and too stupid to know there is no free lunch. "
MichelleO doesn't let me out much.