Hierarchical Republican Culture-- transcript of an interview with Andrew Schmookler, part 1

I interviewed Andrew Bard Schmookler on February 23rd, 2013.  This is part one of a two part interview.

Thanks to Don Caldarazzo   for doing the transcript.

 

Rob Kall:   And welcome to the Rob Kall Bottom Up Radio Show, WNJC 1360 AM, sponsored by Opednews.com , reaching South Jersey and metro Philly. My guest tonight is Andrew Bard Schmookler.  He's an author, a speaker, a radio show host, and a recent candidate for Congress.  He's been writing for Opednews for a long time, and I'm finally getting around to having him on the show, because he wrote something today that just really grabbed me and the whole idea of what Bottom Up Radio is all about -- talking about how Republicans are hierarchical.  Good to have you on the show, Andy!

 

Andrew Schmookler:   Thank you Rob, thank you very much!  What I'm saying is that the culture in which the Republicans are operating is a historically hierarchical culture, and that's reflected in the Republican Party, and that's part of how they operate.

 

Rob Kall:   And?  Tell us more about that.  First of all, what do you mean when you say that their culture is hierarchical?

 

Andrew Schmookler:   First of all, I should maybe tell folks - I have deep roots in Philly, I'm living on a ridge in the western edge of Shenandoah Valley.  The seat I ran for Congress for is the 6^th District in Virginia, which is the most Republican District in the State of Virginia.  I'm surrounded by people, and have talked on the radio for twenty years with the people, who make up this political culture.  So I know a little bit about the ethic which has, through the generation over the centuries, developed in the South, and I see how Republicans have been exploiting it.

 

Rob Kall:   How is that culture hierarchical?

 

Andrew Schmookler:   Well, there is an ethic that those who are lower down in the hierarchy, it's not their job to question or challenge those in positions acknowledged as leadership.  You're supposed to respect, heed, defer to, and obey authority.  That's what a hierarchical society, how it is organized.  That has great virtues, but it also has some inherent vulnerabilities, and in our time we're seeing those vulnerabilities being exploited.

 

Rob Kall:   How is that different than Democrats?