Democrats did lousy in the recent elections. Theories abound. Edgar Allen Beem explained. His brilliant analysis, from Psychology Today: Voters in rural Maine, anti-intellectual conservatives possessing “larger amygdalas,” responded to the simplicity of LePage’s campaign pitch. Psychology Today finally connected the dots to explain the absurdity of Maine voters this year.

Then reality struck. Maine voters with “larger amygdalas” have lots of conservative company, a country full.

Think about this: the Republicans hold 31 governorships, the Democrats, 19. Republicans control 69 state legislative chambers, the Democrats only 30. And both houses of Congress will be Republican. Of the last 16 presidential elections, the Republicans have won nine, another majority. Sorry, Mr. Beem, it’s Republicans who can be proud of their brand, and its national appeal.

But a worrisome reality for Democrats is the GOP hasn’t enough “members” to explain their spectacular successes. Many “independent” voters with “large amygdalas” vote Republican. And many of those are not “old, white, men.”

Your Democrat “base voter” turnout dropped, while minorities who won as Republicans increased. The progressives’ message is losing appeal. Consequently Republicans are winning elections, lots of them.

We regularly see you demean and demonize, trying to stigmatize conservatives, particularly Republicans, hoping they will wither. Meanwhile, a silent majority of conservatives, favoring personal responsibility, votes and wins, coast to coast.

Beem, in a recent disgusting column bashing Republicans, on a viscerally caustic, personal level, missed one comparison of Republicans to Democrats: Republicans are happy, Democrats are sad.

Bill Gardiner
Yarmouth