The research team discovered that the individuals who had a higher physiological response to the threatening images (i.e., the people who were more startled and therefore sweat more) were significantly more likely to have conservative attitudes. For instance, they tended to support capital punishment, patriotism, and the Iraq War. Those who were less startled by the threatening images generally supported pacifism, foreign aid, and liberal immigration policies. Physiological responses to bunny rabbits and bowls of fruit, of course, did not predict political orientation.

I had an insight into the conservative mentality. It is absolutely necessary for them that Obama's presidency be an unprecedented disaster. Thus the clinging onto BENGHAZI as a avataric trophy. The reason is that Obama's father is African. Africans, to racists, are an inferior race. To racists, a half-breed member of an inferior race has been appointed to rule over the superior race of white people. Therefore, if Obama's Presidency is not the worst on record, or one of the worst, then it will forever stand as an affront and a rebuttal to their entire racist worldview, on that worldview's terms and values. Thus the presidency of George W. Bush, which was in fact a (domestic, foreign policy, economic, ethical, environmental) disaster to all non-racist observers, must be mythically reconceptualized as "not that bad". And Obama's must be construed as "the worst ever". Not just below average. The worst ever. This is central to the identity of the racist right.