What Makes People Vote Republican?

[Sunstone]

Interesting article on the topic of what makes people vote Republican:
Edge: WHAT MAKES PEOPLE VOTE REPUBLICAN? By Jonathan Haidt


By the way, what does make people vote Republican?

 

[Wandered Off]

Why in particular do working class and rural Americans usually vote for pro-business Republicans when their economic interests would seem better served by Democratic policies?

In the past, voting pro-business was very well aligned with working-class economic interests, because businesses are the ones who hire and create jobs... Simple math. Only in more recent times, with the rise of corporatism, complete shareholder supremacy, and "commoditization" of labor, has the equation changed. I think some voters are still caught back in the old way of thinking, that business prosperity will always ripple across the economy.

That said, I'm still not convinced that voting Democratic is all that much better economically. Both major parties are spending the money of future generations on current expenses, which I consider not only immoral but also economically disastrous in the long run. But I digress.

 

[Darkness]

I think it was a great essay. Maybe that's just because it reflects my belief that Conservatives are not all stupid and that they just have different priorities (not that I assent with their priorities). They value things that I cannot understand why one would value.

 

[Valjean]

Great article, Phil, and the commentary was equally intriguing.

Republican's can't stand freedom or individuality, despite their lauding these values. They find diversity, dissent and disrespect equally distasteful. Facts and function only annoy them and make them dig in their heels and more strongly proclaim their values. They are not thinkers, but feelers.

I knew this.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

One of my biggest questions is how Indiana has went Republican every election since the 70's, up until Obama won the state. Indiana has many, many labor unions, from steel workers, UAW, farmers, and so on. But with Bush especially, the anti-union leanings seemed to not matter. The UAW sent out fliers criticizing Bush for not being pro-Union, but it didn't seem to matter. This last election, the UAW did put out TV ads promoting Obama, and basing an hypothetical situation in which McCain would be anti-union since he admitted he agrees with the President 90% of the time.
That article is interesting though, and it makes since. All I see from most Republicans is fear tactics, lies, and demonizing others. While the Democrats aren't much better, at least they aren't allied with big business.

 

[McBell]

One of my biggest questions is how Indiana has went Republican every election since the 70's, up until Obama won the state.

Even a blind squirrel will occasionally find a nut...

 

[Valjean]

One of my biggest questions is how Indiana has went Republican every election since the 70's, up until Obama won the state. Indiana has many, many labor unions, from steel workers, UAW, farmers, and so on. But with Bush especially, the anti-union leanings seemed to not matter. The UAW sent out fliers criticizing Bush for not being pro-Union, but it didn't seem to matter. This last election, the UAW did put out TV ads promoting Obama, and basing an hypothetical situation in which McCain would be anti-union since he admitted he agrees with the President 90% of the time.
That article is interesting though, and it makes since. All I see from most Republicans is fear tactics, lies, and demonizing others. While the Democrats aren't much better, at least they aren't allied with big business.

But they are corporately controlled. They're just slightly less so than the Republicans.

 

[Darkness]

But they are corporately controlled. They're just slightly less so than the Republicans.

The Democratic party is only partially controlled by corporations. They will and have many times proven to support policies that "threaten" corporations.

 

[Sunstone]

They will and have many times proven to support policies that "threaten" corporations.

Not so much anymore.

 

[dogsgod]

If Democrats are liberal, you guys are in trouble.

 

[Smoke]

By the way, what does make people vote Republican?

Fear. Hatred. Greed. Insanity.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I think Republicans tend to focus on tradition rather than social progression, which is more of a liberal thing.

It also seems that Republicans come from areas that are not as socially diverse as the places liberals tend to hang (like coastal areas and cities).

 

[Joe_Stocks]

I love all the liberal psycho-babble.

I vote Republican because I agree with them on the issues more so than Democrats.

I also believe that is the case for people voting Democrat. I don't ascribe any nefarious motives to people voting for the Democratic Party.

It just proves the old adage; conservatives believe liberals are mistaken, liberals believe conservatives are morally deficient.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I also believe that is the case for people voting Democrat. I don't ascribe any nefarious motives to people voting for the Democratic Party.

Except that its "liberal psycho-babble."

 

[Joe_Stocks]

Hi GC,

Except that its "liberal psycho-babble."

Yes, when the main reason people here think other people vote Republican is based on fear and anger, then yes I conclude that that is psychobabble.

You are confusing what a person says motivates him to vote for a political party and what a person says someone else is motivated to vote for a political party.

It is no surprise that almost all the theories about why people vote Republican are cartoonish caricatures.

Like I said before, I believe a person votes for the Democratic Party because he agrees with them more than the alternative. See, pretty simple. No mind reading necessary and no absurd caricatures.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Like I said before, I believe a person votes for the Democratic Party because he agrees with them more than the alternative. See, pretty simple. No mind reading necessary and no absurd caricatures.

A fair enough belief, though I admit I do find the demographics interesting. After all, there are reasons why a person agrees with one more than the other.

 

[Smoke]

I vote Republican because I agree with them on the issues more so than Democrats.

I also believe that is the case for people voting Democrat.

I don't believe the average voter knows enough about most issues to be entitled to an opinion. I think a lot of people simply vote for the party that most closely fits their own self-image.

Issues or self-image, though, the real question is why someone would prefer the more unspeakable of these two unspeakable parties. This is a party that takes Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck seriously, that considers Bill Kristol a great intellectual, and that is so dominated by Rush Limbaugh that even the party chairman finds it necessary to pucker up and kiss the Great Gasbag's *** in the most craven and humiliating manner. It's a party that exploits the ignorance of its masses by appealing to their fear of the other and by the most deliberate and obvious of lies -- for instance, claiming to be against big government. The Republican Party is symptomatic of a society that is diseased, disordered, and in peril of collapse.

One votes for the Democrats not because they have a different disease, but because in the Democrats it is in some respects less advanced.

 

[Joe_Stocks]

Hi GC,

A fair enough belief, though I admit I do find the demographics interesting. After all, there are reasons why a person agrees with one more than the other.

What is interesting about the demographics?

 

[Joe_Stocks]

Hi Smoke,

I don't believe the average voter knows enough about most issues to be entitled to an opinion. I think a lot of people simply vote for the party that most closely fits their own self-image.

I disagree. I talk to a lot of people about politics and whether it is a blue collar factory worker or white collar professional they know the basics of the issues.

Issues or self-image, though, the real question is why someone would prefer the more unspeakable of these two unspeakable parties. This is a party that takes Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck seriously, that considers Bill Kristol a great intellectual, and that is so dominated by Rush Limbaugh that even the party chairman finds it necessary to pucker up and kiss the Great Gasbag's *** in the most craven and humiliating manner. It's a party that exploits the ignorance of its masses by appealing to their fear of the other and by the most deliberate and obvious of lies -- for instance, claiming to be against big government. The Republican Party is symptomatic of a society that is diseased, disordered, and in peril of collapse.

Channeling Olberman is a nice touch.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Hi GC,



What is interesting about the demographics?

Well, I posted:

I think Republicans tend to focus on tradition rather than social progression, which is more of a liberal thing.

It also seems that Republicans come from areas that are not as socially diverse as the places liberals tend to hang (like coastal areas and cities).

I have nothing on-hand to back this up, but looking at any number of voting percentages by state seems to support this. (I could be wrong; as I said, I have nothing to support this but my own memory).

But it does make some sense, if Republicans tend to be more "traditional" and Democrats more "socially-progressive."