What makes people vote Republican? 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?
People vote Republican because Republicans offer “moral clarity”—a simple vision of good and evil that activates deep seated fears in much of the electorate. Democrats, in contrast, appeal to reason with their long-winded explorations of policy options for a complex world.
Most interesting comment within the post:
MICHAEL SHERMER
Publisher of Skeptic magazine, monthly columnist for Scientific American; Author, Why Darwin Matters; and How We BelieveThe Conscious of the Conservative
Two cheers for Jonathan Haidt’s essay. At long last a liberal academic social scientist has recognized (and had the courage to put into print) the inherent bias built into the study of political behavior—that because Democrats are so indisputably right and Republicans so unquestionably wrong, conservatism must be a mental disease, a flaw in the brain, a personality disorder that leads to cognitive malfunctioning. Thus, Haidt is mostly right when he asks us to move beyond such “diagnoses” and remember “the second rule of moral psychology is that morality is not just about how we treat each other (as most liberals think); it is also about binding groups together, supporting essential institutions, and living in a sanctified and noble way. When Republicans say that Democrats ‘just don’t get it,’ this is the ‘it’ to which they refer.”
27,
nice
Anyway, back on topic. The primary indicator of whether you’ll vote Republican or Democrat is what your parents vote.
P.S. At this point someone will reply “My father was a but I’m a ” or “What about Reagan democrats?”. This is a primary influencing indicator (don’t you love techie babble), not the sole cause and applies to a population, not an individual.
BTW, it’s also closely correlated with religion. Now isn’t that interesting?
P.P.S. Watch our for correlations, they do not imply cause and effect either – just association.
people vote republican because they are religious nuts, and they drink the kool aid that they spew. That and they usually have some vested interest aka in someone’s ( usually a republicans ) pocket.
Seems like it all boils down to one question:
Is the Emperor naked or What???!!
Michael Shermer needs to realize that disease crap cuts both ways. I was on an airplane and the guy next to me (from Alaska… go figure) was reading “Liberalism is a Mental Disorder” by our dear friend Michael “the Weiner” Savage.
#35, answer,
True. My ma-in-law insists she is voting for McCain only because his party is against abortion. And yes, she is a religious nut. And yes, she constantly brings up the 30 week old fetus being aborted. And yes, her church is behind it all.
I vote Republican because I believe in every person making their own success, and do not like the idea of my money going to people who do not earn it. I believe in lower taxes, punishment for crime, and the government leaving me the hell alone after I pay the damn taxes. I also believe in the Constitution AS WRITTEN. I don’t need somebody to write an article explaining to ME why I vote Republican. Obviously, this person is some ivory tower knothead.
@#3 – Well said!
Why do I vote Republican?
Because I work for a leaving, love my children and respect life too much, actually believe in and respect God, oh, and I don’t take welfare!
Anybody got a fucking problem with that?
>If Democrats want to understand what makes people vote Republican, they must first understand the full spectrum of American moral concerns.
In other words, Democrats aren’t moral.
That whole thing that Democrats base their policies on reason is bogus. You think they’re willing to put affirmative action to scientific testing? Or Head Start? Or any of their programs?
#40–apeguero==yes, I have a problem with that, but more importantly, so should you BECAUSE OF the very values you hold so dear.
You are working class. The Dem’s programs would support you and your family more than the Pubs, but you vote otherwise.
Poor sheeple.
So basically, people think ‘poor’ people should vote against their moral values in exchange for some money.
Why do blacks vote for Obama? Because he is BLACK. Now, that makes a lot of sense, unless you try to decide why people voted for Kerry last time around. Because he is WHITE? Black people voting en masse for Obama is very revealing of the racism of the black people. How else could you describe it? Black people voting for a candidate because of the color of his skin. How much more racist can you get? But the blacks would never see it.
I used to be a Republican. You know, the old fashioned fiscal conservative kind and moderate on social issues. That isn’t what we have to today. What we have now is neocons, corporate welfare and borrow (from the Chinese) and spend. Today’s Republican party made me nauseous enough to switch to Independent leaning Democrat. If only we could elect a Libertarian.
I would be defined as a conservative but as with anyone, my issue by issue views vary. Anyway, this was a good article John and surprisingly good discussion.
Here’s a question, why does anyone keep voting Democrat when their party has been promising and NOT delivering the same things for 50 years (regardless of the power arrangements). Isn’t that the definition of insanity?
I think the last go-around, Limbaugh had a bumper sticker that went something like this: Still voting Democrat? You’re stuck on Stupid.
There, I’ve done my part to lower the tone.
#3 – Thomas,
How’s that pro-business unbridled capitalism working out for you? Subprimes/CDSs get you yet?
Seems to me that truly unbridled capitalism is working about as well as pure communism, i.e. not at all.
If we’re going to have the government bail out the corporations that want to take 10 years of profit in one year and the future be damned, I think we have a right to regulate the shit out of them so that they won’t fuck us all in the process.
This is not communism. It is merely recognition that greed alone is not the only trait necessary to a fair and functioning market. There must be some regulation as well.
So, yes, I’m a capitalist. But, I believe in a deep economy without externalization of costs and with some regulation. Unfortunately, neither party is for this at the moment. But, the repugnicans are a lot worse than the democraps about deregulating everything in sight as quickly as possible.
Would I prefer another choice? Sure. But, to vote repugnican in this day and age when they have long since given up any thought of smaller government and fiscal conservatism is only to one’s own benefit when one is among the few, the greedy, the billionaires.
Perhaps the answer to your question is- because Democratic politicians say things like this:
Some people say that slavery ought to be legally prohibited. I don’t. Whether slavery is morally wrong is a theological question we should leave to the divines. I think the better answer — and all this was reflected in the Democratic platform — is to figure our how do we make sure that slaveowners or people thinking of buying a slave have the kind of support they need to make a whole range of choices, including sending a slave child to live with another family or, even, manumission.
Business people are skilled at selling things to the masses. .. Democrats are the masses.
@#42 Bobbo,
I needed help a few years ago when my wife and I had our first child. I didn’t make enough to support us and pay rent. I went to a low income apartment complex and applied. I was declined because I made about $3,000.00 more than their max (for a family of 5) I was a family of 3 at the time. I couldn’t get food stamps either nor could I get Mass Health or basically any help. Why? Because I made a livable wage. So, basically, I would’ve had to quit my job and work at a Walmart or something. Suffer for a couple of months enough to wake up these Democratically controlled Social workers and qualify for help.
What did I do? I stuck in there until I was able to find a better paying job.
The way to do it in the Liberal Northeast is to either cheat the system, or become a lazy druggie or criminal. I’ve seen and hear of too many illegals and lazy assholes that have more than one apartment int he projects, rent one or both, have an undeclared business or work under the table, have free health care, get food stamps, etc. My wife knows two illegal alien women that have two project apartments like I said above (they’re not married to their man), they rent one and live on the other. They don’t pay for utilities. They get plenty of welfare and food stamps. They get free schooling. They get free cable and phone. They also get free daycare for their kids. One of them has had 4 kids and wants to have more even though her doctor wants to put a stop to that because they only do a max of 4 c-sections.
So, this is what my tax money is paying for?
I see what these social programs do to most of the people I know that don’t have the motivation to better their life and are happy to hang around the projects taking handouts and hoping Obama will make their life better. I say Obama because you never hear a Repub mentioning this.
The only way the Democrats will make their life better is by taxing me even more.
The day the Democratic party steps in and starts to clean up their inner city social programs, that’s the day when I might consider voting Democrat at a National level. Now, my Mayor is a Democrat, he’s good, I voted for him. I also, believe it or not, actually vote for Ted Kennedy (not Kerry). I think Ted has his faults but overall has a good heart.
So, yes, I am the working class, but then again, isn’t everybody that works in the working class? All I hear is rhetoric from the Dems. They’ve been in charge since 2006. What have they accomplished since? Other than to talk crap about Bush, not much.
The Dems are in charge in my state. What have they’ve accomplished since? One thing I can think of, they legalized gay marriage by totally ignoring the law and not placing it on the ballot. Funny thing is I would’ve voted yes on that right but them not allowing me to vote for it when there were enough votes for the referendum are the kind of things that totally piss me off. Another instance of that is Bi-Lingual Education. It was voted down here a few years ago yet this state government turns a blind eye at the school system when they still include it in their curriculum. Also, the people voted to keep the income tax how it’s supposed to be, 5%, yet the Democratic Legislature keeps it at the temporary 5.5% totally ignoring the people’s vote. How’s that a democracy? Isn’t this a nation of laws?
I’ll stick with my Republican preference for now. Like #45, I’m disgusted at the current Republicans in power. They’re spending whores! So what makes them different from Democrats? This is why I’m still considering whether to vote for McCain or not but I’m definitely not voting for Barry or Kerry!
I just want to be left alone, to do my best, to try and to fail, and to succeed. To do no harm to others. To help my fellow man in my own way. To learn why I’m here on Earth.
Neither of the hypocrite parties will help me do this, but the Republicans historically seem to be siding with me on this journey. Presently, they’re but a slight ghost of what they were, but they definitely proposing a slower descent into big government Bureaucracy.
#8 for the win.
Leave it up to egg head academics to justify their over blown salary to make something very simple so complex.
People vote Republican because in theory they want the government to empower people to do good and enrich themselves through their hard work.
People vote Democrat because they want the government to dictate how people live their lives and so that the government can enrich itself at the expense of it’s own people.
#51–apeguerro==thanks, I know that took an honest effort to respond on point.
I accept everything you have posted as the truth of what you experienced==but how those problems are “democratic” is a bit beyond me.
I’m further confused when you seem to admit that the Repugs aren’t really that different–so what is it really that you are keying off of?
Welfare fraud takes place under Dems and Repugs. Why label it Democratic?
Corporate fraud takes place under Dems and Repugs why (do I) label that Repuglican?
If Welfare Fraud amounted to a deficit burden of 2 Billion Dollars per year and Corporate Fraud amounted to a deficit burden of 3 Trillion per year, which would be worse?
So–your experiences are real, but your labeling of them is in error.
Here’s a question, why does anyone keep voting Democrat when their party has been promising and NOT delivering the same things for 50 years (regardless of the power arrangements). Isn’t that the definition of insanity?
I would be defined as a conservative but as with anyone, my issue by issue views vary. Anyway, this was a good article John and surprisingly good discussion.
I think the last go-around, Limbaugh had a bumper sticker that went something like this: Still voting Democrat? You’re stuck on Stupid.
There, I’ve done my part to lower the tone.
What makes people vote Republican?
Easy answer: it is due to the opposition party who run Marxist, gun-grabbing, tax-raising, freedom-loathing, elitist, big government-loving, terrorist-sympathizing political ideologues for President.
Those who thrive on Hate Vote Republican.
Those who thrive on Sex Vote Democrat.
#52 apeguero said: “I needed help a few years ago when my wife and I had our first child. I didnt make enough to support us and pay rent.”
WTF?? What on God’s Green Earth are you doing having kids when you can’t afford to?
Let me guess… every sperm is sacred?
Heyzoos H. Fracking Christo, why can’t people operate in a sane way? It’s been 4000+ years since creation, and apparently you still haven’t figured it out?
It’s even worse if you’re an agnostic evolutionist ike me… even after 4000+ -million- years we haven’t figured it out.
Live within your means. Don’t like your lot? Increase your MEANS, -then- your living.
If we all did this our planet would be a lot better off. There’d be only a few hundred million of us, rather than a festering blob numbering 6+ billion. And no, the few hundred million wouldn’t be just the Americans.
Stupidity, false bravado…
Take your pick!
#58–gooddebate==first rule of debate is to clearly state the proposition.
Why you chose to debate someone teaser review for their own purposes rather than debate the actual study findings that was the subject of this thread is telling.
Has anyone actually addressed the issue this RESEARCHED study looked at? Moral certainty vs community responsibility as variously teased out and explained? I wonder how many read the link before expounding their normal rant?
Edumacation==who needs it when you have a clearly encapsulated morality, sticker size, right there on your bumper?
Lots of good posts here and lots of just plain nonsense (likely including mine). I will get slammed down again here because people think there is no point in voting for someone outside the two parties. I will reiterate… I understand that a vote for one of the two parties is a wasted vote.
HOWEVER… we the American people, who complain about how bad things have gotten in this country and the world even… are the same people that maintain the same reps/dems bullshit by voting them in every election – the source of our complaining.
OK – voting for a non-rep/non-dem is not the real answer (but it would shake up the political landscape for once if we did).
We need to start limiting corporate lobbying on capital hill. (good luck)
We need to improve honest and ethical reporting in the news so those of us who don’t have the time or energy to scrape for accurate information (about 3/4 of the population) can watch the nightly news and be informed of the truth and not be swayed by media bias.
We need to pour more money into science and technology education so we can keep up with India, Russia, etc…
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Eh, who am I kidding (nobody here) it’s much more complicated than all of this. I do think raising the awareness and education of the people of this country will help. Let’s start with the midwest since they seem to need the most help (no offense) 🙂
Why do people vote Republican?
Maturity.