I think the majority of people are not so bright... so if a smart person lives in an area that is majority conservative/liberal... they are more likely to think that the people they see everyday are represenative of those in the area's majority party... and since most people aren't too bright... would they be pulled to the other side?
guilt by association with dumb*sses?
I'm asking because I see some people that say they see liberals/conservatives every day and they are all "stupid, naive"... whatever insult you want to say... but could it be that an area is majority liberal/conservative, so naturally, even those that aren't too bright, will be part of the majority party...
what do you think?
2006-09-27 14:42:40 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Other - Politics & Government
I think there is some peer issues that do take place. Certainly, the Democratic party lost a lot of its Southern Base in the Reagan years.
Staunchly Democratic Southerners became Republicans (forgot all about the 1860's apparently) because they identified their religious beliefs with the Republicans. Somehow the Republicans have convinced the American people that they have the corner on patriotism, morality, religion, and any other American virtue.
If people really thought about it...they would realize it's not true, but thinking takes effort and it's easier sometimes not to.
2006-09-27 14:48:00 · answer #1 · answered by KERMIT M 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Defining a "smart person" is very tricky. Where I live, the attitude is quite Republican, but even more so conservative (I actually think people would consider themselves more Libertarian, if they really were paying attention).
I have an immensely smart friend who's very Republican. He speaks Latin, Spanish, and probably other languages and knows the history of Rome inside and out, etc. Yet he still believes there were WMDs in Iraq and even more, he believes that we've found them. I don't understand this at all.
I think smart Republicans tend to be Republican because of tax issues and supposed "moral leadership". Smart Democrats seem to be Democrats because they generally support socialist-type programs and things like right-to-choose and gun control.
As far as the dumb ones go, that's a whole other can of worms. I surmise that dumb Republicans hate gays, gun control, and big gov't, whereas dumb Democrats want hand-outs. But that's just flamebait. :-)
2006-09-27 15:01:36 · answer #2 · answered by thenextvinnie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you may be on to something. To go against the grain requires the ability to think critically, to see all sides, and to be confidently informed. Smart people are more likely to have these traits.
But I would say that a smart person is *disproportionately* likely to go to the other side, but not necessarily *MORE* likely.
Suppose we have a town that is 90% conservative. That means 10% of the people are on the other side...they are liberals. In that same town, 20% of the smart people may be liberal.
As you can see, the smart people are still more likely to be conservative by a wide margin. However, a greater proportion (20%) of the smart people are liberals than of the average people (only 10%).
2006-09-27 14:59:57 · answer #3 · answered by timm1776 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This may be true, because all you would hear is the one side of the story, all the time and if they are your friends or co-workers, or family, You may start seeing it their way.
Kermit , you obviously are a Democrat, and I am a Republican.
On the contrary, I work with a lot of Democrats, and when they pop up with the most ridiculous ideas I have ever heard such as , I want a Lb of Pork chops instead of Cheese. or Bush is responsible for 9/11. Or I don't think we were meant to work, the government should support us, but Bush won't do it.
My whole family was Democratic at one time. When Bill got into office and showed his true colors, all of us changed to Republican, unbeknown to each other. So we did not influence each other. We are smart enough to make our own decisions.
2006-09-27 14:59:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The south went republican thanks to the continuation of nixon's "Southern Strategy". The democrats had pissed off southerners because they promoted and end to racial discrimination. The republicans capitalized on this and pandered to the racisim inherent in the south. This is not about religion.
2006-09-27 14:58:08 · answer #5 · answered by stuart81262 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Basically, too many stupid people vote. Look who's in office.
2006-09-27 18:12:50 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it is to late to plant the corn but it would be alright to harvest it.
2006-09-27 14:48:18 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋