Why are Democrats always depressed?

Question

Some 45% of all Republicans report being very happy, compared with just 30% of Democrats and 29% of independents. This finding has also been around a long time; Republicans have been happier than Democrats every year since the General Social Survey began taking its measurements in 1972. Pew surveys since 1991 also show a partisan gap on happiness; the current 16 percentage point gap is among the largest in Pew surveys, rivaled only by a 17 point gap in February 2003.
Could it be that Republicans are so much happier now because their party controls all the levers of federal power? Not likely. Since 1972, the GOP happiness edge over Democrats has ebbed and flowed in a pattern that appears unrelated to which party is in political power.
For example, Republicans had up to a 10 and 11 percentage point happiness edge over Democrats in various years of both the Carter and Clinton presidencies, and as small as a three and five percentage point edge in various years of the Reagan and first Bush presidencies. Also, we should explain here a bit about how our survey questionnaire was constructed. The question about happiness was posed at the very beginning of the interview, while the question about political affiliation was posed at the back end, along with questions about demographic traits. So respondents were not cued to consider their happiness through the frame of partisan politics. This question is about happiness; it is not a question about happiness with partisan outcomes.
Of course, there's a more obvious explanation for the Republicans' happiness edge. Republicans tend to have more money than Democrats, and -- as we've already discovered -- people who have more money tend to be happier.
But even this explanation only goes so far. If one controls for household income, Republicans still hold a significant edge: that is, poor Republicans are happier than poor Democrats; middle-income Republicans are happier than middle-income Democrats, and rich Republicans are happier than rich Democrats.
Might ideology be the key? It's true that conservatives, who are more likely to be Republican, are happier than liberals, who are more likely to be Democrats. But even controlling for this ideological factor, a significant partisan gap remains. Conservative Republicans are happier than conservative Democrats, and moderate/liberal Republicans are happier than liberal Democrats. Hmmm, what other factors might be at play? Well, there's always...
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/301/are-we-happy-yet

Answer 1

HELL NO! Progressive people are NOT depressed! PERHAPS, we are just sad, as the FREAK has been able to "RAPE" our country of $, people, earth, morals, honesty, AND young people w/all of the WARING!

Answer 2

I think it all comes down to, depressed people become democrats because the world scares them. Dems basically want the US to be a big mom and pop gathering where everyone pays a huge amount of taxes into the pool and then government takes care of everything. To Democrats the world is a big scary place that requires constant help from big brother to get by. On the other hand Republicans love there life and want to steer their own destiny, thus the gap in happiness.

Answer 3

The answer is simple: Democrats are like confused small children. The cry and lash out at the big, scary world they neither understand nor feel they are a part of.

Besides, when you do a comparison of who is Republican or Democrat, wouldn't you be depressed too, being part of this motly group of untalented losers? (read below)

Republicans vs. Democrats

Ronald Reagan vs. Jimmy Carter
Bill O'Reilly vs. Al Franken
Arnold Schwarzennegger vs. Alec Baldwin
Drew Carey vs. Jeneane Garoffolo

Answer 4

Maybe so many (Republicans and Democrats) are depressed because they have to live like puppets and be very careful to support their political affiliations' every need/whim. Personally, I think America would be MUCH better without the titles "Republican" and "Democrat." Did I mention it's probably all about money? ;)

Answer 5

The honest way to phrase this: why is there a positive association between happiness and conservatism?

Anyway, the answer is obvious: Ignorance is Bliss.

Answer 6

Libs know they are America's worst enemy That is saddening to them, they want everyone to like them....only the lambs and lemming do..anyone with common sense and loyalty knows better
Im so happy Im not a lib Yippppeeeee

Answer 7

Well, it's not surprising since half of them live in La-la Land & the other half in the land of The Nile.

Answer 8

Wait until January 20, 2009. They will be able to hear our laughs all the way to the moon and without amplification.

Answer 9

Just childish anger. I can't get my way attitude.

Answer 10

Ignorance is bliss.