by TWilliam » Thu 13 Sep 2007, 17:24:22
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jboogy', 'A')ll else being equal I think you would find "liberals" have a higher average intelligence
I think a better way to state this might be "people of higher intelligence tend to be politically liberal". But I will add the caveat that "intelligence" in this context isn't referring to I.Q. "Intelligence", in my mind, is a multi-faceted complex of awarenesses, understandings, attitudes and behaviors that all function together in forming our woldview.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', 'M')any studies have shown that "conservatives", on average, have higher incomes
This says nothing about their "intelligence". It says only that they are more motivated by pursuit of material wealth, which in general is an indication of an overall selfish mindset.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A') large percentage of "liberals" who vote the straight democratic ticket come from the inner city, areas where graduation rates from high school are low and incomes are low. For instance, in New York, one of the most liberal cities in America, about 60-70% of the kids attenting public school drop out. These poorly educated kids grow up to become the majority of "liberal" voters in New York. Similar situations exist in LA, Detroit, and other big cities where liberal democrats dominate the local political scene.
It shouldn't be news that education levels are low and poverty is disproportionately high among blacks, who typically vote for liberal democrats at rates of 90% or so. At a rate of 25 percent, the incidence of black poverty is double the national average.
They reason they vote "liberal" is not because they themselves are "liberal", but because they recognize that (genuine) liberals tend to have a more highly developed sense of social justice than conservatives, so their hope is that by supporting liberal candidates they will see their own lot improved. In this case, voting liberal is a matter first and foremost of self-interest (a primarily
conservative mindset).
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'C')onservatives tend to crave order and structure in their lives, and are more consistent in the way they make decisions.
Liberals, by contrast, show a higher tolerance for ambiguity and complexity, and adapt more easily to unexpected circumstances.
Replace the words "conservative" and "liberal" with "children" and "adults" respectively, and you see what is essentially the distiguishing characteristic between the two camps. In a word, it's a matter of
.