Our Cantor of Chemistry has posted his disappointment in the demographics of the recent primary voting on the Democratic side. Blacks voted for blacks and women voted for women and so on.
How do you know the voters were voting against the other candidate and not for their own? Maybe this is just rooting for the home team. Think about this one. Blacks have had the vote for over a century and they have voted for whites almost all the time. Women have similarly voted for men. This time they've got someone they share a bond with runnning in the election. Why wouldn't they vote for them, particularly when the candidates' positions are nearly identical?
All other things being equal, I have to admit I would vote for a Catholic over a non-Catholic. Does that make me a Papist bigot?
8 comments:
Only if that's the *only* reason you can think of to vote for them, as opposed to just tipping the balance.
Going to assume you mean "good Catholic" in this case, BTW.
Yeah, KT... you're a smarter kat than that. I'll trust you are in the moment with such a decision should it arise.
Afterall, Obama "praises Jesus" every Sunday.
Dean--
Thing I'm worried about is, is it one of those horribly ketch "black Jesus" statues?
Come on, fella was a Jew.... Like that as little as any Norse Jesus I see....
I dunno, guys. If I wanted a liberal Democrat and these two were running I'd probably pick the one that was most like me for that reason alone. I think it's a natural reaction. There's just not much of a political difference between the two. If it was Hillary vs. Kucinich, then I could see a measurable difference.
Foxfier, I'm just hoping it's not 3-piece-suit Jesus. :-)
KT - first thanks for the link.
Second, of course "people like people like themselves" - note the beautiful double meaning that "like" takes on here. Your point is simply built into our language, culture, and hardwired into our very brains.
I almost wrote that line as an explanation.
That was my hidden point. Is it sexism? Racism? Yes and no. I have no doubt that while they play a role, it is much more simply a classic case of identifying with the person most similar to oneself.
Given that, would you like to bet on whether or not, whichever one ends up running against McCain, there will be an argument that if you don't vote for them, then you are either sexist or racist. This argument will be made without reference to this data and without apology.
KT,
We all have our prejudices. I think we are called to rise above them as best we can, but we won't be perfected in this or any other area, until we meet our maker in heaven.
Until then I try to keep mine in check by knowing what they are. As far as this election goes, I won't be voting for John McCain because he is more like me than Obama or Clinton, but because he is far more committed to the principles of limited government.
As an aside, even though Obama has a more liberal voting record than Clinton, I don't see him as the threat to individual liberty that Clinton would be. Both Clintons have such a raw will to power that they scare me very much.
Hi Guys....oops, and Ladies...I'm back, lock the hen house...
This one makes me think. I don't think, imao, that we are talking race or sex here....more like the genetic? tendencies that our species has to "tribalism", of course in my case, "The Pack".
We have always ben more at ease with "our own". The race thing has always been here....we feel a need to vote for the "homey". Women...or women, haven't had much of a chance to vote for a Human that they identify with at a core "she's like me" level.
As far as the candidates are concerned....hoo-boy, I am simply not happy with any of the choices.
I am a true Conservative. John McCain is not. He has too many Liberal ideas that I'm afraid he would be able to enact simply beause he will get "Party Line" support of Policy that the Liberals will back.
Obama? Never can I vote for him...the Muslim thing, the rsacist backers he has, his inexperience and wanting to "discuss" the issues with people who simply want us dead....
Hillary? Maybe the "safest"...Republicans will fight her tooth and nail at every step of her way....a do nothing Presidency.....waiting to be filled by a Conservative.
Think on McCain's policies....the Republican Party will be blamed for his leadership at home....and then who gets elected next time?
I have a headache over this one Folkes...
Or maybe I'm tired from my vacation.....heh
Wollf
Wollf, he wants to win the war and voted against the monstrous spending bills. That's good enough for me.
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