The Motivation Factor in Party Preference
Calling all Conservatives, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, etc.
This is YOUR opportunity to explain what stimulates YOU to identify as you do.
Take it or leave it, I just thought it would be informative. I think it would be very interesting to hear from individuals regarding what motivates them to affiliate with the political party they have chosen.
Actually, I surmise that everyone is unsatisfied to some extent with their Political Party. Some parties offer too much, some too little. Maybe we are a little starved for more ...
or are offered too much, in some manner.OMG Kathryn, I could write a book...
I lean toward a souped-up form of conservatism --- I appreciate, a smaller limited Government, just do your job, and stay out of my daily life. Do not dictate ideologies to me from a pulpit in Washington. I have formed my own ideologies throughout my life, all from true life experiences. I Don't need anyone to dictate what I should be thinking or feeling in regard to morals, and values. I have come by my morals and values, again through my life experiences. Don't need them tweaked to suit others' ideologies. I have formed dignity through ascribing to my morals and values.
I respect law and order, and I expect those who break it to be punished by the book. I support Peace through Strength. I demand a Government that shows fiscal responsibility. I am all for capitalism and feel it is what has made the US such a wonderful Nation to live in. The American dream is a plus that all can reach for.
I support democracy, and the constitution as it is clearly written. I feel we have done well as a nation by respecting the two. I expect my rights to be respected to the letter of that constitution. I prefer the Government to stay out of the cultural heritage I have come to know, and respect. I am very traditional and dislike anyone at this point treading on my traditions. I live by living and let live.
All of the above is why I identify as a Republican/ souped-up conservative.Socialization maybe. Perhaps neurology. Could be evolution factors in. Per chance it is predestination. I'll flip a coin later to see or make a random number generator in Excel.
This is a fun one!
I remember a test from a few years back and on the political spectrum, I am considered conservative with libertarian tendencies.
Don't remember the name of the test or who was doing the testing, but it pegged me perfectly. I am ALL about limited government and believe when the government stays out of our way, life in general, is much better. We prosper, we thrive and every single person has the elbow room they need to accomplish as much or as little as they desire. When government is big and broad, it is stifling, and everything (including our National security) and every one suffers, as a result!
Registering Republican, was a no-brainer for me. Coming off of 4 long, miserable years of Jimmy Carter (D) (which present day, I feel that we are right back to) and into the Ronald Reagan (R) years had an already motivated young woman even more excited about politics and the political process.
Although I didn't hesitate to register as a Republican, I oftentimes find myself fed up with the Republican Party. They rarely have the spine or the spunk to outlast the Democrats. But, on their very worst day, they can't get me as riled up as the Democratic Progressives keep me!
How and why they are in control of any part of our government, at any time, beats me, but when they have control of the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives all at once, that terrifies me!
The Motivation Factor of a leading Democrat in history: (per wikipedia)
Humphrey gained national fame by becoming one of the founders of the liberal anticommunist Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), and he served as chairman from 1949 to 1950. He also reformed the Minneapolis police force. The city had been named the "anti-Semitism capital" of the country, and its small African-American population also faced discrimination. Humphrey's mayoralty is noted for his efforts to fight all forms of bigotry. He formed the Council on Human Relations and established a municipal version of the Fair Employment Practice Committee, making Minneapolis one of only a few cities in the United States to prohibit racial discrimination in the workforce. Humphrey and his publicists were proud that the Council on Human Relations brought together individuals of varying ideologies. In 1960, Humphrey told journalist Theodore H. White, "I was mayor once, in Minneapolis ... a mayor is a fine job, it's the best job there is between being a governor and being the President."
1948 Democratic National Convention
The Democratic Party of 1948 was split between those, mainly Northerners, who thought the federal government should actively protect civil rights for racial minorities, and those, mainly Southerners, who believed that states should be able to enforce traditional racial segregation within their borders.
At the 1948 Democratic National Convention, the party platform reflected the division by containing only platitudes supporting civil rights. The incumbent president, Harry S. Truman, had shelved most of his 1946 Commission on Civil Rights's recommendations to avoid angering Southern Democrats. But Humphrey had written in The Progressive magazine, "The Democratic Party must lead the fight for every principle in the report. It is all or nothing."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubert_Humphrey."While he was vice president, Hubert Humphrey was the subject of a satirical song by songwriter/musician Tom Lehrer entitled "Whatever Became of Hubert?"
The song addressed how some liberals and progressives felt let down by Humphrey, who had become a much more mute figure as vice president than he had been as a senator.
The song goes ..."
"Whatever became of Hubert?
Has anyone heard a thing?
Once he shone on his own,
Now he sits home alone
And waits for the phone to ring.
Once a fiery liberal spirit,
Ah, but now when he speaks,
He must clear it ..."
Second fiddle's a hard part, I know
When they don't even give you a bow.
"We must protest this treatment, Hubert!"
Says each newspaper reader
As someone once remarked to Schubert
"Take us to your Lieder . . ."
Whatever became of you, Hubert?
We miss you, so tell us, please:
Are you sad? Are you cross?
Are you gathering moss
While you wait for the boss to sneeze?
Does Lyndon, recall when he was VP
Said: "I'll do unto you like they did unto me!" ?
Do you dream about staging a coup?
Hubert what happened to you?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBbre7Xgml8The 1972 United States presidential election was the 47th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 7, 1972. Incumbent Republican President Richard Nixon from California defeated Democratic U.S. Senator George McGovern of South Dakota. Until the 1984 election, this was the largest margin of victory in the Electoral College in a U.S. presidential election, and as of 2022, it remains the last time a presidential candidate captured more than 60% of the popular vote. It was also the first presidential election that would see California move ahead of New York in the number of each state's electoral votes, a gap that has since widened.
"Nixon swept aside challenges from two Republican congressmen in the 1972 Republican primaries to win re-nomination. McGovern, who had played a significant role in changing the Democratic nomination system after the 1968 election, mobilized the anti-Vietnam War movement and other liberal supporters to win his party's nomination.
Nixon emphasized the strong economy and his success in foreign affairs, while McGovern ran on a platform calling for an immediate end to the Vietnam War, and the institution of a guaranteed minimum income."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_Unit … l_electionNice song by Neil Young mentioning Nixon:
Nice quote by Nixon at the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv7XaLG6zC8I identify myself as a Liberal Democrat in the traditional sense. I believe in the rights & full potentiality of people regardless of gender, race/ethnicity, orientation, & other original categorization. However, while I am liberally in terms of social politics i.e. a woman's right to reproductive freedom & LBGTQ rights, I believe that extreme Liberals have taken this country to the brink of desolation, almost annihilation. I believe that the legalization of marijuana has taken America on a downward spiral. I feel that marijuana should be re-criminalized & that anyone who sells & uses marijuana should be imprisoned.
I also contend that all illegals should be deported to their country of origin. They are further taxing our social structures. I believe that the defunding of the police has lead to a higher rate of crime in our cities. I argue that there should be more police & stiffer prison sentences in order to reduce crime. Yes, there should be more law & order politicians hired to drastically reduce the criminal population. The latter should receive no leniency whatsoever. In certain cases, there should be a death penalty for dangerous criminals. Shoplifters should be thoroughly prosecuted & imprisoned for lengths of time.
To reiterate, marijuana should be re-criminalized. Marijuana & drugs of that ilk should be criminalized to the fullest extent of the law. There should be mandatory work programs for those on welfare. The rule regarding this should be they would only eat if they work. Welfare shouldn't be generational as it has been.
Stop electing people who are soft on crime. Elect those who are strong law & order people who give criminals no quarter. There need to be harsher penalties towards criminals.I just downright love your ability to be upfront, and honest about your views. But, you may not know it, but you might be a bit of a conservative... You are straight up, down right "tell it like it is.". I admire this.
One must be honest in assessing himself/herself. To do otherwise would be disingenuous. I feel that the extreme liberal a/k/a leftist political philosophy is somewhat delusional, if not downright asinine in scope. Because of this leftist political philosophy, our cities have become increasingly unsafe. Many leftists have the mindset of pre-adolescents to early teenagers. They simply refuse to face reality, seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. That is schizoid if you ask me.
"Because of this leftist political philosophy, our cities have become increasingly unsafe.
Again, and what of the destitute condition of our Republican lead States? Are we to assume that their policies are directly related to the outcomes?
Or are there a myriad of intervening factors in both cases that lead to the outcomes we are seeing?
I think it's a little frustrating when some repeatedly draw a straight line between a and b while casting out the impacts along the way."... what of the destitute condition of our Republican lead States?"
Can you identify the conditions?There appear to be just two common factors in the unsafe cities compared to other cities and/or rural areas.
One is more people and the other is a liberal philosophy common to a large majority of those people. Which one is likely to be the reason for a much higher crime rate?
I understand the irritation in drawing that line without looking at other factors, but when we see this kind of thing repeated over and over and over, with more conservative areas (regardless of population density) not having the same problem, isn't it reasonable to draw that line to the philosophy rather than complain that it simply must be something else?But again with that logic I can take a look at my own state which is Republican lead in all aspects and conclude that the poverty, poor education, lack of opportunity and bottom of the barrel rankings on all socioeconomic factors are due to that leadership?
There is a very strong correlation between extreme liberalism & a high crime rate. With the leniency regarding imprisonment & bail in New York City, criminals are having a field day much to the peril of decent citizens. Also, the legalization of marijuana is making the situation worse. SOMETHING has to be DONE. What is needed in New York City is a strong, tough, law & order mayor a la Giuliani.
Is Biden "schizoid", (using the term loosely not literally,) ) in that he is kind-hearted to the extreme? He wants China to do well, Ukraine to do well, Taiwan to do well, his own country to do well, the prisoners to do well, the drug addicts to do well, Antif/BLM members to do well, the Maga-People and the Republicans to do well, the Democrats to do well, and the all citizens, in general, to do well ... Why, he even wants the Deep-State Left to do well! (He might even harbor some sentimentality for the Deep-State Right on some secret level, we don't know ...)
The answer could easily be, YES!
I wonder if that goes hand in hand with those that spend anywhere from their early adulthood (mid-to-late 20s) to their entire adulthood (professors & staff) in school environments, disconnected from the real world, from not having a family to be responsible for to not having to worry about how they would get to work the next day.
It is clear this is where a majority of Progressive perspectives and extremes come from, what I have also read quite often is that once these people do go out into the real world for a few years, start a family, pay their way, earn a decent paycheck they often have difficulty clinging to those Progressive perspectives and ideals.
Those that live inside the DC belt and spend their careers there, often have a very different perspective on the world than the common working stiff.
Those that spend their lives in a college environment, be they student or staff, never seem to have a good understanding of reality outside of a campus setting.
I think this is similar in some ways to the difference between those well traveled veterans that have seen a few foreign lands and seen combat and harsh 3rd world conditions, compared to those that never have really traveled outside of America, except to safe, vacation destinations.
If you don't have the experience, all the book reading and documentary watching does little to give you a real perspective and understanding.I classify myself as Liberal but I believe that many implemented social/welfare programs are taxing the middle class to near death, not to mention crippling people by making them entitled & dependent. I believe in tough love. I believe in being responsible, not whining, not blaming others for pitfalls. It is no time for being soft, it is time to be tough. Look at New York City, crime is occurring at an epidemic rate. Eric Adams is a complete ***********. It isn't liberalism, it is leftism that is poisoning America. Many leftists are what one would call immature to the point of infantilism. I am totally against the victimology mindset which many extreme Liberals & Leftists are inculcated with.
Thank you GM Williams. I love your use of the word, I. Your contribution has provided valuable insight. It is a perfect example of what I was looking for.
Each one of us has different motivation factors. It's a wonderful and amazing world.These days I really feel that party identification is a monster that is creating these intense divisions in our country.
Why do we so readily sort ourselves into bitterly opposed groups?
In my opinion, far too many base their self concept on their membership to a group, in this case a political group.
As soon as you identify as a member of one group or another, it influences how you think about the world. You like members of that group more than others. You want things to reflect favorably upon your group. You’re biased toward believing things that reflect positively on your group and twist yourself in a pretzel to deny facts that reflect negatively upon your group.
What we are left with is pure political tribalism. Political partisanship has become social identity. As a result, people are less influenced by information and less likely to support bipartisan politicians who reach across the aisle to find compromise. This is a stance that will only drive politics in a more extreme direction.
In my view, putting party unity ahead of other values, is a serious threat to American democracy.
Let me refer back to our Constitution,
The Founders understood this idea of tribalism. In 1780, John Adams wrote that the “greatest political evil” to be feared under a democratic constitution was the emergence of “two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other.” George Washington, in his farewell address, described the “spirit of party” as democracy’s “worst enemy.” It “agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection.”
They were right to be apprehensive. It is all too clear when you look at the current state of America’s political landscape. We are breaking down under the strain of partisan divisions.It is so part of our American culture to pick a party.
To identify with your party.
to think of it as YOUR party.
.... and it is encouraged in the voting process.
WHY?"The rapid evolution of political parties from factions was an inventive American response to political conflict."
From:
https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/creating-t … rties.html
We must choose a party because it is the way toward winning elections. A majority must be reached. Creating two parties is the surest way to obtain a majority of votes.I also vote Republican. I am not for victimhood. I am not for handouts. I am not for making humans into pets of the government. The welfare system has hurt our Blacks. Black lives have always mattered. Maybe too much. The fathers were cut way too much slack. The mothers could marry the government. What was supposed to be a hand-up ended up being the opposite: A hand-down. The kids had no fathers, their mothers had no husbands and happy, healthy familyhood ceased. Say what you will about the Black plight in America. The Democrats caused it.
Too much compassion? Too much welfare? Too much using Blacks and infusing their minds with doubt and victimhood for the sake of the Democrats' political power and positions in government? Not in the beginning of the hand-upping, but in time, sure enough.
This government-sponsored enabling of weakness and victimhood is hurtful not only to blacks, but anyone ... anyone who develops self-perceived weakness and frailties and feels they can't do it on their own.
The human condition is such that not all people remain strong and robust.
I believe they start out with incredible potential at birth, but earthly conditions weaken them. I believe we can discover what will help maintain that strength each person brings forth from birth on. I am for encouraging positive directions toward accomplishment and success ... whatever brings forth personal strength. If the government can truly help, I am all for it. But if the government cannot help or should not help, I am not. The government should be a help to human life. Not a hindrance. I believe that The Constitution of the United States reveals how the Government can help us. It's all there."Our" blacks and "infusing their minds"? Now that is insulting.
I am not "infused" but I choose to do my own thinking based on keen observation and relentless logic.....
I vote consistently Democratic as I see them as more adhering to my goals of equal opportunity and a merit based outcome and society." ... equal opportunity and a merit based outcome and society."
In what ways do you see Democrat policies being able to provide these?
(specifically.)Low cost or free trade school and community colleges to compensate for lack of equality, eliminating privilege, preference and wealth as the determinant of outcome. Merit based on a fair race track is the objective and once opportunity has been equal, the competition now falls upon ability and the desire to work hard.
A couple of links to help you get a better idea of the kinds of things that are needed.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/01/opin … ility.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/01/busi … gages.html
I need to see more initiatives like this.
Virtually every one of the Founding Fathers eschewed the idea of political parties and fretted over what might happen to the country if political parties were to come to dominate the country..
Washington must be rolling over in his grave, watching what is going on in our country today.
"If I could not go to heaven but with a political party, I would decline to go.” -Thomas Jefferson letter to Francis Hopkinson, 1789
Eventually our nation succumbed to “party spirit.”
But the times they are a-changing. Polling shows Americans are disavowing party affiliation in droves. Today, barely than half the country identifies with either of the parties.
And I think it's a positive trend.Party is just a wrapper to define vast differences in how the Right and Left see the government, social issues, economics, etc.
You can remove the labels but what is in the respective jars and boxes remain the same.
I see few if any areas where I and the Rightwinger see common ground....
To be honest, I believe this may be part of the human condition.
I was recently talking with someone from Israel. The politics there are as bad as ours. They have very different issues, but how people who line up on the opposite sides based on political views and beliefs are similar.
People in westernized countries and any place where there is a democracy, there will be two major sides at one another's politics. In other places without a strong democracy, there are people who separate themselves because of religion. In the Mideast countries I was in, there was always a battle between the Sunni and the Shite Muslims. In India, there is always a conflict between the Hindus and those who follow the Sikh religion. They also have many different political parties in India.
People separate themselves based on beliefs. That is why there are different political parties and religions.
I don't see this ending any time soon.I agree, People separate themselves based on beliefs.
Beliefs become well set in over a lifetime, and very rarely are shaken.
We have come to a real precipice, and I don't think either side will be willing to ignore their beliefs. Not sure how we came to this ledge. But, values seem so far apart from what I knew, live by, and appreciated.
It is my thought that we will become accustomed to this new split
America. Seems very much useless at this point to have back and forth on the issue.
Democrats and Republicans offer different things.
The latter offers survival of the fittest, the former offers compassion.
Both are needed.
Maybe.Joking aside, what was Biden's, (actual,) motivation factor in assuming the role of the Democratic President/leader of A m e r i c a ?
Totally wondering.
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