Caring: opinions on issues vs. emotional voting behavior
I’ve long noticed that people’s opinions on issues and their voting behavior doesn’t have as much congruence as one might think.
For example, when I read about polls that say the majority of Americans favor the deportation of illegal immigrants, it should indicate Republican victory in 2020, considering the vast differences in the two parties on that issue and related others. But that’s not necessarily the way it works because I don’t think most people make voting decisions that way.
You yourself may have had the experience, for example, of talking with a friend or relative who, when pressed issue by issue, seems to be somewhat conservative in his or her views and yet consistently and predictably votes Democratic. I’ve certainly had that experience with people I know. And the explanation I’ve come up with is that they vote based on other things that are harder to pin down.
Sometimes it’s simply a person’s tradition or habit, family and/or personal and/or ethnic. That’s easy and doesn’t require much attention to issues or candidates. Sometimes it’s something amorphous about a candidate, like the perception that “he/she cares more.” I seem to recall (although Googling it just now I can’t find anything) that a lot of people liked Obama because they felt he cared about them. That was an Obama trait that was completely and utterly invisible to me, but that’s not important—what was important was if a great many people saw it that way and voted for him for that reason.
The Democrats have cornered the market on the perception of “caring.” That’s a much harder sell than the tough-love type of caring expressed in conservatism.
Being a liberal or leftist and voting for Democrats is not just a way to vote for candidates perceived as more “caring”—even though they may be anything but—but it’s also, as has often been observed, a way to establish one’s own bona fides as a caring individual. That’s also known as virtue-signaling, but some of that virtue-signaling is to oneself.
Take it from me, when a person goes from a decades-long practice of voting for Democrats, and lives among friends and family who do likewise, it’s a huge leap across a strange and foreboding chasm to vote Republican. It’s hard to admit even to oneself at first, and it takes time to say without much emotion or apology, “Yes, I’m a conservative, and this is why.” A person has to be prepared for the negative reactions of others, sometimes those near and dear. And sometimes the most difficult moment of truth is when a person admits to him or herself that this changed has actually occurred and they are now on the other side of the divide.
These days that divide seems to be a Great Divide. My memory is that it didn’t used to be so wide a gap.
Just got done meeting and talking with a newly found relative, and—from her attitudes, and what she said and brought up—it was quite apparent that she was on the Left.
Mentioning this to my wife—also very decidedly on the Left—as I am on the Right—she remarked ” it’s always about politics with you.”
To which I replied, “it didn’t used to be,” which I believe to be the case.”
It seems to me that over the last couple of decades, and particularly over the last decade, everything is increasingly seen,first and foremost, from a political perspective.
it was quite apparent that she was on the Left.
I am getting far less hostility and verbal attacks from Leftists than so called conservatives online. It’s like the anti Left think beating the Left means being more stupid than Alinsky now in their social justice election.
I am the calm in the storm.
“I am the calm in the storm.”
As my sainted mother used to say to me, when in my teen years I had evidenced exceedingly high self-regard; “I’d pat you on the back but there’s no room for my hand…”
The difference today that I think is really sad in addition to being divisive is there are very few elected democrats like Scoop Jackson and Patrick Moynihan. They were able to work together with republicans, they were also gentlemen. Now, there are few democrats one could call gentlemen or gentle ladies.
Sometimes the moving over from left to right starts with a single “Hot Button” issue. For my daughters age 40 and 48 it is abortion which they used to tolerate but now are staunch pro-life with five kids between them. On most issues they are pretty much in the middle of the road. My my two sons-in-law and son ranging in age from 40 to 50 they crossed on over being pro-gun ownership, especially my 46 year old son who actively worked for Obama the first time around in Colorado. When you read about the sales of AR style rifles, many to younger shooters in their 20s, 30s, and 40s each sale to a new gun owner probably indicates a conservative vote based on one issue.
Last time around because I am surrounded with strong conservatives as the race came into October and early November of 2016 I thought Trump might have a chance to win and at the same time some of my friends who were staunch liberals would laugh and celebrate having Hillary for president because they knew it was a done deal, until is wasn’t. This time going into the next 16 months there might be some kind of a goofy ‘kung fu’ thing that will enable the Democrats to win while it appears Trump is the strongest right now.
Both sides will try their best to harness emotional issues to make the world, as we know it, a better place for the good of all mankind, etc. etc. etc.
Speaking as someone who spent most of thirty years living overseas before coming back to the U.S. less than a year ago, I can tell you that I was shocked at the degree of political polarization. I was following the news, of course, but that didn’t prepare me for the experience of needing to avoid any public discussion of politics.
Grew up with firearms, took my 22LR to school once a month for an after school accuracy class. When not in use it was kept in the cloakroom, the box of 50 cartridges was kept in my desk. Guess what? No one was murdered.
The 2nd and abortion are my line in the sand. Any level of government or government officials that do not support my right to keep and bear arms are completely untrustworthy. Any who also supports killing the innocent, with very few exceptions, is barbaric as far as I am concerned. There are other issues that are important to me, those two are not up for discussion.
I think many people vote for candidates based on their personal likability. It’s almost like a school class election where the popular student gets the votes.
Eisenhower was an example. Very few people knew what his politics were before he ran for President. The Democrats were dumbfounded when he decided to run as a Republican. They all thought he was a Democrat. Ike had a very likable, grandfatherly image. In truth, he was very tough and not very likable. I flew with a man who was the co-pilot on his campaign airplane. He got to see the real Eisenhower. Tough as nails, very demanding, and always thinking about the future defense of the country. The Interstate Highway program was his idea and he ordered my friend out of the co-pilot’s seat so he could sit there with his Army maps and track where the highways could be built. His idea was to provide highways where military men and equipment could be moved quickly around the country as well as be a boon to commerce. It was a BIG idea.
The first time I voted in1956, I voted for Ike.. I thought Stevenson was a likable, reasonable sounding candidate, but with the Cold War growing, It seemed prudent to vote for the General. Over the next four years I became acquainted with the issues and was very much in Nixon’s camp even though Kennedy was the more likable of the two. Issues have been my main focus, but I know a lot of people who don’t understand the issues and don’t want to do the reading and thinking to become informed. That is probably one of the main weaknesses of a democracy – Low Information Voters (LIVs). And our MSM does nothing to help on that score.
That is Trump’s weakest point – he’s not immediately likable. At least to the establishment type citizens who want their leader to be “presidential.”
Unfortunately, the image we get of many politicians is phony and carefully crafted by handlers. With Trump what you see is what you get. Many are learning to like that about him.
Well, I would have gladly voted for Scott Walker, a very bland personality for POTUS. But his 2016 campaign was nipped in the bud on the national stage because he was bland. I will choose a bland, intelligent, right minded man or woman over fashy any day. But that’s just me. A bland man.
I’ve known a few people who were in something like a middle management job, where through conversation it was clear that they had to make many tough choices. Choices like picking capable people for a task and letting the ineffective go, and being cost effective while others were wasteful. And then they reflexively vote for Democrats. I thought you didn’t like waste?
OldTexan makes the good point that single issue voting is common. I always thought that this was absurd, but then I’ve almost become that myself with the 2nd Amendment. Almost. Gotta stick to one’s principles, and one of mine is avoiding that mistake.
Neo: “That was an Obama trait that was completely and utterly invisible to me….”
Tell it, Sister! Me too. *g*
This post is the closest to the subject of Steve Hayward’s recent PLB post, because I gotta let you nerd types enjoy the end point of his linkages.
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/07/who-needs-wokileaks.php
Over to you, Titania McGrath.
https://twitter.com/TitaniaMcGrath
Jun 23
“It’s so moving when children spontaneously come out with the things we’ve taught them to say.”
TWEET
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D9w5KJmXsAELgnC.jpg:large
“Told my non-binary 7yo that we’re going to march in Pride this year. Kid was super excited.”
REPLY
https://twitter.com/mitjw3/status/1142853363102625794
Replying to @TitaniaMcGrath
“It would have been funny to refer to the kid as a binary 111 year old …”
As my sainted mother used to say to me, when in my teen years I had evidenced exceedingly high self-regard
That’s your cross to bear, GB, not mine.
Watch what happens when conservatives here go temporarily insane, then you can watch me keep my head as you all lose yours in the election season : )
GB, your guy is calling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F88Z3FByUds
It is best to act boldly, but react conservatively. Acting boldly from your own inspiration gives expression to the highest version of yourself. Overreaction dims that light.
Although Trump tends to overreact, he often acts with inspired boldness. Keeping the promise to move our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was a bold act that previous presidents were either too cowardly or deceitful to accomplish. On balance, Trump’s boldness outweighs his tendency to overreact.
In contrast, the open borders craze appears to be purely a reaction to Trump. Ditto for other absurd Democrat positions. By virtue of Democrats’ overreaction to Trump, he truly is their daddy.
By virtue of Democrats’ overreaction to Trump, he truly is their daddy.
Banned Lizard: I don’t know country, but I know what I like. Country is the only music that seems to be fun anymore. You know, in a fun way.
“Toby Keith – Who’s Your Daddy?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVRzk3VWOKY
My parents-in-law both grew up Republican, then during FDR’s tenure switched to Democratic. They would have been teenagers then. And they stuck with the Democrats ever after, even through McGovern and Clinton and all. It’s a mystery to me. Oh well, that was the era of loyalty to brands of cars, also.
Neo, even rational people rarely vote on the issues, because politicians lie about the issues, or at best, the issues they campaign on are no longer the big issues come governing time. See GW Bush and 9/11. Remember LBJ, the peace candidate?
Trump is right to focus on the simple and understandable. The antidote to free stuff is freedom. You can’t have both as Dostoevsky noted. If Trump pushes freedom and, “Don’t let them tell you what you can do, say, and think,” I think he wins the most important victory of all–the end of the victim olympics.