Age/Location Correlates to Political Inclination?

[loseyourname]

I'm trying to see if there is any correlation (on this forum, not in general) between geographic location - for US members only - and political leaning. It seems that posters from the south and midwest are predominantly right-leaning republicans, whereas posters from the northeast and from California are predominantly left-wing democrats. Then again, there seems to be an even stronger correlation between age and political inclination. So if you can, just post your age, location (US only please), and political affiliation (if any) along with the way you usually lean. I have no idea if this thread will be of any real use, but I'm curious nonetheless.

I'll start. I'm 23 years old and live in southern California. I am registered as a non-partisan and tend to lean rightward with respect to economic and social welfare issues. I lean leftward primarily with respect to civil liberties and freedom-of-expression issues, and with religious issues.

 

[member 5645]

I'm in a demcrat stronghold and am 21. I am an anomaly I guess, as my politics fall center-right.

Well, let's start to clarify since it has been , correctly, stated that liberal, left, right, conservative have all kinds of meanings.


I typically vote republican, but never a straight ticket. Never will either.

Issues:

Pro Choice, but not anti abortion except late term (with the minute exception of the woman's life being in danger). Basically, I prefer people to look to adoption, but don't support a law stopping someone from an abortion in the first two trimesters.

Against gay marriage, for civil unions. Would be happy with an amendment protecting the states right to choose what they wish to honor.

Against Socialized healthcare, for subsidizing of private entities based on economic need of patient.

For gun control via better registration and closed loopholes, against gun control via outlawing guns based on looks (woohoo to the assault weapons ban)

For tort reform in various forms across the board.

For the signing of a revamped kyoto agreement (ie, one that includes China and other 'developing nations')

The list goes on, but here's a beginning.

 

[Dissident Dan]

Proud, 19-year-old liberal (Dems are too far right on most issues, IMO) who lives in Florida.

 

[selfAdjoint]

70 year old "Scoop Jackson Democrat" (i.e. pro military) in Wisconsin, do-gooder heaven.

 

[Gokul43201]

26 years old, mostly liberal,Ohio - predicted Battleground state for '04, though consistently Republican for the last few.

 

[zk4586]

Western Maryland, Liberal, Democrat (you have to work within the two party system these days if you want to get anywhere)

 

[wasteofo2]

16 year old liberal from a rich suburb of New York City.

 

[russ_watters]

I am a 28 year old moderate republican. Trouble is, I have views on the far right and far left. Pro choice, pro gun control, pro military, pro strong foreign policy, anti socialism. Reconcile that...

 

[wasteofo2]

I am a 28 year old moderate republican. Trouble is, I have views on the far right and far left. Pro choice, pro gun control, pro military, pro strong foreign policy, anti socialism. Reconcile that...

Is being anti-socialist considered far right?

 

[GENIERE]

Retired NJ boy, but have lived in several states and a half year in Germany as my company moved me around. I was extremely liberal when young, even thought communism might work, and voted for JFK and Johnson. JFK was OK but the Johnson experience was enough to convert me. I’ve voted for republicans ever since, growing more conservative by the year. I enjoy collecting social security, most of which is going to a trust fund for the grandkids. I berlieve all politicians holding national office should be conservative. I can abide with moderate Democrats at the state level and could vote for a liberal at the municipal level.

 

[member 5645]

Is being anti-socialist considered far right?

If so, I may have to reconsider my descriptin of center-right

 

[Njorl]

I'm 41 and live in the Maryland suburbs of DC. Compared to people who don't post on the net a lot, I'm a liberal Democrat. Compared to people who do post on the net a lot, I'm just a Democrat. I am most liberal on civil rights issues, just left of center on economic issues.

When someone figures out what conservative and liberal foreign policies are, please tell me. Isolationism and interventionism seem to both be conservative and liberal. Prevailing opinion is that unilateralism is conservative, and multilateralism is liberal. I don't believe it though. Free trade is both liberal and conservative, as is protectionism.

Njorl

 

[selfAdjoint]

I am a 28 year old moderate republican. Trouble is, I have views on the far right and far left. Pro choice, pro gun control, pro military, pro strong foreign policy, anti socialism. Reconcile that...

I track all those opinions except the anti-socialism. I can't stand most marxists, but some of their ideas aren't totally dumb.

On guns my philosophy has two points:
1. Tighten the registration laws, close the gun show loop hole, national gun id database.
2. Concealed carry, no fee nor license, in every state.

This comes from a literal interpretation of the second amendment. First point is the "well regulated militia", second point is "right to keep and bear arms".

 

[russ_watters]

Is being anti-socialist considered far right?

Anti socialism - as in welfare, public housing, social security, medicare, universal healthcare, etc. Yeah, that's right wing.

 

[member 5645]

I've gone back and edited my post to include some examples. I urge you all to do that so we can get a better outlook, rather than labels.

 

[Gokul43201]

Free trade is both liberal and conservative, as is protectionism.

I think the Republicans get to claim free trade as theirs. The idea is very counter-socialist and relies on having minimal control by government.

 

[selfAdjoint]

I think the Republicans get to claim free trade as theirs. The idea is very counter-socialist and relies on having minimal control by government.

Clinton backed NAFTA, Bush laid on protectionist tariffs. You want to reconsider. And it's just a straw man to call anything Democrat "socialist". Clinton defied the New York marxoids, not only on NAFTA but also on welfare reform. He took a lot of flack from the pinks for both of those.

 

[Dissident Dan]

Clinton backed NAFTA, Bush laid on protectionist tariffs. You want to reconsider. And it's just a straw man to call anything Democrat "socialist". Clinton defied the New York marxoids, not only on NAFTA but also on welfare reform. He took a lot of flack from the pinks for both of those.

Oh, don't get me started on NAFTA...and I am no "pink".

 

[the number 42]

I can't recall who said it, but there is probably some truth to the saying that "If you are not a socialist at 20 you have no heart, and if you are still a socialist at 40 you have no brain".

There you go, guys. Anyone I haven't offended there?

 

[Shahil]

I track all those opinions except the anti-socialism. I can't stand most marxists, but some of their ideas aren't totally dumb.

I know I am not American but this point intrigues. Can u explain why please!

I can't recall who said it, but there is probably some truth to the saying that "If you are not a socialist at 20 you have no heart, and if you are still a socialist at 40 you have no brain".

thanks for that! I happen to be in the 20 year old category though a lot of my family members still hold socialist beliefs and they're over 50! Think I need to show them this quote!

 

[loseyourname]

I can't recall who said it, but there is probably some truth to the saying that "If you are not a socialist at 20 you have no heart, and if you are still a socialist at 40 you have no brain".

There you go, guys. Anyone I haven't offended there?

I think you are roughly paraphrasing Winston Churchill.

 

[selfAdjoint]

I think you are roughly paraphrasing Winston Churchill.

Nah, Georges Clemenceau!

Actually that barb has been fathered on every european big name of the early 20th century.

 

[the number 42]

I happen to be in the 20 year old category though a lot of my family members still hold socialist beliefs and they're over 50! Think I need to show them this quote!

Glad to hear they haven't lost their heart, Shahil

Whoever was the originator of the quote, its being causing me some confusion. It seems to suggest a right time for socialism and a right time for capitalism (if capitalism is the opposite of socialism) or at least a right time for not being a socialist. I suppose not being a socialist could mean anything, including not being interested in politics at all. In any case I'd like to add a line:

"... and if you are not apolitical by 60, you have no soul".

Is this just an interesting phrase, or does anyone else think it makes some sort of sense?

 

[Njorl]

"The man who is not a socialist at twenty has no heart, but if he is still a socialist at forty he has no head."
-- Aristide Briand (1862-1932)

Briand was kicked out of the French Socialist party when he was 44.

Briand was French prime minister at various times, and a nobel laureate. Some of you might recognize the name from "The Kellogg-Briand" pact. I think it was the first multilateral arms control agreement, limiting naval strength.

Njorl

 

[selfAdjoint]

Glad to hear they haven't lost their heart, Shahil

Whoever was the originator of the quote, its being causing me some confusion. It seems to suggest a right time for socialism and a right time for capitalism (if capitalism is the opposite of socialism) or at least a right time for not being a socialist. I suppose not being a socialist could mean anything, including not being interested in politics at all. In any case I'd like to add a line:

"... and if you are not apolitical by 60, you have no soul".

Is this just an interesting phrase, or does anyone else think it makes some sort of sense?

The quote (I accept the Briand attribution) says that the inequities of society are sufficient to arouse the passions, and that is what determines the politics of young people, but the answers to the problems are deeper than socialism, which is of greater weight with mature people. This is an appropriate opinion for Briand, who appears to have been a policy wonk. But its resonance with popular thought generalizes it. Any number of small government libertarians testify that they were naive reds in their youth.

 

[Gokul43201]

Whoever was the originator of the quote, its being causing me some confusion. It seems to suggest a right time for socialism and a right time for capitalism (if capitalism is the opposite of socialism) or at least a right time for not being a socialist.

Of course there is ! See Ecclesiastes 3 or alternatively The Byrds' Turn Turn Turn.

 

[motai]

I guess the current Democratic stance would probably parallel FDR's old Reformed Socialistic view of the New Deal, at least when it comes to social welfare and civil liberties.

Im 16 and still not quite the voting age, but I tend to be left on many issues, and right on a few (cant remember) issues.

 

[phreak]

I'm 15 and I live in Indiana.

Indiana and the states surrounding it (most of them anyway) are on the extreme right.

The reason? Religion. The people believe that Bush was sent from God as he has said so many times. It's funny to see the people like this, and the people here are voting more because of morality than for better causes like war.

As you can see, most democratic states are states that aren't too religious (example: California), and the republican states are very religious (excluding a few states such as florida in which it was rigged in 2000 and will probably be rigged in election 2004 also).

I, personally, am on the hard left, and, corresponding with what I said before, am an atheist.

 

[Njorl]

You're also a lot more likely to be on the wrong side of the redistribution of wealth when you're forty.

Njorl

 

[loseyourname]

Any number of small government libertarians testify that they were naive reds in their youth.

I will certainly testify to this, although I'm still pretty young.