I’m shocked! Shocked!
Gallup Poll Finds
Democrats More Compassionate;
Republicans More Psychopathic
I did not make this up. Nope. But I’m happy to pass it on:
Gallup headlined on 28 January 2014, “Democrats and Republicans Differ on Top Priorities,” and reported that the biggest difference between supporters of the two Parties concerned “The environment,” where 71% of Democrats said it’s important to them, versus only 32% of Republicans who did: a whopping difference of 39%, between the two Parties, considered that issue to be important. The second-biggest difference was on “The distribution of income and wealth”: 72% of Democrats, versus only 38% of Republicans – a 34% difference. Third came “Poverty and homelessness”: 82% of Democrats, versus 53% of Republicans – a 29% difference. Fourth came “Education”: 91% of Democrats, versus 70% of Republicans – a 21% difference.
Here were the four issues on the conservative end, the four issues where Republicans scored the largest amount higher (more concerned) than Democrats: First, “The military and national defense”: 76% of Republicans, versus 61% of Democrats – a 15% difference – considered that issue to be important. Second, “Taxes”: 69% of Republicans, versus 56% of Democrats – a 13% difference. Third, “Terrorism”: 77% of Republicans, versus 68% of Democrats – a 9% difference. Fourth, “Government surveillance of U.S. citizens”: 45% of Republicans, versus 37% of Democrats – an 8% difference (but if the President had been a Republican, Democrats might have been more concerned about that issue than Republicans would have been).
Clearly, selfish fears swept concerns on the Republican side, whereas concerns for others (and especially the weak) swept concerns on the Democratic side.
One can therefore reasonably infer from this survey that the main difference between Democrats and Republicans is the difference between compassion versus psychopathy.
Vote for me. I’ll take care of your heart!
(Google Image)
Elections Matter. Don’t vote for any psychopaths. There seem to be more and more of them around the GOP.
FiftyFourandAHalf 
I take it that these were registered voters, not representatives in Congress. This is scary. I once saw a breakdown of how votes Democratic and Republican. Republicans are most likely to be for both high and low socioeconomic classes while Democrats are more likely to be from middle (lower-middle, middle-middle, and upper-middle). I often found the Republican demographic befuddling until I explored it more fully. The higher class are thinking, by and large, of wealth accumulation, so issues that don’t impact them (or their bottom line) directly and immediately are of little concern. The poorer, folk who do vote, however, are trickier, until you factor in education. They base their decisions only on what biased info the get from the media. If FOX is their channel of choice and Good Ole Boy Rush is their favorite radio personality, well, mystery solved. Sound bytes and disinformation sound convincing when that’s all you hear.
Of course, I’m speaking in generalizations–a sociologists always does!
Sorry I can’t catch up on all of your posts–I’m just trying to make an effort to let you know I’m still alive, kicking, and thinking of you!
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Glad to see you anytime, Lorna.
I agree with a lot of what you said. All of it, actually. I just wish there was a way to wean folks off of hate TV. the world and the country would be better off.
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It sure would, but people seem to be mesmerized by drama. Maybe it makes them feel, by comparison, not so bad about their lives…
I miss you, but there’s only so much energy I have to expend. I’ll be back to my old self soon…I hope!
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Yup. I know what you mean. Illness sucks.
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Would you like us to send you some Liberals and Conservatives from our country? Our diammetrically-opposed political parties have merged into sameness over the last few years, there’s no distinction between them anymore. And… they are still completely useless. Sigh. Most Canadians I talk to are now terrified of Republicans, they have a really bad rap (deserved or not).
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NO! I haven’t forgiven you for sending us Ted Cruz.
Today’s American Republicans have earned and embraced their Dark Ages politics. it is scary. But I’m hoping it won’t be long before it changes.
Then I’m an optimist.
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Well, and forgive my ignorance here if I speak out of turn, but it seems to me that they have made a parody of themselves, an extremist compendium that can’t help but appeal to a smaller and smaller demographic over time. I think they are well on the way to marginalizing themselves entirely, and that it may be too late to halt that train.
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Quick. Knock on wood!
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I’m not at all surprised. Perhaps my stereotyping is based in fact?
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Yes, SDS, or upon experience!
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Interestingly, look at the top 10, 6 (though in different slots) were on the same list. Of course diving deeper into the topics would probably show wider differences.
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Frankly (!) I posted this because I loved the headline. Sums up my feelings much too well!
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I always figured Hannibal was a Republican.
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It’s been clear for a long time.
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This just in from Fox News: All Gallup polls are clearly liberally biased. Just like the rest of the media. Also deer. Deer are liberally biased which is why it’s okay to shoot them.
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Strangely, these days Gallup is pretty much right of center!
Piece will refrain from maligning all deer, except one. Because just this morning I had to clean up deer poop on my deck When I filled my bird feeders. There are so very many here that they are starving. Except the one I am inadvertently feeding
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Ah, offering deer welfare, huh? I know your strategy. Now none of those deer are going to work. 😀
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That’s what happens when liberals move to the country.
That being said, most of these deer are working incredibly hard at eating all my bushes except the ugly ones I’ve been trying to kill for 12 years!
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I agree with List of X’s comment. Almost all my extended family vote Republican, and they are among the most hard-working, generous, and compassionate people I know … to their employees, family, and friends. I don’t have the words to express to them why I think their voting choice and living choice are complete opposites; I gave up long ago, and ignore the “barbs” that they occasionally slip into conversations with me.
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It is challenging to deal with folks — especially relatives — who believe and vote so differently. (One of my brothers is very far right-wing.).
And as individuals, they can be compassionate — but generally when it affects them or someone they know and cre about. Poor relatives? That’s terrible. Thousands of working people living below the poverty line? . Their compassion only goes as far as their vision.
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Really like to think that we all have compassion. Not affiliated with any party. That said…when I look at pic, I can’t.help thinking…fava beans and chianti…pftpftpft. creepy.
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When I started being interested in politics and government, 30+ years ago! there wasn’t much difference. D’s were a bit more willing to spend, Rs were a little less so. But they compromised and those compromises produced laws that helped and continue to help everyone in the country. But the elected GOP today is filled, in my mind, with folks that can’t see past their own very closed perceptions. So they deny climate change and other scientific evidence. They cut cut cut. Soon we will be a shadow of the country we should be.
Getting off my soap box now …
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A person who is conservative probably also has plenty of compassion, but it applies to mainly the people who are closest to this person – immediate family, people in the church, people of the same color, gender, or (perceived) economic class.
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That’s true. And I think you see that time and time again. All social programs are evil except the one that benefit me, my wife, my children. That bothers me the most!
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This is the kind of thing we know instinctually but rarely put into real words and numbers… because it makes you sad and a little angry…
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I’m very interested in politics, and I pay attention to these folks. It’s nice that finally a centrist organization acknowledges what should be, as you said, something we know instinctively.
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Things are getting so divisive, but people need to take care of each other, not just themselves.
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Tomorrow, on Gallup polls:
Water is Wet!
The Pope is Catholic!
Bears… well, you know where I’m going…
And yet, most of the people that amass those statistics would probably seem just like you and me in any non-political conversation.
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Just don’t open the door for them, Guap. Use the chain!
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You guys are my kind of people!
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