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What Makes People Vote Democrat?

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AceOfSpades
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16 Dec 2010, 4:13 pm

Descartes wrote:
AceOfSpades wrote:
Yeah it is a dumb answer. "Emotions" are vague and has that douchey "OMG I'm so logical" vibe to it. What type of emotions does the democrat ideology appeal to?

I couldn't tell you what exactly makes people vote Democrat cuz there's so many reasons. Envy, jealousy, victim mentality, a genuine feeling of helplessness, misguided perceptions of how the rich came to be, misguided perceptions of what keeps the poor down, a more collective outlook of human nature, skepticism of intrinsic altruism, etc. Some are motivated by childish emotions which are in turn come from a childish mentality, others have to do with the way one genuinely perceives human nature.

I perceive human beings as needing autonomy, but at the same time no man is an island and we are social beings so I lean towards the right from the centre.

And yeah, logic is a means to an end, the end being emotions. It's a strategy on how to achieve the emotion effectively.


A lot of the emotions you described are what drives some people to vote Republican, too.
What would Republicans be envious or jealous of? Right wing ideology is about individualism and minimization of the scale of government, so it makes no sense to be in favour of that if you hate all the big fishes. Left wing ideology is more about collectivism and expanding the government, so it makes more sense to be in favour of that if you're jealous of the rich.



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16 Dec 2010, 4:15 pm

Master_Pedant wrote:
mcg wrote:
Emotions make people vote Democrat.


That's probably one of the dumbest non-answers I've ever seen. You haven't specified which emotions and over what issues these sentiments affect voting perferences. Ever since Hume it's been understood that emotions make people do almost everything that they do and certain patients with parts of the brain taken out show that without emotional centres people don't decide anything.
Some people clearly let emotions influence their decisions more than others. In emotional states, people often do things that they later realize was stupid (myself included). You can say "everything we do is based on emotions," but there is certainly a distinction to be made here. Sometimes emotions play a bigger role.



Descartes
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16 Dec 2010, 4:51 pm

AceOfSpades wrote:
What would Republicans be envious or jealous of? Right wing ideology is about individualism and minimization of the scale of government, so it makes no sense to be in favour of that if you hate all the big fishes. Left wing ideology is more about collectivism and expanding the government, so it makes more sense to be in favour of that if you're jealous of the rich.


What about anxieties over the so-called "collapse of morality" that drives so many Republicans to vote? Or the anxieties over the direction the government is going in because of its supposedly "socialist" policies? Isn't that emotionally-based voting on the Republicans' part?

Emotion certainly does play a role in driving everybody to vote. To say that only Democrats vote based on emotion is ridiculous.



Last edited by Descartes on 16 Dec 2010, 8:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

AceOfSpades
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16 Dec 2010, 5:40 pm

Descartes wrote:
AceOfSpades wrote:
What would Republicans be envious or jealous of? Right wing ideology is about individualism and minimization of the scale of government, so it makes no sense to be in favour of that if you hate all the big fishes. Left wing ideology is more about collectivism and expanding the government, so it makes more sense to be in favour of that if you're jealous of the rich.


What about anxieties over the so-called "collapse of morality" that drives so many Republicans to vote? Or the anxieties over the direction the government is going in because of its supposely "socialist" policies? Isn't that emotionally-based voting on the Republicans' part?

Emotion certainly does play a role in driving everybody to vote. To say that only Democrats vote based on emotion is ridiculous.
You should've been clearer. You were talking about the emotions I described which were envy and jealousy, and now it's about emotions in general. Emotions definitely plays a role on both sides. But like I said, irrationality is taking the shortest route to satisfying an emotion, not being motivated by emotion itself. You can't be motivated by logic, that itself is ironically illogical. Even being logical is motivated by the desire to have control.

The fact that I choose individual sovereignty is motivated by my desire to have more control over my choices. I wouldn't identify myself as Republican since I don't care for family or religious values. Not that all Republicans are socially conservative, but Republicans range from the fiscally to the socially conservative. I only care for the general principles of autonomy and freedom over security.



Descartes
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16 Dec 2010, 5:49 pm

AceOfSpades wrote:
You should've been clearer. You were talking about the emotions I described which were envy and jealousy, and now it's about emotions in general. Emotions definitely plays a role on both sides. But like I said, irrationality is taking the shortest route to satisfying an emotion, not being motivated by emotion itself. You can't be motivated by logic, that itself is ironically illogical. Even being logical is motivated by the desire to have control.


You also mentioned "fear." The examples I gave demonstrate fear on the Republicans' part.

Everything else you just said went over my head. :lol: :roll:

AceOfSpades wrote:
The fact that I choose individual sovereignty is motivated by my desire to have more control over my choices. I wouldn't identify myself as Republican since I don't care for family or religious values. Not that all Republicans are socially conservative, but Republicans range from the fiscally to the socially conservative. I only care for the general principles of autonomy and freedom over security.


I also believe in individual liberty. Given the Republicans' track record of being more and more socially conservative over the years, I can't help but find irony in the statement that Republicans are for individual liberty.

I'm more socially liberal than anything.



AceOfSpades
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16 Dec 2010, 6:45 pm

Descartes wrote:
AceOfSpades wrote:
You should've been clearer. You were talking about the emotions I described which were envy and jealousy, and now it's about emotions in general. Emotions definitely plays a role on both sides. But like I said, irrationality is taking the shortest route to satisfying an emotion, not being motivated by emotion itself. You can't be motivated by logic, that itself is ironically illogical. Even being logical is motivated by the desire to have control.


You also mentioned "fear." The examples I gave demonstrate fear on the Republicans' part.

Everything else you just said went over my head. :lol: :roll:
I don't think I mentioned fear directly or indirectly. But anyways, yes appeal to emotions go both ways.

Descartes wrote:
AceOfSpades wrote:
The fact that I choose individual sovereignty is motivated by my desire to have more control over my choices. I wouldn't identify myself as Republican since I don't care for family or religious values. Not that all Republicans are socially conservative, but Republicans range from the fiscally to the socially conservative. I only care for the general principles of autonomy and freedom over security.


I also believe in individual liberty. Given the Republicans' track record of being more and more socially conservative over the years, I can't help but find irony in the statement that Republicans are for individual liberty.

I'm more socially liberal than anything.
Meh I don't know what I fall under socially. I looked up social liberalism and it confused the s**t out of me since it mentions the economical aspects of it. I'm like "WTF isn't this just liberalism?"



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16 Dec 2010, 7:17 pm

When I happen to vote Democrat, it's because I feel the best viable candidate in the election happens to be the Democrat. I vote Republican for the same reason as well, I base my choices more on the individual candidate and less on their political affiliation.


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16 Dec 2010, 9:13 pm

I am a declared Democrat in my voter registration, mainly because decades ago I was disgusted by the Republicans pandering to the rich, raping and poisoning the environment for short-sighted greed, denying the facts of science, and trying to cram their religion down everybody's throats. I don't always vote the straight Democratic ticket, but the past few years it seems I've had no choice if I want to have morality and decency defended against the forces of greed, ignorance and fear which seem to form the base of the Republican platform. Both parties are corrupt though and most elections are between a giant douche or a turd sandwich.


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16 Dec 2010, 9:46 pm

TheBicyclingGuitarist wrote:
I am a declared Democrat in my voter registration, mainly because decades ago I was disgusted by the Republicans pandering to the rich, raping and poisoning the environment for short-sighted greed, denying the facts of science, and trying to cram their religion down everybody's throats. I don't always vote the straight Democratic ticket, but the past few years it seems I've had no choice if I want to have morality and decency defended against the forces of greed, ignorance and fear which seem to form the base of the Republican platform. Both parties are corrupt though and most elections are between a giant douche or a turd sandwich.


You're kidding, right? Most of the democrats are a joke and their only purpose is to siphon votes from legitimate liberals who actually care about legislating from a truly caring and moral standpoint.


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16 Dec 2010, 9:50 pm

Dox47 wrote:
When I happen to vote Democrat, it's because I feel the best viable candidate in the election happens to be the Democrat. I vote Republican for the same reason as well, I base my choices more on the individual candidate and less on their political affiliation.


You are basically an Independent.

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16 Dec 2010, 9:50 pm

skafather84 wrote:
You're kidding, right? Most of the democrats are a joke and their only purpose is to siphon votes from legitimate liberals who actually care about legislating from a truly caring and moral standpoint.

Who are these true liberals and what polling place do I have to go to to vote for them?



Awesomelyglorious
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16 Dec 2010, 9:52 pm

Satan.



Inuyasha
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16 Dec 2010, 11:20 pm

TheBicyclingGuitarist wrote:
I am a declared Democrat in my voter registration, mainly because decades ago I was disgusted by the Republicans pandering to the rich, raping and poisoning the environment for short-sighted greed, denying the facts of science, and trying to cram their religion down everybody's throats. I don't always vote the straight Democratic ticket, but the past few years it seems I've had no choice if I want to have morality and decency defended against the forces of greed, ignorance and fear which seem to form the base of the Republican platform. Both parties are corrupt though and most elections are between a giant douche or a turd sandwich.


The Republicans don't pander to the rich, they happen to believe you shouldn't be penalized for working hard. Also you generally see the ultra-rich channeling campaign money to democrats not Republicans.

The Democrats up until recently were masters at using Saul Alinsky tactics to demonize the Republicans and Republicans didn't effectively stand up and show the Democrats for what they were. However, after the tea party movement and the Democrats and mainstream media attacking the regular Americans across this country, I seriously thing the Democrats are done as a party. The question is will this country survive the damage they caused.

Republicans are pro-Individual rights or that is the conservative part of the party's platform; the Democrats are pro-nannystate big government where they run people's lives. That pretty much sums it up.

Oh you can thank the Republicans for stopping a bill Harry Reid was trying to ram through that had over 6000 earmarks.



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16 Dec 2010, 11:26 pm

skafather84 wrote:
They're too stupid to vote third party.


the way things are in this country, third parties are a pipe dream. i made the mistake of voting 3rd party only once- back when john anderson ran, i voted for him because i didn't care for either reagan nor carter. big mistake, i got stuck with the repubs for 12 depressing years. my silly 3rd party vote only enabled a far worse alternative to win.
i vote strictly dem because the only thing the repubs offer me, is disenfranchisement disguised as moldy horatio alger optimism.



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16 Dec 2010, 11:28 pm

Inuyasha wrote:
The Democrats up until recently were masters at using Saul Alinsky tactics to demonize the Republicans and Republicans didn't effectively stand up and show the Democrats for what they were. However, after the tea party movement and the Democrats and mainstream media attacking the regular Americans across this country, I seriously thing the Democrats are done as a party. The question is will this country survive the damage they caused.


I don't have a dog in this fight but (btw, I find it interesting that Ron Silver was a Democrat who became a Republican but could not support Palin and in the end voted for Obama):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCSMyFWTjRc[/youtube]


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16 Dec 2010, 11:35 pm

Sounds to me he was deliberately trying to smear Palin and never actually left the Democrat Party, it is a typical tactic of the Democrats (along with warrantless wiretaps, Nixon had nothing compared to what the Democrats pull).