Race, class and sex no longer as divisive as political ideology

MisterCreosote · Jun 5, 2012

Interesting report from the Pew Research Center, though unfortunately it's not all that surprising:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/politics-is-the-great-divider-in-united-states/2012/06/04/gJQALpKSEV_story.html

Andrew Kohut, who directed the study, said two things are notable. One is that, “by and large, values haven’t changed. The other is that political identity has eclipsed these other factors” such as race and class as the biggest sources of division. “The only thing that’s changed is the extent to which Republicans and Democrats go to opposite sides of the room on most issues.”
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Flying Headbutt · Jun 5, 2012

Well since when did commies and nazis want to associate with each other? (yeah, not surprising at all when everyone demonizes the other side, just sad)

Cross Face Chicken Wing · Jun 5, 2012

I learned a lot talking politics and current events with my dad at the dinner table growing up. Now I can't even bring the topic up without my father going off on a tangent about Obama being a socialist out to destroy America. Ditto for talking about W or Regan with my liberal friends. It used to be good conversation. Now, it turns into a blood feud.

Yeah, a lot of it has to do with the rise of screamers on the radio and 24-hour cable news, but I think a lot of the blame can be placed on the somewhat recent trend of painting large groups of people with the same brush. All rich guys in corporate America are scammers. All teachers are useless and overpaid. All gov't employees are lazy bureaucrats. All politicians lie.

We can't be happy for successful people today. Instead we assume they're cheating or leeching off the system.

We used to reserve these types of lables for certain ethnicities or classes of people. Now we seem to be using those labels in ways that don't necessarily relate to ethnicity or class.

The Big Ragu · Jun 5, 2012

Cross Face Chicken Wing said:

I learned a lot talking politics and current events with my dad at the dinner table growing up. Now I can't even bring the topic up without my father going off on a tangent about Obama being a socialist out to destroy America. Ditto for talking about W or Regan with my liberal friends. It used to be good conversation. Now, it turns into a blood feud.

Yeah, a lot of it has to do with the rise of screamers on the radio and 24-hour cable news, but I think a lot of the blame can be placed on the somewhat recent trend of painting large groups of people with the same brush. All rich guys in corporate America are scammers. All teachers are useless and overpaid. All gov't employees are lazy bureaucrats. All politicians lie.

We can't be happy for successful people today. Instead we assume they're cheating or leeching off the system.

We used to reserve these types of lables for certain ethnicities or classes of people. Now we seem to be using those labels in ways that don't necessarily relate to ethnicity or class.
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Not doubting that is the case in your home, but politics separating people is as old as our country, and probably much older than that.

When John Adams was president, the Federalists and the Republicans were way nastier toward each other than the two parties are today. On top of it, because the Vice President was the runner up, you had an administration with Adams a Federalist having Jefferson a Republican as his VP, and the two of them didn't even communicate with one another. The XYZ affair was the result of the political decisions, and it led to the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, signed by Adams, which was designed to stop the Republicans from slamming the Federalists in the press.

Our history is filled with those kinds of divisions and it isn't just at the highest level of politics. Take a TV show like All in the Family in the 1970s. It was a reflection of the divisions between the Archie Bunkers of the world and the Meatheads. I know there is always a tendency to think that things are worse and more partisan now than they "used to be," but you can go back throughout our history which has been filled with hatred that derived from politics, and I am sure they were pining for the good old days of unity, too.

Azrael · Jun 5, 2012

" " "

Stitch · Jun 5, 2012

Charles Sumner would say things are pretty peaceful now.

Cross Face Chicken Wing · Jun 5, 2012

Not doubting that is the case in your home, but politics separating people is as old as our country, and probably much older than that.

When John Adams was president, the Federalists and the Republicans were way nastier toward each other than the two parties are today. On top of it, because the Vice President was the runner up, you had an administration with Adams a Federalist having Jefferson a Republican as his VP, and the two of them didn't even communicate with one another. The XYZ affair was the result of the political decisions, and it led to the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, signed by Adams, which was designed to stop the Republicans from slamming the Federalists in the press.

Our history is filled with those kinds of divisions and it isn't just at the highest level of politics. Take a TV show like All in the Family in the 1970s. It was a reflection of the divisions between the Archie Bunkers of the world and the Meatheads. I know there is always a tendency to think that things are worse and more partisan now than they "used to be," but you can go back throughout our history which has been filled with hatred that derived from politics, and I am sure they were pining for the good old days of unity, too.
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Well, sure. Politicians have always been highly partisan. That's obvious.

I'm saying that extreme partisanship has trickled down to the rest of us. Sure, it's always been there in one form or another. But it seems to be at the point now where if someone disagrees w/ another person politically, they lose all credibility with that person, even on issues that have little or nothing to do with politics.

imjustagirl · Jun 5, 2012

Fuck all liberals.

Greenhorn · Jun 5, 2012

Partisanship and intense feelings for one's political affiliation is perhaps an inevitable result of the human condition. What always bothered me was when people believed in falsehoods and insisted they were facts upon which policies should be based.

joe · Jun 5, 2012

imjustagirl said:

Fuck all liberals.
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You're gonna get tired.

imjustagirl · Jun 5, 2012

I think I've dated a total of one Republican in my whole life.

dooley_womack1 · Jun 5, 2012

MisterCreosote said:

It's actually encouraging that, in our little section of the Internetz, most conservatives and liberals actually get along relatively well.
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Oh, bite me, you fascist.

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Race, class and sex no longer as divisive as political ideology

MisterCreosote Well-Known Member

Flying Headbutt Moderator Staff Member

Cross Face Chicken Wing New Member

The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

Azrael Well-Known Member

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Race, class and sex no longer as divisive as political ideology

MisterCreosote Well-Known Member

Flying Headbutt Moderator Staff Member

Cross Face Chicken Wing New Member

The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

Azrael Well-Known Member

Stitch Active Member

Cross Face Chicken Wing New Member

imjustagirl Active Member

Greenhorn Active Member

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