Why do you believe what you believe? Politically Speaking

[o1pickleboy]

Lately I have been thinking more about why I am democrat and on some issues lot more liberal than the people in my local area. Is it how I was raise? The way my mind works? My life experience? all of the above? So been wondering if what make people believe what they believe.

Do you belong to the same party as your parents?

Do you fit with the majority of voters in your district?

Do you fit in with your party's national platform?(In general)

Is there any major issue that your stance is different from the rest of your beliefs? Do you know why your different on this issue?

Why do you believe what your believe?

[king mob]

Lately I have been thinking more about why I am democrat and on some issues lot more liberal than the people in my local area. Is it how I was raise? The way my mind works? My life experience? all of the above? So been wondering if what make people believe what they believe.

Interesting question.

Do you belong to the same party as your parents?

Yes and no. My father wasn't especially political but my mother was part of the whole Red Clydeside movement so that shaped an awful lot of my early political beliefs, and also growing up in Scotland when the Tories were wrecking the country, but they were SNP while I developed into a Labour voter because (at the time) I didn't believe Scottish independence was what we needed. That's changed now after nearly 30 years.

Do you fit with the majority of voters in your district?

In my constituency we have a formerly capable Lib Dem MP, and the area is liberal in the true sense of the word but it's tempered by an annoying hypocritical free market philosophy which pisses me off. So basically there's a lot of people pretending to be socialists but they're not; they're this very middle class Guardian version of socialism.

Do you fit in with your party's national platform?(In general)

I have no party. I'll vote for a good local MP or Councillor but I'll never vote Tory.

Is there any major issue that your stance is different from the rest of your beliefs? Do you not why your different on this issue?

I'm not sure. Honestly, I really think as much as my views were formed from Red Clydeside I've got a variety of opinions that do possibly conflict.

Why do you believe what your believe?

Because I've seen and experience too much hardship to believe that conservatism and neoliberalism works.

[rob fleming]

Since as far back as I can remember I've had an almost total aversion to people who proclaim themselves authority figures. As I've gotten older that's only increased. Not surprising I would identify as an anarchist.

[JCAll]

Whatever I am I attribute to, or at least blame on, the Internet.
And cartoons.
And reruns of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

[dupont2005]

Do you belong to the same party as your parents?
No. My dads a far-right white nationalist. I've hated him my entire life and haven't spoken to him in many years. He's currently overseas to avoid a lengthy prison sentence.

Do you fit with the majority of voters in your district?
Not sure. Mary Bono Mack is our representative but we're also a gay haven with a sanctuary city. I think we probably have an even split here.

Do you fit in with your party's national platform?(In general)
Yes. Pretty much right down the line. Rarely do I find an idea to be too liberal for me, and when I do it's never being presented by an actual politician, just some psycho rant online somewhere.

Is there any major issue that your stance is different from the rest of your beliefs? Do you not why your different on this issue?
i don't think so.

Why do you believe what your believe?
Really because I'm not a racist, I'm not a bigot, I'm not a sexist, I'm not a greedy billionaire, I'm not a creationist, I'm not a warmonger. That kind of firmly locks me into one end of the spectrum since I also don't tolerate much of those things

That's about it

[Iangould]

Because it's True.

Duh!

[Cavemold]

My parents were not very political , so I chose my own path with no influence from my parents. My district is heavily republican conservatives. For the most part I fit in with the republican national party.The only thing I don't agree on is the republic tax reform.I believe everyone should pay the same tax rate. I believe in hard work, and not destroying the middle class with ridiculous socialist programs.

[The Black Guardian]

Lately I have been thinking more about why I am democrat and on some issues lot more liberal than the people in my local area. Is it how I was raise? The way my mind works? My life experience? all of the above? So been wondering if what make people believe what they believe.

Do you belong to the same party as your parents?

No. I'm the "Rotten Commie" of the family. However, most of my family is vehemently Pro-Choice and fairly Agnostic/Atheist (as am I). In grade school, I had a series of teachers that were extremely influential in the shaping of my political bent. One in particular was a huge hippie (very politically active during Vietnam and afterward), and we were so close that she'd often do things with me outside of school (take me to Mardi Gras parades, circuses, roller skating, movies, and all sorts of things). In the classroom (6th grade), she really pushed the limits of things, and I loved her for every bit of it. She got in a little trouble for discussing abortion with us. I had her the year of that NSPA crap in Skokie and that was a bit topic in the class. She rubbed off on me a lot.

Do you fit with the majority of voters in your district?

Yes. Orleans Parish is typically one of the few Liberal/Democrat parishes of Louisiana. Although there are a lot of Anti-Choicers. My particular precinct seems fairly mixed, but generally Democrat.

Do you fit in with your party's national platform?(In general)

For the most part. However, I'm very Pro-Gun and Pro-Death Penalty for a Liberal/Democrat, but otherwise, I'm pretty consistent.

Is there any major issue that your stance is different from the rest of your beliefs? Do you not why your different on this issue?

Oh, I know exactly why I adhere to the two issues above: my father was murdered and they never caught the guys. I try extremely hard to resist the urge to be Frank Castle. Fear of this is probably why I became Buddhist.

Why do you believe what your believe?

Conservativism/Republicanism seems to be coldhearted, imo. And I cannot abide that Religious Right. Even if I agreed with the rest of the Right, they would be enough to drive me away. You said a lot of the same things I would say. I'm not a greedy racist, sexist, creationist warmonger.

[Paradox]

o1pickleboy wonders why:

Lately I have been thinking more about why I am democrat and on some issues lot more liberal than the people in my local area. Is it how I was raise? The way my mind works? My life experience? all of the above? So been wondering if what make people believe what they believe.

Do you belong to the same party as your parents?

My mother's every single vote has been to go in and pull the "all Republicans" bar. But she knows little to nothing about politics, and only votes that way because her mother always did. My father always voted Democrat because he was a staunch union guy back then when there was still a real connection. Myself, I consider political parties to be divisive tools of the devil and will have nothing to do with them. I vote for people, not parties.

Do you fit with the majority of voters in your district?

Sometimes yes and sometimes no. It varies depending on the particular issue. And sometimes yes and it shocks the hell out of me, like with the legalizing of medical marijuana a few years back.

Do you fit in with your party's national platform?(In general)

Independents have no platform, so yes and no.

Is there any major issue that your stance is different from the rest of your beliefs? Do you not why your different on this issue?

See, this is that lumping stuff together thing that political parties get you. You actually mean "is there any major issue that your stance differs from the group you've lumped yourself into". It's not really "differing" if you have what's stereotyped as a "liberal" view on one issue and a "conservative" view on another. It just means it doesn't fit into a convenient little pigeon-hole. I'm still convinced most people are "middle of the road" with varying views dependent on issue. They're all my beliefs, so they don't differ in the way you're suggesting. They're just my beliefs.

Why do you believe what your believe?

Because I weigh the issues logically with an eye towards how things can be abused, what's in the best interests of the country (state, municipality, etc.) and whether or not sneaky tricks are being pulled to allow underhanded bullshit. I was taught "question authority" and "follow the money" as a very young child by my hippie-ish older siblings, and that's helped me sort out a lot of things along the way.

[PLG1962]

Being from Australia I just think generally parties don't really matter as they lie to you anyway so regardless if you are in Party A or Party B you are tarred with the same brush
There is no such thing as a honest politician

[Paradox]

Iangould appreciates the concept of concise:

Because it's True.

Duh!

Winner...winner...

[stelok]

I have no interest in politics. I don't have a political stance, although I sometimes pay attention to several issues to tax, war on terror, death penalty, abortion and gun rights, etc.

Govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish. Do not overdo it.
Lao Tzu
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/au...5T7e3FApqws.99

Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it.
Lao Tzu
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/au...5T7e3FApqws.99

Right now I believe some governments of the world including the USA are overdoing it too much.

I have an aversion to the self-proclaimed authority figures who would exceed their authority beyond the constitutional limits and abuse it for personal gain.

[Slam_Bradley]

Do you belong to the same party as your parents?

My parents didn't "belong" to a party. My Dad was generally a union Democrat, though I know he voted for Reagan at least once. My Mom votes for individuals. I started off Republican, skewed libertatarian, and remain there on individual freedom issues. I just don't view corporations as individuals that deserve freedom. And the "free market" has shown definitively that it doesn't work without someone applying the brakes.

Do you fit with the majority of voters in your district?

Lord no. I'm in one of the most conservative areas of the country.

Do you fit in with your party's national platform?(In general)

There isn't a party that comes close to expressing my viewpoint.

Why do you believe what your believe?

Because I'm right.

[Puma]

My parents didn't "belong" to a party. I started off Republican, skewed libertatarian, and remain there on individual freedom issues. I just don't view corporations as individuals that deserve freedom. And the "free market" has shown definitively that it doesn't work without someone applying the brakes.

About the same. Neither of my parents were 'political', they were independents before it was cool. We rarely discussed political parties, we discussed platforms and philosophies. I only joined the democratic party so I could vote in the primaries.

Lord no. I'm in one of the most conservative areas of the country.

whereas I am in one of the most liberal. Even expressing a moderate viewpoint gets you labelled a conservative.

There isn't a party that comes close to expressing my viewpoint.
Ditto


Because I'm right.

Ditto
Personally, I've always tried to vote for the individual who most closely represents my interests and beliefs.

[Gothos]

We all believe what we believe because we're either reacting to fear of something that threatens us personally, or because we see that threat extended to a person or persons with whom we sympathize.

The extent to which a person will not hold reasoned discourse on a given topic marks the intensity of that fear.