A Tale Of Two Parties

A pair of recent links show something very curious: Republicans see themselves as happier, are more emotionally stable, and more often consider wealth in terms of relationships not material goods. First the money piece:

An Investor's Business Daily/TIPP poll recently asked Democrats, Republicans and Independents to define "rich." Does "rich" mean material possessions, or does "rich" mean something like happiness/health/satisfaction?

Democrats at 41.5 percent, versus Republicans at 28.2 percent, more often defined "rich" as either possessing lots of money, material goods or power.

When specifically asked whether rich means having family, friends and good relationships, Republicans, more so than Democrats, defined the term this way. Sixteen percent of Republicans defined "rich" in this way versus 9.7 percent of Democrats.

Now the mental health piece:

Republicans are significantly more likely than Democrats or independents to rate their mental health as excellent, according to data from the last four November Gallup Health and Healthcare polls. Fifty-eight percent of Republicans report having excellent mental health, compared to 43% of independents and 38% of Democrats. This relationship between party identification and reports of excellent mental health persists even within categories of income, age, gender, church attendance, and education.

So are these results the cause, or the effect?

Republicans consider themselves, to a far greater degree than Democrats, in charge of their own destiny. Republicans, more so than Democrats, believe hard work wins. Republicans, more so than Democrats, believe that effort and persistence pay off. Democrats, more so than Republicans, consider the playing field uneven or unfair. And Democrats, more so than Republicans, believe that forces exist that conspire against them, hold them back or hold them down.

What conclusions can we reach from this information? To me, it comes back to one of my first blog posts - conservatism would teach a man how to fish so he can provide for himself, but liberalism would give a man a fish and keep him dependent. The most logical conclusion is that these numbers are the result of the over-riding philosophy in each party. The Republican party leans much more toward conservatism, which emphasizes smaller government and individual responsibility. The Democrat party leans much more toward liberalism, which emphasizes bigger government and less personal responsibility.

Doesn't it make sense that those who rely on government more to provide for them are going to be more likely to see themselves as needing help (i.e. not wealthy or powerful, mentally weaker)? And, if you are in that position, doesn't it make sense that you'll feel like 'forces' conspire against you in an unfair life?

This is precisely why liberalism is a bad thing - it literally eats away at the spirit of what made America great.

There's my two cents.