Posted on 10/28/2006 1:29:43 AM PDT by teldon30
The saying goes "politics makes strange bedfellows."
When it comes to dating, that saying is not necessarily true. At least for Democrats.
With this year's election just days away, this is a good time to examine the results of two surveys that we conducted at the Boston-based dating service that I ran for 23 years.
During the 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns my staff and I asked several hundred of our members (actually 329 singles in 2000 and exactly 400 in 2004) two questions: first, whom they were going to vote for; and second, how important was it for them to date somebody who shared their political views.
The results were quite interesting.
In both polls, Democratic voters were far more adamant about meeting and dating like-minded people than were Republican voters. And there were some interesting differences between the poll taken in 2000 and the one done in 2004.
In the former, there was a huge gender gap. Back in 2000, a vast majority of women planning to vote for Al Gore were absolutely vehement about not meeting a Bush backer.
One woman educator stated, "I really don't associate with Bush people. I have a difficult time even being at parties with Bush people. "¦ Being around (them) disturbs me physically."
Women who supported Bush, however, cared far less about being matched up with men who supported Bush. Nevertheless they still cared more than men of either party. Male Gore voters did care somewhat, while male Bush voters cared not at all.
One Bush supporter, a 46 year old professional man with an advanced degree, typified the responses of GOP men. He emphasized that he just wanted to meet a "good-looking, smart, athletic, and outgoing woman (with) a killer bod." But as for her politics, he said he could care less. Politics was merely something that might be casually mentioned "over cocktails or apres ski."
Now remember, this poll was taken in a different world, prior to 9/11, the "War on Terror," and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
So when the 2004 presidential election rolled around, I thought it would be interesting to take a similar poll of our single members.
And there were changes, especially among the Democrats, and especially among Democratic men!
Now, men voting for John Kerry were the most adamant group in terms of dating only Kerry backers. Yes, among the Democratic voters, men had surpassed the women as being the most insistent that they not be matched up with Bush backers. Yet Democratic women still felt strongly about meeting like-minded men.
And the Bush voters? Believe it or not, they were even less concerned in 2004 as to the political viewpoint of potential dates than they were in 2000. Seventy percent of people who planned to vote for Bush stated that the political affiliation of a date was "unimportant," while only 1 percent said it was "very important."
I won't draw any conclusions about these poll results; I'll leave it up to you, the readers.
But it is interesting to note how political preferences and dating have changed over the years. Since I started interviewing single and divorced men and women back in 1982, I have observed a real swing in terms of political priorities.
When interviewing any prospective member who was joining my dating service I always asked the following question: "In terms of politics or lifestyle, do you consider yourself more liberal or conservative?"
Back in the 1980s, during the Reagan years, like today, the country was somewhat polarized, and I recall many people answering very assertively and definitively that they were, in fact, "liberal" or "conservative."
In the 90s, during the Clinton years, people seemed to lose interest in politics. In many ways those were "boring" times politically, as Americans felt safe and secure. We boarded planes without taking off our shoes, and the term "red alert" reminded us more of an episode of "Star Trek."
During those years I recall many people answering my question with the simple throwaway line, "I'm really not into politics." Another common response was, "If anything, consider me more liberal socially and conservative politically, but I am really not political."
Today, though, we live in different times. While I am out of the dating service (and therefore political polling) business, I have a strong feeling that were I to conduct a poll of singles today, both liberals and conservatives, i.e. Democrats and Republicans, would state even stronger preferences in terms of dating like-minded members of the opposite sex.
Who knows, maybe there even exists today a few male Bush voters who would actually care what their partners thought about politics.
At least I hope so.
I only date libertarian-minded girls.
Uh, no.
Democrat men... today's new woman.
Uh, yes.
Dem girls don't shave, and whine.
Pub girls are fat, and whine about church.
Give me a furrin girls anytime.
If i weren't married, i could date a moderate dem...but hard left...no way...no matter how nice her jubblies are ;)
So much for liberals being open-minded.
The reason that Republican men have no problem with a Democrat woman is that that the Republican men want children, family, and home. They are used to or have adjusted to the fact that they will have to deal with children, including their spouse if she happens to be Democrat.
I think this has a lot to do with someone's comfort level with themselves. Most conservatives are firm in their beliefs with no outside assitance needed for affirmation. Libs, on the other hand, need that herd mentality to find validation in what they believe among others. It's sad, really.
Simple. If you want to get laid, you date a liberal. If you want to get married, have kids and be happy, date a Repubican.
Republican men have enough self-confidence to be able to date a hot chick who thinks she's liberal and see how it goes. I've dated several girls who had voted dem and ended up converting them by association. If not, well, move on to the next one.
Oh, and contrary to the oft-posted pics, most dem girls DO shave.
See my 14. Date the lib who puts out and convert her.
BTW, I've been off the market for years now but, having made the acquaintance of some awfully hot GOP chicks on this forum, I might go directly to dating Republicans if I suddenly became single again.
He got a second date??? Please tell me he at least had good concert tickets or something. LOL!
If i weren't married, i could date a moderate dem...but hard left...no way...no matter how nice her jubblies are ;)
If I weren't married, I could date a moderate dem also. However, I would have to insist on a pro-lifer. But if she was liberal on SOME other issues, I might be able to look beyond that. Actually ten years ago when I did get married, I did not even consider politics. Religion was a plus though. Thankfully we are pretty close on politics.
I think it has to do with insecurity. Liberals are close-minded and refuse to have any dealings with anybody who might have a different opinion when it comes to politics. Conservatives could care less, because sooner or later, we'll convert them anyway.
Exactly. Liberals replaced religion with a political construct and gave it just as much authority. No wonder they're afraid of challenges.
Don't get out much, do you?
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