Does air conditioning make people vote Republican?

Salon.com ^ | August 21, 2008 | Edward McClelland

[libstripper]

Aug. 21, 2008 | When I moved into my apartment, in May, the first thing I did was tear out the air conditioners. I don't need air conditioning: My front window is 50 yards from Lake Michigan, and, as any Chicago weatherperson will tell you, "It's cooler by the lake." I can't afford it, either: Three window units can add serious dollars to one's monthly electric bill. But those aren't the real reasons I got rid of the A/C.

Air conditioning offends my sense of Northern pride. They have a saying in Maine: "If you can't stand the winters, you don't deserve the summers." But the air conditioner allows Arizonans to enjoy a cool, lakelike breeze in the comfort of their living rooms, without ever having to buy snow tires. As one who has seen firsthand how the Sun Belt created a poor Yankee cousin called the Rust Belt, I blame the air conditioner for the decay of Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo, N.Y. I blame it for the decline of the American labor movement. And I blame it for the election of George W. Bush, as well as the fact that we haven't elected a Yankee president in nearly 50 years. Honestly, I don't want something like that in my house. Especially if I have to pay for it.

[libstripper]

He's certainly right about AC making the rise of the modern South possible. The decline of the Rust Belt, however, was clearly caused by the union thugs and socialists he so loves.

[Red Badger]

Just as I suspected. All liberals are luddites.............

[WayneS]

“...we haven’t elected a Yankee president in nearly 50 years. Honestly, I don’t want something like that in my house. Especially if I have to pay for it.”

Froma grammatical standpoint, I can’t determine whether it is air conditioners or Yankee Presidents which he does not want in his house. Can someone help me out here?

;^)

[SampleMan]

Reminds of a liberal family I know that glorify is self-deprivation. Kept their house barely above freezing in the winter, ate the crappy “natural” peanut butter which settles out with oil on top, and took 2000 mile family trips in their VW bus making sure to avoid the interstate highway system.

It was all done for the bragging rights of being purer than others. I can just see them now, sitting in a steaming hot house with sweat pouring down their faces, instructing their children that air conditioning is for Republicans.

[Juan Medén]

I suppose that conversely, then, we could argue that in-home heating produced northern liberals?

[NeilGus]

It sounds like he longs to live in Europe.

I tell all my liberal friends that if they want to reduce their carbon footprint just turn off the AC and hang their clothes on the clothesline outside.

They never seem to want to do that.

[cowboyway]

as well as the fact that we haven't elected a Yankee president in nearly 50 years.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

George H. W. Bush

[brytlea]

I think the desire to continue having AC makes *smart* people vote Republican.
susie

[brytlea]

ROFLMAO!

[pnh102]

It sounds like he longs to live in Europe.

The last time I visited Greece back in the mid-1990s, it seemed the only place you could find AC was inside a newer car. How primitive... and hot.

Back to the article. The writer is an idiot. It gets plenty hot and humid up north too.

[Still Thinking]

I can just see them now, sitting in a steaming hot house with sweat pouring down their faces, instructing their children that air conditioning is for Republicans.

Sounds like a good way to turn the kids into Republicans. "Well if we have to vote GOP to keep from getting heatstroke IN the house...", or "Those dang liberals [like Dad] are IDIOTS!"

[9YearLurker]

Sounds like AC should be credited for saving what remaining, competitive manufacturing base we have in this country.

[Still Thinking]

It gets plenty hot and humid up north too.

He knows this. The point is that liberals are too stupid to fix things, and he aparently likes that. ;-)

[brytlea]

I did use a clothes line for years (and cloth diapers—I really should win an award!) I kinda miss the way clothes dried on the line smell, but I admit, I really don’t want to spend that much time on laundry these days (plus my HOA would likely have a fit if I put up a clothes line!).

susie

[mewzilla]

Time's Joe Klein Wants to 'Kill Your Air Conditioner'

Paging AARP....

[MrB]

Climate control in general is a HUGE productivity booster in modern economies.

Yes, libs are luddites. Some, however, want to keep the luxuries for themselves, and just don’t want everyone else to have them.

In some cases, it’s because of their “fixed pie” mentality,
but in others, it’s just a matter of

“I’m an elite, I should have stuff that others don’t, and if they can get it, I’ll do my best to put a stop to it.”

[Still Thinking]

I suppose that conversely, then, we could argue that in-home heating produced northern liberals?

Yes, the outgassing of the upholstery stuffing at the elevated temperatures killed a lot of their brain cells.

[edzo4]

Does air conditioning make people vote Republican?

No, common sense does.

[tlj18]

Well, here in Germany, air conditioning is almost non-existent. On post, the only way you can get air conditioning is if you buy it yourself, or if it is necessary (meaning your equipment may break if it gets too warm; it being 95 degrees indoors while you are trying to sleep is not an acceptable reason to get A/C). Our buildings trap heat quite well; and the hottest part of the building is the basement, where I do most of my work...

[Sgt_Schultze]

The most destructive legacy of air conditioning is that it’s use has inflicted us with year-round Congress. BAC, Congress used to escape the confines of Washington during the oppressively hot summers. Curse you Willis Carrier.