Why aren’t Asians Republicans?

AEI Ideas ^ | November 26, 2012 | Charles Murray

[LucianOfSamasota]

Last week, I pointed out that there is no such thing as a natural social-conservative skew among Latino Americans. But that leaves open a rejoinder, expressed by several readers: The GOP doesn’t need to get all of the Latino vote, just its fair share. That’s true, and I should have made my point clearer. In the wake of the election, some social conservatives have tried a new version of the old Silent Majority argument, contending that Republicans can continue to make their candidates pass litmus tests on abortion and gay marriage and still win national elections if only it taps the natural social conservatism of Latinos. Exposing that illusion was the point of the numbers I presented.

This time I will explicitly offer a broader argument and then give the numbers. My thesis is that the GOP is in trouble across the electoral board because it has become identified in the public mind with social conservatism. Large numbers of Independents and Democrats who are naturally attracted to arguments of fiscal discipline, less government interference in daily life, greater personal responsibility, and free enterprise refuse to vote for Republicans because they are so put off by the positions and rhetoric of social conservatives, whom they take to represent the spirit of the “real” GOP.

I use Asian-Americans as an example of how powerfully this antipathy can alienate a naturally conservative voting bloc. Let it be clear: The causal link with social conservatism is asserted here, not proved. But the GOP had better take the hypothesis seriously.

Let’s start with data from the Current Population Survey from 2003 on some key socioeconomic indicators for adults ages 30–49. (The CPS first started identifying Asians separately from other ethnic groups in 2003).

[LucianOfSamasota]

My thesis is that the GOP is in trouble across the electoral board because it has become identified in the public mind with social conservatism.

Then we are doomed as a nation. I know of no historical precedent for a country whose greatness did not reflect the moral fiber of its citizens.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Why Bush Won
February 11, 2009

Going into the 2004 presidential election, two major issues posed potential threats to President Bush's prospects for re-election: the economy and the Iraq war.

CBS News Exit poll results suggest that these issues were not the clear-cut silver bullet the Kerry campaign had hoped they would be. Instead, their effectiveness has been countered to a large degree by two issues emphasized by the Bush campaign: terrorism and moral values. [CBS News National Exit Poll results are based on interviews with 13,531 voters. The sampling error is plus or minus 1 point.]

[Usagi_yo]

Then we are doomed as a nation. I know of no historical precedent for a country whose greatness did not reflect the moral fiber of its citizens.

Nazi Germany -- except substitue greatness with infamous and moral fiber with moral turpitude.

There are countless other examples throughout history.

Of course, how do you measure greatness? What's the metric? GDP? Ability to influence the world? How long the nation has survived?

I have one idea. How well do you transition from one generation to the next.

[Trapped Behind Enemy Lines]

This is a good question. I live near a HUGE Asian concentration in the San Gabriel Valley. I’ve noticed that they are hard working, they are homeowners, they are business owners, the are professionals, they are upscale, they are suburban, they believe in higher education, ....I ‘ve also noted a far higher rate of regular church attendance than the general population as well as a stronger family unit than the general population. Bottom line: They work hard, pay taxes, have strong family values and are very religious. Why this group is favoring the Dems is BEYOND my powers of understanding. Because Asians do so well in academics and education in general, they over-represented in many of the state’s universities and therefore subject to reverse discrimination and adverserly impacted by racial quotas. The only thing I can figure is that they perceive the GOP to be too tough on immigration and not inclusive enough. Other than that it makes no sense. The Asians I see are not into the free stuff bs. They LIKE to work and make money and own businesses and go to church.

[Longbow1969]

Then we are doomed as a nation. I know of no historical precedent for a country whose greatness did not reflect the moral fiber of its citizens.

Perhaps. It's pretty clear that the upcoming generations are far more libertine on social issues. Gay marriage is not the winning issue it once was, DADT will never go back in force, abortion may well decrease as morning-week after type pills become common place. Like it or not, the GOP is likely to focus far more on fiscal issues than social ones. Republicans will fight these social battles only when the left pushes way too far an offends a polling majority. Traditional conservative primary voters are going to remember the disasters Akin and Mourdock turned out to be and think twice before supporting the less polished statewide candidates going forward.

[SpaceBar]

Nazi Germany lasted twelve years. The blink of an eye by historical standards.

[El Cid]

My 'thesis' is that Asian-Americans, whose natural values tend to be conservative, send their kids to the Public School indoctrination system. They cannot help but come out of this system with the idea that Republicans are represented by the Simon LeGree's, and Robber Barons, or the past. They may be well educated in the areas of Math and Science (as their parents will often provide tutors, and programs outside the Government Schools system - to improve their children's competencies in these areas), but they are woefully ignorant of the history of this Nation -- how it was founded by Christians who believed in limited government, and a self-sufficiency dependent on the mercies of God and help from family and neighbors in the time of need. They aren't taught about the abysmal failure of previous attempts at socialism - and their inevitable descent into the enslavement of the populace.
This is also true of the Euro-Americans (except, perhaps, for the part about parents pushing their children to excel at Math and Science). Our 'schools' have become brainwashing camps, which output good little slaves to the Godless Government.

[BuffaloJack]

> Why aren’t Asians Republicans?
Are you kidding? Every Asian that I know is a Republican.
My Vietnamese sister-in-law even says that the Democrats act too much like communists for her likes (some years ago, she spent a half year in a communist reeducation camp).

[Perdogg]

I am not sure what we mean when talk about Asians. The traditional Asians, seem to be more GOP. Remember, the first Asian to run for President was Hiram Fong.

I believe, right or wrong, Asians have a problem with the foreign policy position in the GOP. There is this female engineer with whom I worked had thought highly of Ron Paul.

[stuartcr]

Perhaps you should just accept the fact that, as you say, it is BEYOND your powers of understanding...either that or what you believe about democrats and republicans, is not completely factual.

[twister881]

Free Stuff: Where my sister works as a public health nurse in one of the wealthiest counties in the U.S. (just outside of Washington, D.C.), Orientals flock to the free clinics for health care, including vaccinations, prenatal exams, medications, primary care, acute care, etc. And they frequently arrive and depart in luxury vehicles.

!!! Free Stuff !!!

[PieterCasparzen]

All elites have to be vomited out of our leadership.

Leftist and faux-conservatives.

There is no other issue besides THE moral issue.

Elites - the issue is morality - are you for it or against it ?

The pollsters and consultants, hanging on to their pathetic jobs, flood the conversation with theories on demographics and polling.

What a great political strategy - they must be geniuses !

“Give the people what they want”.

How novel.

“My thesis is that the GOP is in trouble across the electoral board because it has become identified in the public mind with social conservatism. “

- the stupidest thing I have heard so far this morning.

Think before you speak, guy who wrote this. What are you saying ? Moron.

The GOP has always been associated with morals, or what you call “social conservatism”.

Unless hearts and minds of the electorate are changed for the better, faux conservatism is going to be a shrinking minority. Is that what you want ? Faux conservatism can’t claim to be the “party of immorality” because the Democratic Party already owns that territory.

Pollsters have no clue when it comes to marketing and sales in a competitive environment.

[hecticskeptic]

From my experience, it seems that in Canada there are also a disproportionate number of those with Asian roots who vote for Liberal candidates as opposed to Conservative ones. I’ve often wondered about that but I think it all comes back to a particular Liberal prime minister who had more to do with opening up the immigration floodgates than any others. Even years later, they still support that party for no other reason than that.

[Usagi_yo]

I guess that Asians probably represent the least likely to vote minority.

[carlo3b]

Then we are doomed as a nation. I know of no historical precedent for a country whose greatness did not reflect the moral fiber of its citizens.

Yep, we are therefore Doomed!

This new litmus test, has hijacked the Tea Party, which found a broader based appeal that brought so many folks that were far more fiscally Conservative than socially dogmatic..

I am a Social Conservative as well as Fiscally, but I cannot bring myself to cut off my nose to spite my face.. I cannot dislike, or disqualify my Fiscal Brethren that do not share all of my personal values..

Where have I gone so wrong?

[driftless2]

There might be another reason Asians vote for Dems in overwhelming numbers. Maybe they, like Blacks and Hispanics, like socialism more than they'll admit. It's possible they do not see the connection between the modern Dem party and its trend towards more and more socialist policies. Either they don't understand how socialist Obama and the modern Dem party is, or maybe they do and like it.

They might assume federal-controlled healthcare is a good idea not thinking that it's more power for big government and less for the individual. I don't know....why don't we ask a number of Asian-Americans why they support a socialist like Obama. It would be interesting to hear them, especially the business people, justify voting for someone who would like to bankrupt them.

[SpaceBar]

Because the Magna Carta and the later US Constitution weren’t based on ancient mandarin texts. They were based on western judeo-christian e.g. western philosophies and values. In asia, being a good worker ant is valued.

[Zhang Fei]

There is a non-zero possibility that the majority of Asians are racialists who see white dominance as an affront to their pride, and are using the Democratic party as a tool to undermine that dominance, per the following comment:

---

Asians are not a naturally conservative voting block either… they hate and resent whites too. They may be intelligent, but they’re also rather “beta”. I used to subscribe to like 30 asian-american blogs at one time and it turned me from a asiaphile to a asiaphobe. What made me laugh the most is when they would CONSTANTLY conflate Hollywood and “conservative, white, christian America”. There is no reasoning with these people. The only exception to this rule is ironically asian Christians.

Religion is the only thing that keeps people from acting as racialists.

The GOP is fighting a losing battle and need to acknowledge it in their hearts. The best route to go is Milton Freidman in public and Guillaume Faye in cloak and dagger.True Conservatives would reject America and plan for what happens afterwards.

---

[Slyfox]

It seems to me that people who have knowledge and/or experience with communism also have an appreciation for conservative political principles.

[muawiyah]

Any time a pollster tells you "asians" and doesn't preface it with "east" or "south" you don't really know what he's talking about.

Since "asians" of any kind are such a small part of the population it would have been quite easy for a skewing to have taken place simply because of the choice of the polling places (I gather there were only 20 or so).

So, take one polling place in Honolulu in Senator Inoue's neighborhood ~ that'd give you 100% "asian" responses.

Or, there's a town in New Jersey which will yield up mostly Pakistani immigrants ~ 100% for Obama.

This particular poll result repesents only exit polling that was looking to find out early who was winning ~ not particularly who was voting for who.