ARE LIBERALS SMARTER THAN CONSERVATIVES?

[JEFF9K]

Is Rush Limbaugh an a$$hole? Of course we are smarter, but evidence to back up our claim can be useful in arguments with conservatives. I like to point to the Pew Research Study from 2009 showing that 55% of scientists call themselves Democrats, while only 6% call themselves Republicans.

Some conservatives won't know how to respond, but others will say that all scientists work for the government. Then I point out that even among scientists in PRIVATE INDUSTRY, Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 5 to 1!

Each time I have to search for the link and figure out which pages and tables from the study make the point.

Then I decided to make a little video so I can just send them the link. At the end of the video I throw them a bone, with two fake Fox News charts “proving” that Sarah Palin is smarter than Hillary Clinton and that “lots of conservatives” are smarter than Albert Einstein.

[SidDithers]

1. Yes...nt

Sid

[NuclearDem]

2. /thread

[SidDithers]

3. Heheh...

Sid

[Donald Ian Rankin]

4. Most liberals are clocks that have stopped at an approximately correct time, that's all.

Most liberals are clocks that have stopped at an approximately correct time.

Most conservatives are clocks that have stopped at wrong times.

Most people's political views are not arrived at by rational thought and analysis, but by tribe loyalty, and that's as likely to lead one right as wrong.

To paraphrase John Stuart Mill: "Most intelligent people are liberals, but most liberals are not intelligent".

As exhibits A through several whole alphabets, I present DU.

[marym625]

46. excellent point. n/t

[on point]

5. Actually perhaps lazier. Too much work to be educated and always learning

Easier to just assume some things and sit on that instead of learning the truth

[Gidney N Cloyd]

14. And as someone once said, "It's easier to give people a single finger than a whole hand."

[cali]

6. it's a pointless, silly argument. n/t

[hfojvt]

16. it's actually a self-defeating argument

because one of the main ways that conservative politicians win voters, is they tell the voters "liberal elites think they are better than you".

And thus the voter is more than happy to a) tune the liberal out and b) go into the voting booth and deliver an "FU liberal" back at us.

But it is always one of the stories we like to tell ourselves, some of us - "My tribe is smarter than their tribe" and the choir modestly says "aw shucks, ain't it the truth, ain't it the truth"

[cali]

17. yep, that's true.

it's just not very... intelligent.

Don't you just love irony?

[BlueJazz]

7. The absolute undeniable proof to the question is: If Conservatives were smart, they'd be Liberals.

[Louisiana1976]

40. Right on!

[Cooley Hurd]

8. Remove the word "smart" and replace it "informed"...

....and I'll agree with you.

[JEFF9K]

26. Rush Limbaugh calls Democrats "low-information voters" ...

He is wrong, of course. His listeners are "false-information" voters.

[jambo101]

9. An interesting read on the issue

http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/youre_right_wing_you_must_be_really_stupid/13917#.VB7eV1e6mP8


If it were my article i might have used a more tactful headline..

[JEFF9K]

29. Good article. Thanks for the link.

I generally don't mention that liberal is the choice of a respected group of open-minded, fact-based smart people unless the other party throws the first punch by using a term like "libtard."

[whistler162]

10. Obviously not... I am sure quite a few conservatives

are happy that you proved the theory was incorrect.

[JEFF9K]

20. How so?

[damnedifIknow]

11. Not only smarter but better looking

Conservatives just got the short end of the stick.

[JEFF9K]

31. Having rich parents ...

takes away the sting, for many of them.

[Turbineguy]

12. There are some smart conservatives

but they are lazy. They swim among their prey.

[JEFF9K]

28. Some smart people are economic conservatives. ...

A person can be smart, rich, selfish, and short-sighted and vote Republican. Selfishness and short-sightedness can trump everything.

[Baitball Blogger]

13. I think we're able to see the moving parts better than conservatives.

We are more capable of macro-analysis because we take in more information to reach our conclusions. While conservatives are more inductive, reaching conclusions first and then looking for the facts that fit their narrow premise.

[hughee99]

15. So all you people who aren't scientists out there, you must be dumb.

That's the problem with that argument.

[JEFF9K]

19. "Scientist" is one example, and a clear one.

All scientists are smart. And, generally speaking, decent people who are interested in facts. An overwhelming majority of scientists who claim membership in a political party in America are Democrats.

[hughee99]

23. Not really. While scientists are interested in facts, that really depends on the amount of data

they have at hand. An ill-informed scientist will make a logical, but wrong, decision if given partial or inaccurate data.

I'd accept that scientists are logical, but if not politically engaged and informed, what value is that logic?

[JEFF9K]

32. Data-gathering is part of the job.

[hughee99]

37. Yes, but as scientists, "data gathering" on politics is not part of their job.

Even if they are very smart, even if they are logical and even if they do gather data for their JOB, it's not logical to conclude they are politically engaged.

[JEFF9K]

39. If they are not politically engaged ...

they probably didn't describe themselves as Democratic or Republican. Notice that only 61% label themselves.

[hughee99]

47. I know many people (some scientists) who aren't politically engaged but would describe

themselves as Democrats. At one point in their life, politics was something they paid attention to but as they got older, they paid less and less attention as other things pulled their attention away. They still identify with the party, and they can name their elected officials, but you'd get a blank look (a few will try to bullshit like they've been paying attention) when discussing ISIS, the TPP, anything the Fed has done in about 5 years, or the European financial crisis.

I know republicans like that as well, but since you'd expect even the "politically engaged" ones to be ill-informed (or misinformed) about politics, it didn't seem to be a good example.

My point is, a poll of people in one particular industry isn't the great indicator you might think. Do I think Dems are smarter? Of course I do, but I think you'd have a hard time convincing people of it with this argument as people would get hung up (as I did) on the clearly flawed methodology. Perhaps it's just the way it's worded, though, that's bothering me. I'm not arguing that scientists aren't smart, just that smart people aren't all scientists and it's a flaw in the argument to equate the two.

[JEFF9K]

51. I didn't say, or even suggest, that only scientists are smart.

[hughee99]

52. Your title is "ARE LIBERALS SMARTER THAN CONSERVATIVES?"

And your data is based only on scientists. You seem to be leaving out massive portions of the population (both Democrats and Republicans). The video, while funny, won't convince anyone of the argument.

[JEFF9K]

54. The study is signifcant and is widely cited.

Do you know of any similar study that even approaches making a case one way or the other?

[hughee99]

67. Significant and widely cited are not relevant

To the point that a group of scientists are not necessarily representative of all smart people.

[SomethingFishy]

68. All scientists are smart? Ever met Dr Ben Carson?

Although that probably proves your point as he is a Republican.

[Gothmog]

18. Yes, liberals are smarter than conservatives

[YoungDemCA]

21. Define "smarter"

Smarter in what sense?

Also, define "liberal" and "conservative." Could these words mean different things, to different people, at different times?

Maybe that would help.

[JEFF9K]

25. I'm using the term "liberal" interchangeably with "Democrat" ...

and "conservative" interchangeably with "Republican." That has much more validity than it did years ago when there were a few liberal members of the GOP and a large number of conservative Democrats. I'm using current American definitions.

I'm also using the generally accepted definition of "smart." No need to get into semantics.

If you want a group of people who are smart, you might first think of teachers, but conservatives will say they all work for the government so of course they will be liberal/Democrats.

But scientists don't all work for the government. As a group, they are open-minded, smart, and, by job description, deal in facts. They can see the big picture and don't let emotions get in the way.

They overwhelmingly choose Democrat over Republican. It's the smart choice.

[JHB]

22. Doesn't matter. Voter turnout matters.

GOTV

[freshwest]

24. Those who vote rule. We can call them stupid, but we let them rule us. Who's really stupid?

[JEFF9K]

34. Smartness doesn't win elections.

Americans often prefer non-intellectuals. Witness the defeats of Adlai Stevenson and the victories of George W. Bush.

[Louisiana1976]

41. Absolutely true.

[davekriss]

43. 'cept Georgie didn't win, his team stole it

Election fraud plus a corrupt Supreme Court.

[deathrind]

27. No-

But what Liberals do have that it appears conservatives lack is empathy. The ability to put ourselves in the shoes of another to understand another's hardship.

[JEFF9K]

30. Conservatives do indeed seem to lack empathy.

They are also lacking in what Ernest Hemingway referred to as a "bullshit detector," as evidenced by their gullibility in believing what they hear on Fox News and talk radio.

[John1956PA]

33. Begala: The left thinks it is intellectually superior and the right thinks it is morally superior.

In 2004, Robert Samuelson wrote the following about Paul Begala's comment:

"Every liberal {thinks he's} intellectually superior to conservatives," Paul Begala, a former Clinton administration official, remarked on CNN. "Every conservative I know wants to think of himself as morally superior." Though these are generalizations (as Begala admitted), they represent real psychological imperatives. Politics increasingly strives to feed these self-images. The easiest way to make your people feel better is to cast their people as immoral, stupid, evil, corrupt or greedy. Politics, news and entertainment merge, because all seek to satisfy psychological needs.

Full column at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38244-2004Nov9.html

That commentary aside, I believe that, on the whole, liberals are more intellectually curious and more compassionate than right-wingers.

[JEFF9K]

35. Another thing is that, regardless of intelligence, ...

people have different ideas about what is "fair."

[enid602]

36. ignernt

1% repubs are no doubt intelligent and well educated, but facts are not convenient for them. The other 99% are just plain ignernt.

[YoungDemCA]

38. Most 1%ers aren't any smarter than the rest of us

They just appear smarter because they command high levels of income and wealth. It's the "they are rich, therefore they must have been smarter and more disciplined/driven/ambitious than the rest of us!" fallacy.

George W. Bush, Donald Trump, and Sarah Palin are all 1%ers. Fine bunch of intellectuals there!

[JEFF9K]

42. Lots of them inherited their money, or just got lucky. ...

Some got rich through various types of shady practices. Check the background of Darrell Issa!

The right may deny that the number is significant, but the facts are out there.

[JEFF9K]

44. The thread isn't meant to conclusively answer the question, but..

if you watch the video you will see graphics of the Pew Research Survey that make relevant results easy to see. (It's 2 minutes, with no commercials. I have inserted colored underlining and arrows on the tables.)

Paul Krugman has referred to the Pew study on at least one occasion. Are anyone's opinions more respected among liberals than his?

When I've mentioned the Pew study to conservatives, most of them didn't believe me, so I had to look up the link and then find the relevant tables. Now I will just give them the link for the video.

[bhikkhu]

45. You don't have to be "smart" to be right

I think the best definition of a liberal is one who believes that all people are basically good, honest, caring, and worthwhile. Conservatives think the opposite, and, smart or not, they are wrong.

[Initech]

48. We also have one thing that conservatives don't: empathy.

To be a true conservative you have to have zero empathy for anyone. FACT!!!

[Jamaal510]

49. My belief

is that everyone has their own way of being smart. For example, a person can be smart when it comes to politics, while another can be smart when it comes to sports, and so on.
With regards to these so-called conservatives, I don't like referring to them as "conservative". Their agenda proves that they don't care about conserving anything. The truth is they don't care about conserving things such as taxpayer dollars, the environment, human rights, clean water, or health regulations. They would rather see the country regress to a time where none of those things were attended to.

[Rex]

50. The GOP lives in the land of confusion.

One of the Reagan Era and it being some boon to mankind. The truth about Reagan is that he was an asshole. Reagan was replaced by Rush - another hateful racist windbag. Not the first and not the first to tap into hate and fear to make money.

Calling them smart is insulting. They are clever, like sewer rats.

[Zambero]

53. Liberals are more adept at seeing the big picture

Conservatives look at things in a more surficial way, and don't want to be bothered with cause and effect. That comes with being incurious and/or anti-intellectual. Liberals are better able to perceive issues and situation as shades of gray, whereas conservatives tend to be either black and white in their observations, "kneejerk" if you will. Conservatives also tend to be lacking in self-analysis, often mistaking entrenched attitudes for "principle". Liberal see principle as successfully adapting to changing situations, and do not shy away from change merely because it is at odds with what some consider to be "tradition". Finally, conservatives are most motivated by fear, a carry-over from tribal society that is often overstated in a modern society. Liberals are motivated by a sense of empathy and fairness, opportunity for improving the common good, and a belief in scientific process over archaic religious belief.

[JEFF9K]

55. Well said!

[delete_bush]

56. Sorry, this is a worthless premise.

You state that liberals are from 1.5 to 8 times 'smarter' than conservative, then you put forth Albert Einstein and Jesus Christ vs. Ted Nugent as some sort of proof.

Beyond this worthless comparison, you make no attempt to even define 'conservative', 'liberal', or 'smart'.

You seem to be proud of this, my question is.... why?

[JEFF9K]

57. YOU seem proud of your comment.

You either have pathetic comprehension or didn't listen to the whole video and ignored my comments throughout the thread.

And I didn't say that liberals are 1.5 to 8 times 'smarter', as you say. I said "as smart as", meaning 0.5 - 7 times "smarter."

What is the motivation for your worthless comment?

[delete_bush]

59. If I say person A is as smart as person B,

then I believe most people would conclude that I mean they are equal in this area. If I state that person A is twice as wealthy as person B, then they are also two times as wealthy as person B.

Beyond that, you state that you are using the generally accepted definition of "smart", which I presume to mean IQ, since you refer to IQ in the video. You state that estimates range from 1.5 times as smart all the way up to 8 times as smart. Where did you find these estimate? For example, by which measurement is someone 5 times as smart as another? Please provide an example.

Leaving alone Jesus for the time being, why use Einstein as one of the two smartest people who ever lived? On what basis?

[JEFF9K]

61. 9 is 6 more than 3 ...

9 is 3 times AS MUCH AS 3

9 is 2 times MORE THAN 3, since it is 6 more than 3

Einstein is the default symbol for intelligence. Everybody knows that.

My thread and video consist of facts, fact-based opinions, and hopefully some humor. I try to entertain along with making points.

Have you ever heard of SATIRE?

[Orsino]

58. Just more open-minded about who we consider people. n/t

[JEFF9K]

62. Liberals are better in lots of ways.

The advent of talk radio and Fox News has shifted the balance to where millions of not-so-bright people have started voting Republican even though their economic interests are with the Democratic Party.

[Orrex]

60. Ask Karl Rove

Per Karl: “As people do better, they start voting like Republicans — unless they have too much education and vote Democratic, which proves there can be too much of a good thing.”

[JEFF9K]

63. Sounds like Karl got one right!

[ProfessorGAC]

64. That Buffoon Would Say Something Like That

Comfortable means republican but comfortable and educated means "bad". That's what he is saying in a nutshell.

What a piece of work.

[Lurker Deluxe]

65. Nonsense

First off, attempting to measure someone's intelligence is a futile exercise. Sure, there are tests that can give you an idea on what someone knows or doesn't know, but much of that relies on education and experience.

My father is a die hard conservative who really truly believes that you get out what you put in. Period. He has been knocked down so many times it becomes hard to believe after a while. You name it ... illness, personal, professional ... he has faced some form of tragedy in every aspect of his life, throughout his life and he just keeps moving forward. I know it's a crazy cliche but that is who he is, he's 80. I found his war ration card in an old box and gave him shit about it, "you didn't miss many meals" HAHA ... He told me he had given most of that to other people "in town" because "we were on a farm and had all we needed and then some".

Is he smart? By most definitions I would say no. Then again, can you lay out a set of stairs of the hip of a roof with a square, tape measure, and a pencil? He can. He knows things that I will never know, he's done it. He was in the "sea-bees" in the Navy for 12 years and traveled the world fixing stuff, and learning skills that will be lost by next generation. The man can literally fix anything mechanical.

I have some of that, from just being around him for the last 48 years ... but will never have the skill set he does. He has just done so much in his life. Am I smarter than he is? He can't set the time on the kitchen stove, struggles to send e-mails and still doesn't "get texting".

I was working last weekend but hadn't spoke with him in a few weeks so I called him to see what he was up to. He was out helping the lady across the road with her gate because he noticed her struggling to open it. I reminded him that they did not get along and he replied, "doesn't matter if I like her, she needs a little help".

What can you do but shake your head ...

Is he smart?

Smarter than most.

[JEFF9K]

66. You and your father sound like cool people.

Your father is "street smart." I have a lot of respect for people like him. Often political choices come down to what people think is "fair." I have no problem with that.