Know Your Political Typology

The Pew Research Group, every few years, gathers information on the continuing evolution of political blocs (groupings, not formal parties) in USA.  In their own words,

With the economy still struggling and the nation involved in multiple military operations overseas, the public’s political mood is fractious. In this environment, many political attitudes have become more doctrinaire at both ends of the ideological spectrum, a polarization that reflects the current atmosphere in Washington.

Yet at the same time, a growing number of Americans are choosing not to identify with either political party, and the center of the political spectrum is increasingly diverse. Rather than being moderate, many of these independents hold extremely strong ideological positions on issues such as the role of government, immigration, the environment and social issues. But they combine these views in ways that defy liberal or conservative orthodoxy.

Since their last poll in 2005, there are fewer people affiliating themselves with the Republican Party. Those who remain, fall into two sub-groups, the Staunch Conservative and the Main-Street Republican.  No longer do you find people who describe themselves as "Republican because I am..." -- ... either socially conservative or pro-Business.  Now, the farthest right wing group (Staunch Conservatives) is dominated by socially conservative, economically conservative, and pro-business, desiring smaller government.  The remainder of the party is mostly that, but with no agreement on which issues they disagree on -- certainly, they do not fall into the "old-fashioned" conservative dividing lines of a decade ago.

There are fewer people affiliating themselves with the Republicans now than in 2005, but the Democrats haven't picked them up. Instead, the ideologically "central" group has grown (from 30% to 37%, and from two subgroups to three), affiliating themselves under the name of "Independent".  And there are always the growing numbers of Disaffecteds and Bystanders (the latter largely under 25 years old).

This doesn't come as surprising news. The extremes in our country have gotten so extreme, it's not surprising to find more people in the middle.  I wonder about the 2012 Presidential race, just starting forward in first gear.  I haven't heard a peep from an Independent runner yet -- I suppose any serious candidate can sit by for a few months and let the Democrats play their hand badly (as they so often do) and the Republicans continue to shoot down their own hunting dogs.

I recommend the site for dozens of intriguing interactive demographic charts.  I also urge you to take their 20-question Typology Test, too, which will categorize you (by your answers) into one of the types -- and enter your answer in the poll I've set up on the left.  I'm curious to see if I'm the only one of my type among the few readers of this blog, or if we're all spread out. (Non-Americans please take it too, but I don't know that your true type will fit with the rest of us.)

I found the test to be un-nuanced, yet they have a pretty good distribution of answers, so -- with that proof in the pudding, there's more nuance there than I see.

Oh, by the way, I end up anchoring the types as a Solid Liberal (a bit of a surprise to me -- I expected to be a Post-Modern, or even a Disaffected). This makes me sad, because I think my views are pretty moderate by the standards I grew up with, a few decades ago.  This country has shifted so far right, that centrist is now the far left!


Oops: forgot the links.

Report of the findings from 2011 (Pew Research Group)
Report of the findings from 2005 (Pew Research Group)
The Political Typology Quiz 2011

Stewart hits the bullseye (again)

Did you see Jon Stewart last night?  I am in Massachusetts now, so I'm living through the mess that is the race between a lackluster Democrat and a handsome Republican.  Stewart takes on the situation, and then puts it in perspective -- reminding us of exactly what is so frustrating about the Democratic Party these days, and perfectly expressing my own feelings about the leadership of the country for the last -- I dunno -- generation?

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Mass Backwards
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

(If the video doesn't work -- I've never grabbed from Comedy Central before -- you can find it yourself online here.)

Compelling reason for a salary cap

Ostensibly, this is a genuine receipt for a genuine meal eaten at a genuine restaurant in New York City. The meal was for six people, lunch, paid for by Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich.  I think the image will blow up if you click on it, but if it doesn't, or you don't want to, know that the total is $47,221.09.

Of course, that includes a $7,300 tip (that's one food service job I could imagine taking).  And they whooped up that meal, with 7 bottles of wine for 6 people (rounded on the receipt to a simple $5,000 a bottle).  So it was clearly some kind of celebration, worth spending a bit extra on. (If they'd limited themselves to 2 bottles of wine, and stiffed the wait staff for a mere 15%, the lunch would have cost a mere $14K, roughly. Tsk tsk, the direct costs of louche behavior. If they skipped wine and drank only water -- at $12 a bottle -- lunch for six would have cost a prohibition-friendly pittance of $2,275.)

The receipt/report is currently viral on the Interweb. I got it from TYWKIWDBI, who got it from Buzzfeed, who in turn seems to have gotten it from someone's personal blog.  So I'm aiding the spread of its viralicity by posting here. Pandemics everywhere you look.

Mostly, it leaves me speechless, thinking of the Gilded Age and Edith Wharton novels. Of course, it may not be genuine as reported.  And a USA salary cap would not affect Russian billionaires, presumably (although I'll bet there are some out there who argue that a cap would destroy the global economy, and thus no more Russian billionaires, either).  And, note that there was a heinous $3250 paid in unfair taxes to evil government.

Think how this kind of excess is good for the economy.  The wait staff got a chunk o'money (but not much more than the cost of a bottle of wine), and any restaurant that is selling "large water" for $12 is clearly making a profit. This is simply tourism dollars being earned. See how the free market system works!