Politics

Genes Determine One’s Politics

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John R. Alford was a guest on Asman’s show this afternoon. He has conducted a study which concludes that one’s genes determine his politics, not his environment. While the nature vs. nurture argument is amusing, I don’t by it.

Alford argues that there is a difference between one’s partisanship and his idealogy. Partisanship is influenced by one’s parents. Idealogy is what one is supposedly born with. All that schooling was for naught, I suppose.

President Reagan was an FDR Democrat. He became a staunch conservative. Alford stated that he thought Reagan would agree that his idealogy hadn’t changed, just his partisanship. It is easy to say that considering the former president is dead. Asman stated that he knew Arianna Huffington and she had changed her idealogy when she changed parties. Alford did not comment on that.

And then there is me. While my folks would have liked me to have voted for Reagan way back when, I was most definitely liberal. My idealogy was well . . . idealistic. I was young and felt that certain ideals (universal healthcare, etc.) were important. I changed my ideals as I matured. Yes, it was easier to do when I confirmed on 17 August 1998 my president had lied to me. But it was my idealogy which had changed. The partisanship was just a natural result of those changes.

I would like to read Alford’s study when it is ready, but I do not suspect it will tell me anything meaningful.

Also blogged on this date . . .

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