Posted by
SteveTate on Sunday, September 20, 2009 12:47:56 PM
"Anyone who opposes Obamacare is a selfish, heartless bast_rd." (Can't use that language on Townhall!)
Many on the left would agree with that statement, and the conventional wisdom in the traditional media is that liberals are more caring and selfless than their friends on the conservative side. But how do you know for sure?
Well, for a start you could look at socialogical studies and surveys done by credentialed researchers and unbiased members of academia. That's what author Arthur C. Brooks did in his book "Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism"
Brooks found among other things:
- Although liberal families' incomes average 6 percent higher than those of conservative families, conservative-headed
households give, on average, 30 percent more to charity than
the average liberal-headed household ($1,600 per year vs.
$1,227).
- Conservatives also donate more time and give more blood.
- Residents of the states that voted for John Kerry in 2004 gave smaller percentages of their incomes to charity than did
residents of states that voted for George Bush.
- Bush carried 24 of the 25 states where charitable giving
was above average.
- People who reject the idea that "government has a responsibility to reduce income inequality" give an average of
four times more than people who accept that proposition.
Mr. Brooks reported in a Wall Street Journal column this year that in 2008 secular conservatives gave on average $1,100 more in charitable donations than secular liberals. (Ironically employees of major charities favored Democrats over Republicans in their private political contributions by a margin of 82% to 18%.)
In May of 2008 the Gallup poll asked 1,200 American adults
about their giving patterns. Forty-Two percent of those
surveyed called themselves "conservative" or "very
conservative" and gave 56% of the total reported charitable
donations. "Liberals" and "very liberal" responents
represented 29% of the total polled, but gave only 7% of the
total donations. So the average conservative in the polled
group donated 5 1/2 times more than the average liberal.
In "Makers and Takers" Hoover Institution research fellow Peter Schweizer documented that:
- Conservatives give more to charity than liberals at all income levels. When Liberals do donate, it tends to be for institutions such as museums, galleries, and universities, whereas conservatives are more apt to donate to organizations that help people more directly.
- Seventy-one percent of conservatives say you have an
obligation to care for a seriously injured spouse or parent
versus less than half (46 percent) for liberals.
- Conservatives have a better work ethic and are much less
likely to call in sick than their liberal counterparts.
- Liberals are two and a half times more likely to be
resentful of others’ success and 50 percent more likely to be
jealous of other people’s good luck.
- Liberals are two times more likely to say it is ok to cheat
the government out of welfare money you don’t deserve.
- Conservatives are more likely than liberals to hug their
children and “significantly more likely” to display positive
nurturing emotions.
- Liberals are less trusting of family members and much less
likely to stay in touch with their parents.
- When asked, "Do you get satisfaction from putting someone else’s happiness ahead of your own?" Fifty-five percent of
conservatives said yes versus only 20 percent of liberals.
So those who oppose Obamacare probably aren't selfish or heartless, though some may be bast_rds--or perhaps racists. We may need some more studies on that. Liberals can't be wrong on everything they say, can they?