Thought of the Day

The basis for the political views you will hold for the rest of your life is solidified by the time you're in third grade. The majority of people think their political beliefs are the result of their own rational decision-making; they're severely deluded.

Comments

[Michele]

Cite?

[Mithras]

This authority.

[Michele]

So . . . is your ass binding or persuasive authority in this jurisdiction?

[Mithras]

Depends on how much fiber I'm getting.

[Gib]

So when people change their political orientation, whether they be "9/11 conservatives" or David Brock or Al Gore, former pro-life, dirty words in rap music hating gun nut - are they experiencing a real change, or is their changing event, be it 9/11 or the Starr investigation or whatever, just a catalyst that allows their true self to come forward?

[Mithras]

So when people change their political orientation, [is it] just a catalyst that allows their true self to come forward?

I think that's basically right, although by being vague I am leaving myself a lot of wiggle room. By "basis", I mean that personality traits like authoritarianism, tolerance for ambiguity, and desire for equality have sunk in by that age. That doesn't mean that the political behavior is unalterable, but that the alteration has to be reconciled to the basis whether that reconciliation is logical or not (e.g., small-government liberatarians who support the Bush Administration.)

Also, let's distinguish the positions of professional politicians and pundits - who get paid to say they believe things - from those of voters, who are the people I am talking about.