I'm a lifelong.........

[cityimrov]

I met a few people like this.  They say "I'm a lifelong Democrat/Republican" and they mean it.  During the last election, I met someone who voted for someone they disagreed with.  That politician went against every moral, ideological, and fundamental value they had.  They voted for that one even when they had a few other choices that were closer to their ideal candidate.  

When I asked them why they voted for that politician, they said "I'm a lifelong [Party Name].  There's no possible way I can vote any other way."  They were angry they voted that way and if I pushed them any further, they probably would have cried or would have kicked me out of the room.  

I've met quite a lot of people like this.  What causes people to act like this?  They have a choice, quite a lot of choices, but they act like they were forced to vote for a particular person. 

[Dog Walker]

Tribalism.  Same as football fans.

[Bativac]

I met a few people like this.  They say "I'm a lifelong Democrat/Republican" and they mean it.  During the last election, I met someone who voted for someone they disagreed with.  That politician went against every moral, ideological, and fundamental value they had.  They voted for that one even when they had a few other choices that were closer to their ideal candidate.  

When I asked them why they voted for that politician, they said "I'm a lifelong [Party Name].  There's no possible way I can vote any other way."  They were angry they voted that way and if I pushed them any further, they probably would have cried or would have kicked me out of the room.  

I've met quite a lot of people like this.  What causes people to act like this?  They have a choice, quite a lot of choices, but they act like they were forced to vote for a particular person. 

Weird, isn't it? They pick whoever the party is running regardless of the candidate's ability, history, etc.

I'm a registered independent and have voted all over the place. My dad is a registered democrat, has been since the 1970s. He voted increasingly Republican up until the 1990s and I don't think he's voted since. He lost all faith in the political process. I'm starting to see where he's coming from. I guess when you think all options suck and don't want to "throw your vote away" (as I guess I've done on occasion) on a 3rd party candidate, you go with the party line.

Dog Walker is right, though. Many people are that way with everything - sports teams, restaurants, etc. "So-and-So Cafe has the BEST whatever" even when you present them with a clearly superior version of the same dish from a competing restaurant.

[finehoe]

I try to limit my interactions with those kind of people.

[Cliffs_Daughter]

Tribalism.  Same as football fans.

PERFECT analogy.   Instinct of the herd.

[Ernest Street]

Both Parties Lie...no one is delivering. who do you trust in this Charade that we go through?



Cityimrov...People have called me everything from negative to hyper-sensitive because they did not want to look at what is going on around them. I'm a bummer and get in the way of their bubble life.
Why do people have to become sheep? 

[dougskiles]

So - nobody here is guilty of this?  I confess, I have many times voted by party line and sometimes have later regretted it (but not always).  I think what happens is you make a choice to support a certain political idealogy at a fairly young age - and most often that choice is influenced by your parents.  And then you start getting fed by that side about how evil the other side is.  If you're not listening to both sides, it is hard not to get caught up in it.  I suppose the perfect person always votes based on sound objective reasoning.  Unfortunately, I'm not perfect.

[cityimrov]

If you're not listening to both sides, it is hard not to get caught up in it.

There is actually two sides to a particular issue and solution.  The first side is the realistic, reality, absolute truth of the current situation with it's realistic solution.  The second side is what various groups of people think about an issue.  As a subsection of that second side, this area is dominated by two groups, the Republicans and the Democrats.  Those two sides spend all day yelling at each other on obscure topics. 

Most people I meet are smart enough to realize when something isn't going to work in reality.  The "Lifelong Democrat/Republican" know it too otherwise they wouldn't be angry/sad/not want to talk about this particular issue.  The thing I don't get is they know it's not going to work, the solution they arguing about isn't the answer, yet they vote for it!  

[jandar]

A lot of times a vote isn't for a candidate, its against the other running one.

[finehoe]

^^Very true.