The Values-Vote Myth

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: The Values-Vote Myth
I found this op-ed piece in the NYT. Interestingly enough, I've been feeling the same about how Democrats are rationalizing the reason Bush got reelected--If you want to understand why Democrats keep losing elections, just listen to some coastal and university town liberals talk about how conformist and intolerant people in Red America are..

I have been reading many different articles about the post election feelings of the Democrats, which has lead me to conclude that Democrats are being a bit snobbish. One thing is disagree on key positions like abortion or the war, but another is to think that Red America are made up of bunch of homophobic rednecks. The fact of the matter is that it's not true. I also don't believe that there's a surge of Evangelical Republicans coming out to vote, but then again the country has been leaning more conservative than liberal. The reality is that the young people who tend to be more liberal on social issues didn't vote. That's the bottom line.

I have to be honest. This is the first year that I vote. I never bothered to vote in the past. If I had registered in time in 2000, I would have voted for Bush. I didn't like Al Gore. He didn't move me. Bush wasn't so bad. I changed my mind on him because I don't feel that anyone has been held accountable for the obvious lack of accurate intelligence when it comes to the war. I don't necessarily disagree with everything Bush has done, but I do recognize the importance of the balance of power. I use to consider myself a Republican in the economic sense, but I lean toward the left on some social issues. Besides, you should vote for a candidate based on issues not what party they belong to. This is a lesson that I'm beginning to understand more and more as I dig into the political arena.