CarolineBlodgett

UWRT1103
Blandford
InquiryFinal
StartingTheConversation
IchosetodomyresearchonConservativeRepublicans.ThereasonIchosethissubjectis
becauseIamaLiberal.Iwantedtoobtainabetterunderstandingofwhytheybelievecertain
thingssoIcouldbecomelessjudgmentalofthem.IdidntknowalotaboutConservative
RepublicansbeforeIbeganmyresearch.Iknewtheybelievedinsmallgovernment,nogun
control,anddefundingplannedparenthood.MostofthethingsIknewaboutConservative
Republicansandtheirviews,Ihadobtainedfromthemediaandwhatmyparentshadtoldme.
BeforethisprojectIhadnevertakenituponmyselftoreallyunderstandtheConservative
thoughtprocess.MyparentsassociatewiththeDemocratpartyaswell,soIhadneverobtained
anunbiasedopiniononConservativeRepublicans.ThroughmyresearchIhaveabetter
understandingastowhytheyfeelsostronglyaboutparticularthings,andhaveopenedmymind
uptodifferentideasinvolvingpolitics.LearningmoreaboutConservativeRepublicanshas
reallyinterestedmebecausemyviewsarecompletelyoppositeoftheirs.ThroughthisresearchI
haveseenacompletelydifferentsideofpolitics.Thishashelpedmebecomelessignorantonthe
subjectandhashelpedmestopbeingsojudgmental.
Seeingashowmytopicisverybroad,therehavebeenbothadvantagesand
disadvantagesregardingmyresearch.Thereisatonofinformationonthetopic,butgoing
throughitallandputtingitintoacohesivepaperhasbeenachallenge.Idecidedtostartmy

researchoffbylookingintostatisticsaboutConservativeRepublicans.IfoundthatConservative
RepublicanstendtoliveintheSouthandMidwestareas.Ialsofoundthat,Republicanstendto
liveoutsideofconcentratedurbanareasandthatRepublicanaffiliationincitieswith
populationsover500,000isonly39percent,comparedwith52percentinsuburbanareasand59
percentinruralareas(debt.org).Urbanareastendtobemorediverse,whileruralareasare
saturatedwithConservatives.Money,race,andvaluesplayalargeroleinpolitics.Idiscovered
that,sixtypercentofmarriedmenvoteRepublican,alongwith55percentofmarriedwomenI
amnotexactlysurewhythisisthecase,butIcanspeculateithassomethingtodowithholding
traditionalvalues(debt.org).Comparatively,only23percentofgay,lesbianorbisexual
individualsidentifyasRepublicanwhichalsoprobablyhassomethingtodowithtraditional
values(debt.org).AsIsaidbeforemoneyplaysahugeroleinpolitics.Anastonishing63
percentofindividualsearning$200,000ormoreayearsupport[]Republicanscomparedto
individualsearninglessthan$15,000ayear,whosupportDemocratsat63percentand
Republicansatonly36percentsuchcontrastboilsdowntoonething,whichisvalues(debt.org).
Myresearchleadmetoarangeofquestionsregardingrace,age,andreligion.The
averageRepublicanis50whiletheaverageDemocratis47.Thisdoesnotseemlikeahugeage
gap,butDemocratsareonaveragethreeyearsyoungerduetothevaluesoftheGOP.Younger
peoplearestartingtosidemorewithDemocratsvaluesandweseethenumbersincreasing
especiallytoday.Ifoundthat,Republicansarepredominantlywhite,with87percentofthem
identifyingasnonHispanicwhite(debt.org).IdidntthinkthattheRepublicanpartywouldbe
sosimilarregardingrace.IthinkthisiswhytheDemocratpartyismoreappealingtoyounger
people.TheUnitedStatesisslowlydevelopingintoamoderatecountry.Withthelegalizationof

gaymarriage,ourfirstblackpresident,andlegalizationofmarijuanaitseemsasthoughthe
traditionalRepublicanvaluesarebeingforgotten.BeforeIstartedthisresearchIreallydidnt
thinktwiceabouthowreligionplaysaroleinpolitics,butIfoundthatGOPcandidatesearn59
percentofallProtestantvotes,67percentofallwhiteProtestantvotes,52percentoftheCatholic
voteandonly25percentoftheJewishvoteprovinghowreligionisinfactahugefactorin
politics(debt.org).ThisstatisticregardingreligionalsoconnectsbacktoapreviousfactI
mentionedregardingruralareasbeingsaturatedwithRepublicans.FrommyownexperienceI
havenoticedthatChristiansandRepublicansoftenholdthesametraditionalvalues.Thiswould
accountforthemasspercentageofthemvotingpredominantlyRepublican.
Ihavealsobeenlookingatdifferentnewsoutletsregardingthe2016presidential
campaignandspecificallyDonaldTrump.TrumpidentifiesasaConservativeRepublicanandis
currentlyleadingthepollsfortheGOP.Thisisconcerninginmultipleways.Trumprecently
calledforatotalandcompleteshutdownofMuslimsenteringtheUnitedStatesuntilour
country'srepresentativescanfigureoutwhatisgoingonunsympathetictowards
refugees(cnn.com).Thiscomesasnosurpriseifyoufollowthenews.Trumpcontinuouslymakes
racistcommentsandisbreakingpoliticalnormsthatwouldruinotherpoliticians.After
conductingmyresearchonConservativeRepublicansIfoundthatTrumpfitsintoevery
stereotype.IknowthatTrumpisonamoreextremeend,butsinceheisrelevanttomyresearchI
wantedtoknowmoreabouthimandhissupporters.IfoundthatTrumpssupportersareabit
older,lesseducatedandearnlessthantheaverageRepublicanandslightlyoverhalfare
women(realclearpolitics.com).Halfofhissupportersarebetween45and64yearsofage,with
another34percentover65yearsoldandlessthan2percentyoungerthan30obviously

appealingtoanoldercrowd(realclearpolitics.com).Ialsoreadthathalfofhissupportershavea
highschooldiplomaorless.IwantedtoseehowdifferentnewsoutletsportrayedTrumpinthe
media.AfterbacklashfromthepublicregardingTrumpscommentsaboutMuslims,FoxNews
describedTrumpscommentsastypicalTrumpfashionsaying,thetoughtalkingtycoonisnot
walkingbackanythingallowinghiscommentsbecauseitisTrump(foxnews.com).Withallof
thisbeingsaid,asayoungAmericanIcantimaginewhatothercountriesarethinkingaboutus
rightnow.AlthoughhisstatementsaboutMuslimshavehadRepublicans,Democrats,Muslim
leaders,theUNandforeignleadersonedgecallinghisstatements,dangerousanddivisiveit
stillconcernsmethatthemereconsiderationofTrumpbecomingpresidentcouldmakeusseem
likeajoke(bbc.com).
ThroughoutmyresearchwhatIhavenoticedmostisthattheRepublicanpartyisa
homogenousgroupforthemostpart.Thispartylacksdiversityanditshowsinthenumbers.
AfterreadingwhatthetypicalRepublicanlookslike,Inoticedthatmyparentsfitintothat
category.MyparentscouldmaketheperfectRepublicans,butIamgladthattheyareLiberals.
IdentifyingasaLiberalmyselfhassetthefoundationforwhoIamtoday.IhavenoticedthatI
carealotmoreaboutthenewsandwhatisgoingon.ItconnectstomyliteracybecauseIam
constantlyreadingarticlesandkeepingmyselfupdated.IalsohavetheCNNapponmyphone
whichmakesitsupereasytostayinvolved.Iloveknowingwhatisgoingonaroundtheworld.
Myparentshavemademethisway.Mydadisconstantlytellingmetoreadmore,orlearnmore
abouttheworld.Theyneverwantmymindtogetstuckinoneplace.Ihavealsonoticedthat
beingaLiberalIammoreacceptingofothercomparedtomyfriends.EventhoughIcannot
connectwithsomeonedirectlyaboutbeingonwelfare,Iunderstandthatnoteveryonewasgiven

thesameopportunitiesasIwas.IunderstandthatIamtheminoritywhenitcomestomoney,and
notalotofpeoplehavebeenasprivilegedasIam.Ibelieveinhelpingpeoplewhodidnthave
thesamechancesasIdid,andatmycorethatiswhatmakesmeaLiberal.
Irememberfromayoungagealwaysquestioningreligionandpolitics.Myparentsbegan
havingrealpoliticalconversationswithmearoundtheageof12,andIwasalwayscuriousasto
whypeopleidentifiedasRepublicanorDemocrat.Thatisreallywhenmypoliticalaffiliation
becamemyownratherthanmyparents.TheyneveroncetoldmeIhadbeaLiberal.One
particularconversationIrememberwaswithmyfriend,Samis,dad.Iwas13,andhewas
probably45andsomehowthisconversationturnedpolitical(grantedIwasprobablytheoneto
blameforthis).Itstartedwhenherdadmadearudecommentaboutpeopleonwelfare,yesthisis
extremelycommon,andthesepeopleareoftenmistakenforbeinglazy,butmyparents
constantlyremindedmethatthiswasnotalwaysthecase.Solikeanysassy13yearoldwould,I
challengedhim,andinthatmomentIfeltconfidentinwhatIbelievedin.Ihavealwaysbeen
outspoken,andsinceIamprettywelleducatedonwhatIamtalkingaboutIfeellikeitisokay
formetochallengepeople.Myliteracyhasallowedmetodevelopmoreasaperson,ithas
allowedmetoexpressmyselfandbeconfidentinwhatIbelievein.Ifmyparentsneverput
emphasisondoingmyownresearchIwouldnotbewhoIamtoday.Icannotstandwhenpeople
myagetellmetheirpoliticalaffiliationisRepublicanorDemocratjustbecauseoftheirparents.
Thisisnotjustapoliticalconversationthough.Thishasledmetoreadnewsoutletsina
differentway.Ihavebecomemoreawareofbiasinarticles,books,television,andIhadnever
reallytakenthetimetodothisbefore.AsIsaidbeforeIhavetheCNNapponmyphone,but
insteadofjustreadingthatInowreadeveryperspectiveonthesubject.Thisconnectstomy

literacymemoirbecauseIfeelmoreconfidentinthewayIwasraised.AsImentionedinmy
memoir,myparentswerealwayspushingmetoread,anddoingthispapermademerealizethat
valuingreadingfromayoungagehashelpedmenow.Iloveexpandingmyknowledge,andthis
paperwasenjoyableforme.Itmadememuchmoresecureinmyidentitywhileunderstandinga
newoneaswell.TomakethispublicIthinktheonlywayIwouldwanttodothatisinablog.
Iwouldlovetohavepeoplecommentonmyposts,views,opinions,andgetfeedbackfrom
peoplewhoagreewithwhatImsayingbutalsodisagree.WhatIamtryingtodowiththis
writingisstartaconversationbetweenyoungpeople.Theotherdaytwoofmyfriendsdidnt
knowwhattheGOPortheMosquewas.Thisisthekindofthingthatisunacceptabletome.I
wantmygenerationtostarttalkingaboutAmericaandwhatsgoingtohappenwhenwearethe
onescontrollingit.Ijustwanttostarttheconversation.

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DonaldTrump'sMuslimUSbancallroundlycondemned
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Fay,Bill.
EconomicDemographicsofRepublicans
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Synder,Christopher.
TrumpdoublesdownonvowtobarMuslims
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Web.8Dec.2015.