The Political Brain. Why do Republicans and Democrats differ? Perhaps it's all in the head.

New York Times Magazine ^ | August 22, 2004 | STEVEN JOHNSON

[gitmo]

Bookmark for reading when I'm awake.

[Jason Kauppinen]

Sounds like craniology to me.

[bikepacker67]

the amygdala, the almond-shaped body that lies below the neocortex, in an older brain region sometimes called the limbic system.

Do liberals ''think'' with their limbic system more than conservatives do?

Tell me how you FEEEEEEEL.

[swilhelm73]

They become Democrats first and then decide that they, say, oppose capital punishment and support trade unions.

Another take on this is that the Left is about claiming power. So those involved in it, in direct relation to their level of involvement, will base their views on an issue on whatever will increase their, or their ally's, power. Probably the greatest evidence of this is the almost random seeming stances adopted by leftwing politics.

[Prime Choice]

A few months before retiring from public office in 2002, the House majority leader Dick Armey caused a mini-scandal when he announced during a speech in Florida, "Liberals are, in my estimation, just not bright people."

Oh, that's a real scandal...especially after Liberals have been referring to Republican voters and candidates as "stupid" for the past 5 decades.

[Carry_Okie]

One thing is certain: evidence of a neurological difference between liberal and conservative brains would not be another instance of genetic determinism, since patterns of brain activity are shaped by experience as much as by genes.

Merely an indication that the damage done by public schools and depraved media is physical. Were I a Democrat, I would sue.

[speedy]

It still would not explain why so many peoples positions change over the course of their lives. However, it is not unreasonable to suppose that certain physiological differences contribute to differing political viewpoints. It probably explains why liberals are whining and crying all the time.

[OldFriend]

Guess it would have been better if he called them nazi's like we are constantly being called.

[GSlob]

"Do liberals ''think'' with their limbic system more than conservatives do?"
The science of liberalology has firmly established that liberals do most of their "thinking" with lower parts of their gastric systems and/or urogenital tract.

[buzzyboop]

Bookmark for reading when I'm awake.

Why? You'll fall back asleep within seconds. However, I did find the final sentence telling, at least about Dims:

Prozac showed us that the slightest tinkering with brain chemistry could have transformative effects on a person's worldview. Who is to say those effects don't travel all the way to the voting booth?

So that's what make Dims tick.

[Iam1ru1-2]

Demonrats react subjectively, using emotions as their guiding light, making them oh so effiminate. "I will conduct a more "thoughtful", more "sensitive" war on terror", by forcing our military to wear pink uniforms.

Republicans on the whole (except RINOS) react objectively, using logic, reason, and common sense, not allowing emotions to cloud their thought process in reaching a conclusion.

[Prime Choice]

Guess it would have been better if he called them nazi's like we are constantly being called.

Considering that Kerry is calling on Bush to silence dissenters who don't like Kerry and is also calling on publishers to withdraw books that tell the truth about Kerry, I'd say the Nazi label fits the Liberals far better than our side.

[mlbford2]

Bookmark for later when sufficiently drunk.

[Brytani]

I question these findings. They didn't include bringing a proctologist in prior to the examination of Democrats brains.

[mlbford2]

My wife was a Democrat when I met her. I was a Moderate Conservative. Now, 7yrs later, she is a raving, right wing nut and I'm still a MC.

[Iam1ru1-2]

Now the demonrats are calling President Bush a premeditated murderer by saying he knew that the WTC buildings were going to be bombed and allowed it to happen. So whatever the GOP say, it will NEVER COME CLOSE TO THE demonrats have spewed with their venomous rhetoric.

[bikepacker67]

Bookmark for later when sufficiently drunk.

You better catch up! ;-)

[Iam1ru1-2]

Republicans take Prozac, demonrats take Progesterone.

[austingirl]

No, Dick Armey was correct. Libs are not very bright.