BBC: Why do people often vote against their own interests?

[tabasco]

Last year, in a series of "town-hall meetings" across the country, Americans got the chance to debate President Obama's proposed healthcare reforms.

What happened was an explosion of rage and barely suppressed violence.

Polling evidence suggests that the numbers who think the reforms go too far are nearly matched by those who think they do not go far enough.

But it is striking that the people who most dislike the whole idea of healthcare reform - the ones who think it is socialist, godless, a step on the road to a police state - are often the ones it seems designed to help.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8474611.stm

Bottom line: Many Americans are stupid.

[The Wielding Truth]

1. Our media has been compromised. There is no integrity in today's news.

[stray cat]

2. Bill Gates and Buffet are Idiots? Wealthy progressives vote against their financial interests

They vote their values I assume instead of their economic interest - so do many non-wealthy or working republicans. I guess you could argue that its good people are not so selfish to only vote their economic interests and actually give a damn about values instead of utter self-centeredness.

[ClassWarrior]

3. Wrong. Bottom line is that people vote their values, not their interests. Article...

Lakoff’s years of research and work with environmental and political leaders have been distilled into this essential guide, which shows progressives how to think in terms of values instead of programs, and why people vote their values and identities, often against their best interests.

http://walkingbutterfly.com/diary/2008/02/29/elephant/

NGU.

[tabasco]

4. "My values make me vote against my interests."

Noooooooooo. That's not stupid, is it? :dunce:

[ClassWarrior]

12. Read the book before you make *yourself* look like that smiley.

NGU.

[tabasco]

15. It's my bottom line, not the bottom line of the article.

Sorry for the confusion.

[ClassWarrior]

16. Then you're wrong, because there are plenty of measurably intelligent people who vote against...

...their own interests. And so it's worth our while to figure out why that is so.

The writings of Professor Lakoff have many of the answers.

NGU.

[BadgerKid]

5. Jedi mind tricks (i.e. distraction). n/t

[depakid]

6. While true, that wasn't anywhere close to the bottom line

Might be wise to read Westen & Frank's cited works, for a start.

If you get what they're saying, you'll be light years ahead of 90% of all the Dems.

[Better Today]

7. I think that the folks being discussed in the article,

are disadvantaged because they are not fully capable of critical thinking and are already showing signs of taking bad advise or they wouldn't be in their position.

This is NOT to say all disadvantaged persons, just the ones that fit into the voting against one's interest aspect. Many who are newly disadvantaged or were disadvantaged because of the actions of others, ie showed some ability to critical thinking and the successes that used to come with it, are not in that group.

[liberal N proud]

8. It takes a foreign media to tell this story?

[tinrobot]

9. People make emotional/ego based decisions, not rational ones.

[teacher gal]

10. I think it is often fear

engineered by propaganda that keeps some people voting against their own interests.

[Thothmes]

11. Maybe they do not see their vote as against their own interests.

[ClassWarrior]

14. Bingo! See the article in post #3...

NGU.

[Thothmes]

17. Disagree. What you perceive as their best interest

may not be what they perceive as their best interest. They will always vote for what they think is in their best interest, even if that perception is basee on intangibles like faith. Those out their that think they know what is best for every, often think that people do not vote in their best interest.

[ClassWarrior]

19. That's what I just said.

:crazy:

NGU.

[TheWatcher]

13. Perhaps if they were given REAL CHOICES instead of Corporate Controlled Puppets

Who never intended to serve their interests anyway, they'd actually have a chance to decide.

Well, except Republicans of course.

They can't even understand what their interests are, let alone vote for or against them.

However, you pretty much can count on one thing with them. If a candidate stands against a particular group (GLBT) or Issue (Abortion) they hate or want to see marginalized, you can bet they would vote, fight and die for that candidate, even if the cost meant their OWN marginalization and suffering, just to make sure that whatever group or issue got theirs, and got it good.

Hopeless lot no matter what choice they are given.

[Lex]

18. That's stupid. It's not just Americans who do this. nt

[ddeclue]

20. Propaganda works?

:shrug: