Cyclists are liberals?! (Retry)

[Skierchickie]

Liza: You make very good points.
Here is my reasoning. I have voted in primary elections before, but I generally want to vote for the person from one party for one office, and somebody from another party for another. In Michigan you are required to register as one or the other (at least in the presidential primary), and the lists are sent to the national party. It isn't just a verbal selection. That is what I object to. I consider myself an independent.

Also, after thinking about it quite a bit this year, I realize that the primaries are for the sake of each party being able to choose its best candidate. If I don't consider myself as one or the other, and want to be free to vote for the person I see as the best one for the job, then maybe I have no business mucking up the waters for those that are actual party backers. Does this make any sense?

Anyway, I see it as a very imperfect system. Not that there is a perfect one. I really get sick of the "my party is right and the other party is wrong, no matter what" attitude that the government seems to have. The finger pointing often gets in the way of doing the right thing.

[tulip]

I don't mind talking about my political leanings, but I don't wear it on my sleeve or on my car. In my profession, I have to work with organizations and government agencies from across the political spectrum. I seek out commonalities. We are all working towards the same goal, and sometimes a bumper sticker will get in the way if someone comes to the table with a preconceived notion of who they are dealing with.

But y'all aren't my profession, so I'm happy to say that I'm very much on the liberal (in the U.S. political system sense) side of things, mostly.

[Mr. Bloom]

There's no category for a fiscal conservative and social moderate.

I don't mind talking about my political leanings, but I don't wear it on my sleeve or on my car.

Me too

[kfergos]

Alas, I couldn't do every single combination of political leaning. I think the American system, at least, could be revamped significantly for some major improvements. For example, why not be able to vote for ANY candidate in ANY election?

I think cyclists may get deemed liberal because we ride, which is environmentally friendly, and people associate that with hippies and liberals.

I think this must be it, although I never would've thought that for recreational cyclists. I was originally thinking that there are plenty of conservative businessmen (for instance) who buy super-expensive bikes but would classify themselves as conservative. Maybe if you asked people who mainly commuted to work on bike, the demographic would be different. It seemed like why would mainly recreational cyclists have a higher liberal population than conservative? But maybe more conservative people ride ATVs or snowmobiles or go hunting or something (to pick a few probably wildly inaccurate stereotypes), and leave the enjoying the outdoors by person-power to liberals?

Makes you wonder about other sports, too... Running? Swimming? Water polo?

[Fredwina]

There's no category for a fiscal conservative and social moderate.


Me too

I believe in the US, they're called Libertarians (although the Libertarian party is probably more socially liberal.)

[shootingstar]

In Canada (Federally) we have Liberals, Conservatives, New Democrats, the Green Party, and few others (different in Quebec tho). And Provincially, we have Liberals who aren't liberal at all but are very conservative and New Dems who are more or less Liberal. Weird.

Yes, agree that at the provincial level in B.C., our Liberals who are in power right now,...are quite conservative.....

The better thing about Canadian politics federally and provincially, is that it is quite rare in the past few decades, that a politician would regularily invoke religious themes and references to "God" into their speeches, campaigns. Thank goodness...don't need to mix church and state, or clutter/confuse the public's mind even more.


As for why cyclists are perceived as liberals...maybe:
1) a bike looks and is a cheaper form of transportation. It's not a status symbol like the car. The car truly is a still a powerful status symbol in terms of a person's statement about their "perceived" income.

So maybe the subservsive logic in the minds of non-cyclists is the cyclist is "poorer" (though statistics have shown that this is clearly not always true) and hence, cyclists are perceived as a group which they feel govn't should subsidize/assist in range of programs and services.

2) Public advocacy efforts of some cycling advocates just may put them out of mainstream behaviour and thinking for the vast majority who don't cycle.

[Kano]

When I'm on the roads, I'm either on my bike or in my SUV.

According to the original tale of bikers being accused of being liberals by the SUV driver (so we "assume" conservatism?) where do I fit in?

Karen in Boise

[Love2Ride]

I too am careful about revealing my political leanings at work. I think I know someone very well, but then I find that sometimes I am surprised by a person's views on issues near and dear to my heart. I have to be careful, because I know that revealing your political leanings in a work situation can actually can alter how someone views you.

For the record, my leanings are towards the left.

Some of my very good friends are more conservative than I am. I just look at it as one of the interesting differences among friends!

[Biciclista]

Well, what's funny is that what I am is called Liberal, but my ideals are very conservative. Conserve fuel, conserve land, treasure our resources, have less children. but that's a liberal for you.

[VeloVT]

Back to the comment that inspired this thread... I think people with road rage will sometimes just yell anything out the window, and it doesn't necessarily reflect any kind of broader social phenomenon.

My boyfriend and I were riding this summer in a part of the state where there are wealthy people with shoreline summer homes, and very poor people who live there year round, and not much in between. We came to a three-way intersection in which we had the right of way (we actually didn't have a stopsign), and some guy in a rusty car, coming from the other direction (also no stop sign, but we would never cross paths unless he were taking a left turn, which he wasn't) yells out the window to us, "single file, f*ckbags!". Whahuh? I'm pretty sure I don't even know what a f*ckbag is, and for the record, we were riding single file and to the left, but for some reason he felt compelled or entitled to yell obscenities at us (even it wouldn't have even been possible for to obstruct his passage since we were going in opposite directions, each on our respective sides of the yellow line, and there was no other traffic)...

So I wouldn't be surprised if the subtext of the "liberal" comment was more economic than political.

EDIT:
Although I don't know, Kfergos, according to the results of your poll, he might have been right . I would not necessarily have expected that either... and it may have to do with something regarding TE demographics... are we representative? It seems like there is a greater number of TE'ers from the pacific northwest and California than other parts of the country (which makes sense given TE's real-world location). Wonder if that if of consequence?

[Eden]

EDIT:
Although I don't know, Kfergos, according to the results of your poll, he might have been right . I would not necessarily have expected that either... and it may have to do with something regarding TE demographics... are we representative? It seems like there is a greater number of TE'ers from the pacific northwest and California than other parts of the country (which makes sense given TE's real-world location). Wonder if that if of consequence?

Don't discount that this is the internet too. Though it is not a total bastion of liberalism, it does tend have slightly more left leaning demographics.

[CyclaSutra]

After years of eschewing bumper stickers, I finally put two on my Toyota this year: "Grow Cycling" and "Coexist." Benign enough, eh? No retaliation that I can tell, yet, but I did get a person in a colorful VW van with bikes attached yell something and flash the peace sign out the window this summer a couple days before the Rainbow Family gathered nearby. I think maybe he liked the stickers?

I think TE'ers probably lean a little bit bit more liberal because we're mostly women, and we care more about the right to choose -- choose to cycle, choose to vote, choose whether or not to have a child -- because these are not rights that were inalienably ours not so long ago, and we've had to fight for them.

I am not active in politics because I'm a journalist, and I try to maintain whatever impartiality I can. I don't belong to any political groups, because people trying to discredit you could point to your membership in said group as a political leaning. All that being said, I mostly write and edit about fun or noncontroversial things like Girl Scout cookie sales, art openings, missing deer heads, stinky paper towels, obituaries, etc. so maybe I go overboard in my apolitical care. I'm also a perceiver instead of a judger, so I can see both sides. (ENTP)

Many people have assumed that I'm a liberal because I'm A) a woman and B) a journalist. I won't say that they're far off-base, but I vote for the candidate who I believe is either A) best suited for the job or B) the lesser of all evils. I would say that I'm socially liberal, but a little more fiscally conservative than most liberals. I think partly that comes from growing up poor but with parents too proud to accept any government help. Because the poll is so black-and-white, I did click "Liberal," as I guess it's the most accurate choice for me.

In Wyoming, you must register as Rep or Dem to vote in the primary. I am registered as a Rep (unless I change it at the polls because I feel strongly that year about voting for a Dem) because most of the local politicians (county commission, etc.) are running on the Republican primary ticket, and you would lose your voice in the primary if you didn't vote Republican. Generally, there are very few or no Democrats running against each other in the primary. When I told my lesbian sister that I was registered as a Republican, she was aghast. "Things you didn't know about your sister!"

Locally, I always vote for pathways. I almost always vote for the women who choose to run. I almost always vote for the kooks with radical ideas. Nationally, these trends are not so true for me ...

[Mr. Bloom]

I was originally thinking that there are plenty of conservative businessmen (for instance) who buy super-expensive bikes but would classify themselves as conservative.

I resemble that remark

But, I believe that at the core of all widespread conservation lies an economic justification, not a political leaning.

Using this as simply one issue, I support energy conservation because I believe it's in our national interests...in fact, I support higher energy prices to create the stimulus to change behavior. Some might find my support of 'free markets' unconscionable, but our objective is the same even if our means to the end are different...

So, this is why I dislike political labels...and try to avoid characterizing people based on them.

I believe in the US, they're called Libertarians (although the Libertarian party is probably more socially liberal.)

I definitely don't resemble that remark

[Crankin]

Well, thinking about some of the comments my husband and son used to get while riding (always from guys in pick ups) maybe cyclists are perceived as liberals because the males aren't afraid to wear lycra? I mean, this is a big thing for some. Of course, my husband gets made fun of for wearing capris and having a polka dot umbrella by some of the sales guys at his company. According to him, they are the only conservatives there.

[VeloVT]

Yeah Crankin, at the time we thought that the Lycra might have something to do with it too, unfortunately. He was riding in front, and I am not well endowed/do not have long hair, and might have been mistaken for a boy at a passing glance, with helmet, sunglasses etc.

I wish people were not so hateful.