September 29, 2006
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Perceptions
Michael Steele is running for the U.S. Senate.
He is one of the leaders who has spoken against human rights violations in Darfur.
He is in favor of affirmative action programs.
He helped lead an effort to provide 70 million in grants to minority-owned business.
He feels that solar and renewables are the energy sources for the future.
He opposes amnesty for undocumented workers.
Michael Steele is a Republican.
Did you automatically assume that this candidate was a Democrat?
Comments (149)
yup you would assume so.
Yes I did.
Yeah.
actually, i did
lol ya
No, the differences between the two parties are becoming illusionary. Politicians are politicians.
NO because I am familiar with the campaign.
Yes.
Yes, I did, but admittedly I am reactionary and ignorant.
I don’t trust anyone with a cut n paste liberal or conservative agenda.
I trust no one, because I am a cynic.
I think that can change in time.
Perhaps.
Could it for you, reader who identifies as a cynic?
No.
actually, i didn’t, but only because i didn’t think that was where you were headed. interesting, though.
nope, there are some moderates
no. Republicans are not always conservative just like Democrats are not always liberal.
Actually, I’m surprised that he’s part of either party.
u just never know anymore with politicians
No. All the things you listed are things each person has to sort out for themselves. Granted, if you had thrown the abortion issue in, then I would have “assumed” something. Obviously, I am not as up on the other issues. Why is it that looking for alternative uses for fuel is a democrat/republican thing? I wish we could all just drop the labels and sort the issues out for what is best for this country. Then you would get into “what is best” and “who says so”. Grief!
did i make the first page???????????
I thought what he stands for is a pretty nice combo and that he is likely to be voted by Republicans and Democrats. I thought he was a conservative Democrat.
No…because I don’t even know the difference when it comes to things like that. I purposely avoided learning so I wouldn’t label people. It’s not the label, but the person that counts. History has proved that again & again.
you assume there is a difference between Republicans and Democrats…
Not once you said he opposed amnesty for undocumented workers. The rest could go either way.
has proven…duh
Nope but I definately was leaning that way.
oh i soooo made the first page! there are some advantages to staying home & being sick!
no b/c i know nothing ’bout politics
WHAT!?!?
i favor conservative liberals, and liberal conservatives even more because they’re so rare.
no. I am a Republican, and I would support all of those things if I was in office (and do as a voter).
no, i assumed he was a totalitarian, aka a member of one of the top two major parties.
Yeah, I was sure he was a democrat. I hope people use their heads this election and look at the issues rather than just what party the candidate belongs to.
In fact, I did. I wonder that he is a Republican, since they often oppose half the things on that list. But if it was just based on those things you listed, I’d vote for him regardless of party affiliation.
he sounded more like an independent to me. he’ll probably change his tune once he’s in office.
He must be a die hard anti-war activist.
Hahah, yes!
hahahaha WOW
i totally did!!
Fight Mental Illness Stigma
No…But, he sounds like a good canidate.
Based on what I read so far, I`d probably vote for him. Rep, or Demo.
Doesnt matter. It`s what a person stands for that`s important.
No, didn’t even think about it.
Nope. I don’t assume. :Þ
unfortunately, i did. i have become very biased in what i believe is a Republican and a Democrat. mebbe there are still good Republicans out there….
No
I think the question would have been more difficult to answer if the person in question were White. If I had seen his picture before formulating an answer, I might have said yes. My intitial response was no because I read it in my subscriptions. As much as I try to pretend that I don’t stereotype people, I do.
In my opinion Republican and Democrats are just labels. They don’t determine what a person values socially and politically.
I didn’t think about what party he was in as I read your description. Unfortionately there is very little difference between the two parties anymore. I think we need to go back to a 4, 6, or even higher number of parties to make sure that everyone’s voice can be heard, not just those that fit into the small area that the GOP and Democratic parties cover.
African-americans are, what, 80% democratic by vote?
No, just sounded like a guy I’d want to consider a vote for.
Like that kid said on that movie Maid in Manhatten,
“What’s the difference these days?”
Oh, wow.
I don’t know anything about the political parties or what they each believe in…
egh…. politicians…. some of them are as two faced as a playing card… so you never know… they usually dip their chip in many bowls…
~Lynds
The only thing it is safe for me to assume is that I will be wrong if I assume.In answer to your question,yes.
Dan kindly gave me permission to post the following:
“THE UGLIEST THING EVER CONTEST”
If you have something that you think is”The Ugliest Thing Ever “(Socks,a knik-knak,a pet,sister,sofa,neck tie…)please submit picture entries via my “Message Me”.I will compile entries for a future post
<TABLE class=navigation cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=”100%” border=0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD>seedsower
No.
^^^Why does it do that?
Nope. I really like steel but democrats are attacking him any stupid way they can. Like Illegally obtaining his credit report
And this is less illegal but even MORE stupid.
Well, he is a moderate republican then. at least he has it right on the amnesty issue
Nope. Hate to break it to you. I do like his views, though.
-Guru on the Hill
Nope. Hate to break it to you. I do like his views, though.
-Guru on the Hill
Uuugh!
I knew who he was from the start…
Because he is running in my State.
No- I will not vote for him either.
BUT I guess, in general people assume that black means democrat and white means republican…
NOW- let me tell you about the HOTTIE who is running for Governor here!
Martin O’Malley! Mmmmpf!
He has great arms- and is always showing them with rolled up sleeves- it totally sets me off!
I am an ARM girl so he gets my votes…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sugarfreak/4594225/in/set-338515/
XoxoxoX
Jane
The words “republican” and “democrat” have lost whatever meaning they once had. In my eyes, they’re all simply politicians.
On a related note, my father used to work at one of these minority owned businesses. The government gave his employer hundreds of thousands of my, yes, MY, money simply due to the fact that the guy happened to be black. The business went bankrupt in a year because of unsound business practices (i.e., the guy had no idea how to run a business). I mean, why would he have a reason to be frugal in his spending? It wasn’t his money after all. And this is certainly not an isolated incident…
Basically, the governement is trying to artificially create businesses owned by minorities by giving them gobs of cash and then skipping town. Then the business fails because the owner never learned how to be efficient and careful. And in the process the government wastes untold billions of your money.
And people wonder why America gets no respect…
No, cause he’s running in my state.
I didn’t think about it. I just thought he sounded cool.
hah, love it, Dan. kill those stereotypes good.
The only thing that made me think he was a democrat was the affirmative action stance.
Yes
Kind of.
No
Actually I read all that, looked at his picture, and thought “Republican”. Go fig.
haha…. actually, yes I did. Now i feel stupid. =P
I don’t know much of anything about him-guess I had better look more into the candidates.
actually, yes. but i think he’s more of a moderate than right wing hard-core.
Gosh, that’s weird. We were just talking about Darfur in class today, and that was the first time I’d ever really heard much about it.
No, I didn’t really assume anything, but if you hadn’t said that he was a Republican, I would have guessed he was a moderate Democrat.
Yeah, I pretty much did.
Nope.
He seems ok.
No. They are all just politicians to me.
Have a good weekend Dan…
you know what assume’n does don’t you…
it makes an a** out of ‘u’ and ‘me.’
OMG-no way! Can he move to Texas?? Soon??
Unless you’re aware of him already or don’t know a thing about politics, I don’t know why in the hell someone wouldn’t assume he’s a Democrat. Although a Democratic and Republican politician aren’t as different as people think, he sure fits the bill as your standard Democratic politician.
No…Republicans and Demos are not as different as you think. The difference often comes in the actual person, what’s important to them
no. I probably would have if the following had also been included:
“he fights for gay marriage”
“he has strongly criticized Bush’s handling of Iraq and terrorism”
etc.
no, seeing as i am a marylander.
Hm, somewhat. But I was thinking the question you ask was going to involve whether or not the reader would still vote for him, knowing he’s a republican. Or.. would you not, because of the issues. Eh. Something like that. Well I’d like to know what qualifies him as a republican first. There’s gotta be something to make him side that way..
Hm, somewhat. But I was thinking the question you ask was going to involve whether or not the reader would still vote for him, knowing he’s a republican. Or.. would you not, because of the issues. Eh. Something like that. Well I’d like to know what qualifies him as a republican first. There’s gotta be something to make him side that way..
Sorry, double post.
Solar? What a load of bung
No.
what, because he is black?
Yeah I did.
NOPE
I actually didn’t think about what party he was until you said he was a republican. If you had asked me which party is he from I probably would have guessed Dem though.
Nope.
yeah
can u stop talking about polotics!? its so boring!
yes I did.. but he doesn’t look like a democrat… I dont know why.
Until the last one yes… then I cocked my hed to one side in confusion.
Thanks for pointing out how Judgemental I can be, I NEED to be reminded every once in awhile.
ryc: I don’t know about the “great minds” part but you two are definitely thinking alike! LOL!!!! Just teasing!!!!
I hadn’t even considered it. Does it really matter?
I might have, but he’s running in my state so I already knew him.
No, because contrary to popular beliefs, it is not republicans who stereotype. It is democrats who stereotype us as being stereotypical. Talk about hypocritical…
I assumed he was Democrat for the wrong reasson. He’s black. You don’t see many black republicans.
Yes, I definitely did. It was the first thing that came to my mind.
I did because of the solar energy thing.
Generally speaking – YES!! But in these elections so many don’t even know who they are.
Yeah, I did.
I’m thankful that at least one republican realizes that darfur is in trouble.
No
No. I knew he was a Republican.
Whoa, yes I did.
So I guess he’s a Republican in name only?
What I want to know is if that flag in his pic. is a nascar flag?
He looks like a nice man. He can cut my taxes anyday.
action programs are human rights violations.
The first and last one made him look like he could be a republican, but yes I thought he must be the last of the conservative Democrats at first
It’s about time.
No, because I already knew who Michael Steele was.
I also know he has a hilarious campaign ad.
No, although I did assume he was black because of the picture. Mmhmm.
I honestly don’t know the difference. Politics bore me and I never pay any attention to them.
-KrIsTiN-
yes it did actually
I didn’t assume that, but I did agree with a lot of his views and I am a Democrat. But, I’d vote for him regardless of his party, because like I said I agree with his views.
Yeah. Why the heck is he running as a Republican?!
haha no but i know what you mean.
republicans should be more like that, in my opinion. plus the christian values…
Yes.
No I didnt assume because he’s the incumbent LT. GOV in my state!
Im glad he’s running for sennate. Him an Ehrlich need to get outta the Governor’s house.
The fun thing about being me is the fact that I still don’t know the difference between Republicans and Democrats.
I just thought he was real cool.
lol yepers
Yeah, I didn’t expect him to be a black republican…i guess they are coming more common
As a Marylander, I can attest to the fact that he just ran an ad stating that he likes puppies. What a goober!
I didn’t really think about it, actually.
Here is the puppy ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7wjJyMDUH0
Nah. My first thought is that it was the guy who is hoping to be the first Muslim in Congress. Well, except he’s a Democrat too… But I thought “Muslim” first.
no, maybe just being a kid i donmt discriminate like that…. the thing that grabbed my attentionw as solar power! finally some attention to it
Yup I did. I thought he was a Democrat. No clear lines anymore.
yup…..
He’s not 100% Democrat unless he could put amnesty for undocumented workers
no
I would’ve, if I wasn’t a really cool republican myself with several of the same views.
No. I just thought “Oh, he sounds like a great guy to run for that. I wonder what his opinions are on some other issues.” It didn’t even occur to me to think what party he might be in. I think I get what you’re saying, though, because a lot of people think of democrats as the caring, let’s help the environment, give people their rights party. I disagree with that. Republicans can be in favor of all of those things, too. In fact, whenever I see a political “vote for me” commercials, I never know which party the person is running for, until it’s announced. It doesn’t matter what party the person’s in, but who they are.
Black Republicans just seem like an oxymoron to me.
And yeah, I am surprised he’s in the GOP.
no, the opposition against amnesty gave it away
hmm, yes and no.
Well, I see his ads all the time on TV, so I knew he was Republican.
However, if I hadn’t seen those commercials, yes, I would’ve assumed he was a Democrat.
No. The Republicans usually don’t announce things loud, they just do things.
yup o_^
> No, too many people look at politics as a black and white issue, specifically absolutely this or that….. I didin’t assume nada, but it is nice to see a moderate republican, even if he has no chance in the ‘ xxxxxx party boss good old boy insider system’ and the ‘ media just wants to turn a profit and not report what really matters’ scene…. Hope he doesn’t get lost in the shuffle…..
Peace
Of course, that’s natural. Everybody makes assumptions.
No. I didn’t think about what party he was in when or after I was reading.
I don’t really make party-oriented assumptions. Well, a lot of the time anyway.
ummmm no I did not. Why would anyone?
No, but because I already knew that he was not a democrat.
I live in Maryland, so I knew:)
Um…no…
I’m no longer able to tell the difference between Republican and Democratic candidates.
Vote Libertarian.
Yes, but I am glad he is breaking the mold. We need more people to break up the polarization of the political parties.
No, I didn’t. I agree that the differences between parties is becoming an illusion.
um no. why? cuz he’s black?
dude. please.
no, because i am a republican and i agree with all of those things still…so i automatically liked him and automatically assumed he was on my side…
hey wat up