# Examples of "Baptists and Bootleggers" (unlikely political allies) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 3, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014 "2016-04-03T01:27:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/1 "2016-04-03T01:27:45Z")
“Baptists and Bootleggers” is an expression referring to how there are certain political issues that can make for unlikely political allies - for instance, Baptists and bootleggers both supported Prohibition, albeit for different reasons; Baptists because they opposed alcohol, bootleggers because it would boost the illegal-alcohol industry. The example that comes to mind is how religious conservatives and feminists often both speak out against pornography; albeit for somewhat different reasons; conservatives think it’s immoral and feminists think it’s degrading to women. Christians and some liberals/feminists sometimes speak out against Islam, albeit for different reasons. In politics, the far-right and far-left sometimes sound oddly similar. Anyone think of other examples? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/2 "2016-04-03T02:40:31Z")
I know a man who is quite liberal – maybe even leftist – on every issue you can name, but he is convinced the gummint is engaged in an all-encompassing plot to invade our personal privacy and keep files on us at every level. He’d feel right at home on a compound in Montana – except for all the guns. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/3 "2016-04-03T02:44:48Z")
Animal rights activists and hunters both generally support conservation programs. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/4 "2016-04-03T02:59:36Z")
AFter the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the federal abortion law, the federal government introduced a new proposal in the Commons. The ardent pro-lifers thought it did not protect the unborn enough, and voted against it. The ardent pro-choicers thought it interfered too much with women’s right to choice and voted against it. Those two groups together had a majority, defeating the bill. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/5 "2016-04-03T05:44:42Z")
Leftists and fascists are often in agreement, for example their passion for controlling the economy. And when some leftists insist on everybody being politically correct, it can smack of fascism. Also . . . Both Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders support increasing funding for NASA. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/6 "2016-04-03T06:31:06Z")
Christian End Times believers and Israel, cooperating to support Israel. The Christians do it since those _particular_ Christians think that the existence of Israel is necessary to fulfill Biblical prophecy, and will result in the decimation of the Jews there when the Apocalypse starts. The Israelis go along with it because it benefits them; and of course they don’t buy into the prophecy of another religion, so they aren’t worried about it. American Christian anti-abortionists and Islamic fundamentalists cooperating in their mutual war against abortion/women’s rights. The KKK and black nationalists cooperating to promote racial segregation. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/7 "2016-04-03T14:10:35Z")
“Unholy Alliance” > **[Unholy alliance (geopolitical)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unholy_alliance_(geopolitical))** > > An unholy alliance popularly refers to an alliance which is perceived as unnatural, unusual, or simply undesirable, sometimes between seemingly antagonistic parties. > In 1855, the term "Unholy Alliance" was used for Western European alliances with the Ottoman Empire against the interests of Russia, Greece, and most of the Balkans. It was an ironic reference to the original Holy Alliance created after the Napoleonic War in 1815 by Tsar Alexander I of Russia. > In 1912, the American politician Theod... > [@](#): > > In the context of World War II, the term has been used for the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which partitioned Poland.[3] > > The term was also used by the short-lived Republic of Biafra to refer to Nigeria and its allies the UK and the USSR.[4] ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/8 "2016-04-03T14:18:32Z")
I like all the ultra-conservatives who are in favor of “liberalizing” Iran. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/9 "2016-04-03T15:21:12Z")
The original “Bootleggers & Baptists” combo is alive and well today in that police forces, private prison companies, and drug runners want to preserve the current punitive legal set-up. For the cops it means large budgets and hero-standing-against-the-ever-rising-tide high social status. For the prison companies it means growth and profits. And for the drug runners it means high profits and no competition from Corporate America which would kick their inefficient asses eight ways to Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/10 "2016-04-03T18:04:02Z")
Rich Republicans and ultra liberal Democrats both support open borders and amnesty for illegal aliens for very different reasons. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/11 "2016-04-03T18:05:40Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > I like all the ultra-conservatives who are in favor of “liberalizing” Iran. Just as I love liberals who make excuses for radical Muslims who hold liberal values in contempt. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/12 "2016-04-03T19:16:00Z")
All the countries with nuclear weapons, while generally aiming those weapons at each other, share a collective interest in preventing new countries from developing nuclear weapons. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/13 "2016-04-03T19:26:49Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Just as I love liberals who make excuses for radical Muslims who hold liberal values in contempt. Most liberals see it as an issue of defending liberal values like freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and equal protection of the law rather than making excuses for radical Muslims. Some people feel that defending these rights in general includes defending these rights when individuals use them for bad causes. The conservative equivalent would be defending the Second Amendment in the aftermath of a gun crime. Conservatives aren’t making excuses for murderers. They’re saying the value of the right to own firearms is high enough to justify the price of some people using guns in crimes. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/14 "2016-04-03T20:19:12Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > “Baptists and Bootleggers” is an expression referring to how there are certain political issues that can make for unlikely political allies - for instance, Baptists and bootleggers both supported Prohibition, albeit for different reasons; Baptists because they opposed alcohol, bootleggers because it would boost the illegal-alcohol industry. I thought “Baptists and Bootleggers” was a neat new idea for a 1920’s style role playing game. I just wasn’t sure who could cast spells… ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/15 "2016-04-03T20:36:51Z")
The mols. They always cast spells on the dudz. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/16 "2016-04-03T20:44:28Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Just as I love liberals who make excuses for radical Muslims who hold liberal values in contempt. “Liberal values” favor centralized and regulatory government, which is characteristic of radical Muslim countries. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/17 "2016-04-03T20:51:59Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The original “Bootleggers & Baptists” combo is alive and well today in that police forces, private prison companies, and drug runners want to preserve the current punitive legal set-up. > > For the cops it means large budgets and hero-standing-against-the-ever-rising-tide high social status. For the prison companies it means growth and profits. And for the drug runners it means high profits and no competition from Corporate America which would kick their inefficient asses eight ways to Sunday. Good example. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/18 "2016-04-03T21:00:59Z")
Take a look at the dances currently going on to try and decide if Spain will manage to get a government or will have to have new elections. A still-most-voted party (PP) which tried to game the system (the King rolled up the applicable laws and stuck them up President Rajoy’s ass), then three parties (PSOE, Ciudadanos and Podemos) of which no two are not enough to get all the votes necessary but of which Ciudadanos and Podemos refuse to talk to each other, then a bunch of little ones which will not talk to one or another of the first four. The possible alliances which have been shuffled around are pretty mind-boggling. For extra points: in Navarre, the current government is formed by four parties which only agree in that the party with the most votes/representatives Must Not Rule. This party is actually moving more things through the local Parliament than in the previous three legislatures because, unlike when they’re in power, they’re not bothering negotiate after attempts are met with “up youse” _and_ the other four can’t make up their collective minds long enough to vote against… ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/19 "2016-04-03T22:02:51Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > I thought “Baptists and Bootleggers” was a neat new idea for a 1920’s style role playing game. I just wasn’t sure who could cast spells… The Baptists would use clerical magic, naturally. ---
**Author:** ![kurtisokc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kurtisokc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kurtisokc)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014/20 "2016-04-03T22:18:53Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > The Baptists would use clerical magic, naturally. Bah! Baptists most definitely do not believe in “Clerical magic.” Anything resembling “magic,” is much too Pentecostal, and the “clerical” part smacks of Catholicism. (Priesthood of all believers, and all that.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-baptists-and-bootleggers-unlikely-political-allies/751014.md?page=2)