# What are currently the main constituencies of the Republican Party? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 12, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-currently-the-main-constituencies-of-the-republican-party/585185 "2011-06-12T02:53:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-currently-the-main-constituencies-of-the-republican-party/585185/1 "2011-06-12T02:53:08Z")
[This article](http://www.politicalbull.net/republican_party_split.html) breaks down the Republicans this way > [@](#): > > The Republican party is composed of three primary components: free market libertarians who are the supporters of industry and finance; social conservatives that put more emphasis on social values than economic issues; and libertarians who simply want less government. Is this correct? What are the relative ratios of these groups as a part of the whole? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-currently-the-main-constituencies-of-the-republican-party/585185/2 "2011-06-12T03:08:41Z")
There are also strong law and order types especially those who believe in a strong U.S. military. They often fit in with one of the other groups but they don’t have to. I have met a number a gay military officers over the years who are Republicans just because of that (don’t ask; it was just part of a crowd I hung out with in New Orleans). I have to ask however if this is just supposed to be registered Republicans (core constituency). People that tend to vote Republican expand the definition a great deal up to some types of white suburban professionals even here in Massachusetts. The core constituency of Democrats seems to be even more eclectic and disjointed but lots of moderate people tend to vote Democrat as well. ---
**Author:** ![code\_grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@code\_grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/code_grey)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-currently-the-main-constituencies-of-the-republican-party/585185/3 "2011-06-12T19:21:49Z")
you seem to be forgetting “white people who don’t like multiculturalism”. That’s a big constituency, and in the future it may grow with every youth flashmob and Holder’s “Justice” Department action out there. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-currently-the-main-constituencies-of-the-republican-party/585185/4 "2011-06-12T19:53:40Z")
Just a WAG. There are more social conservatives out there than people who even know what “libertarianism” is. Let alone spell it. Why? Because these people go to church every week. Some of them multiple times a week. Many of them read the Bible on a regular basis. While the free-market libertarians are watching “Meet the Press” and the Wall Street Journal, they are raising their arms up to the Lord and praying that God will save America from the gay, crack-addicted, Islamic, multi-racial illegal aliens. It is from the pulpits that they are taught that they should be concerned about these things. If Pastor taught the true economics of Jesus, they would not vote Republican. In truth, if Pastor taught the morality of Jesus, who did not believe in war or judging people, they would also not vote Republican. So alas, Pastor teaches what his gut tells him to teach. The gut tells him that gays are bad and so are slutty women killing Jesus’s babies. So that’s what he preaches, and that’s what keeps the people coming. If he started talking about anything more intellectual than that, he’d lose people. ---
**Author:** ![code\_grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@code\_grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/code_grey)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-currently-the-main-constituencies-of-the-republican-party/585185/5 "2011-06-12T20:11:18Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > In truth, if Pastor taught the morality of Jesus, who did not believe in war or judging people, they would also not vote Republican. So alas, Pastor teaches what his gut tells him to teach. The gut tells him that gays are bad and so are slutty women killing Jesus’s babies. So that’s what he preaches, and that’s what keeps the people coming. If he started talking about anything more intellectual than that, he’d lose people. the morality of Jesus as traditionally understood is that people who have anal sex or kill babies will be thrown into Lake of Fire. And yes, people who start unjust wars with Iraq, Libya and other such places will join them :eek: Methinks you are confusing the imaginations of a minority of liberals in Christian garb with the traditional beliefs of the vast majority of Christian believers. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-currently-the-main-constituencies-of-the-republican-party/585185/6 "2011-06-12T20:18:44Z")
> [@code\_grey](#): > > the morality of Jesus as traditionally understood is that people who have anal sex or kill babies will be thrown into Lake of Fire. And yes, people who start unjust wars with Iraq, Libya and other such places will join them :eek: > > Methinks you are confusing the imaginations of a minority of liberals in Christian garb with the traditional beliefs of the vast majority of Christian believers. Find me a passage in the Bible where Jesus mentions either gays or abortioners, let alone them burning into a lake of fire. I don’t care if it’s “traditionally understood” or not. People behind the pulpit should be Bible scholars and know ever single published word that Jesus spoke and taught. They should also know where tradition errs or interprets based on foolishness and lies. So go on. Find me what I asked and please do come back. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-currently-the-main-constituencies-of-the-republican-party/585185/7 "2011-06-12T20:26:21Z")
> [@astro](#): > > This article breaks down the Republicans this way > > Is this correct? What are the relative ratios of these groups as a part of the whole? _Which_ article? I’d like to read the statement in context, please. ---
**Author:** ![code\_grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@code\_grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/code_grey)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-currently-the-main-constituencies-of-the-republican-party/585185/8 "2011-06-12T20:29:30Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Find me a passage in the Bible where Jesus mentions either gays or abortioners, let alone them burning into a lake of fire. > > I don’t care if it’s “traditionally understood” or not. People behind the pulpit should be Bible scholars and know ever single published word that Jesus spoke and taught. They should also know where tradition errs or interprets based on foolishness and lies. because anything your party disagrees with is foolishness and lies? Or because your party thinks it has the right to decide what is and what is not the true dogma for a particular religion? If Jesus never mentioned rapists (who are condemned by the Mosaic Law, without his help) then it doesn’t mean that such behavior is legit from Christian standpoint. Jesus apparently also did not mention torturers, thieves, perjurers and many other types of criminals whose crimes are sufficiently condemned in OT. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-currently-the-main-constituencies-of-the-republican-party/585185/9 "2011-06-12T20:37:02Z")
> [@code\_grey](#): > > because anything your party disagrees with is foolishness and lies? Or because your party thinks it has the right to decide what is and what is not the true dogma for a particular religion? > > If Jesus never mentioned rapists (who are condemned by the Mosaic Law, without his help) then it doesn’t mean that such behavior is legit from Christian standpoint. Jesus apparently also did not mention torturers, thieves, perjurers and many other types of criminals whose crimes are sufficiently condemned in OT. [Moderator Note]Please take religious hijack elsewhere. Thank you.[/Moderator Note] ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-currently-the-main-constituencies-of-the-republican-party/585185/10 "2011-06-12T20:45:59Z")
I’m not a libertarian really nor am I a religious social conservative. I am more of a classic pro-business Republican. Sometimes I feel a bit of shame at the unwashed masses that are a powerful voting bloc in the South. However I basically rationalize it as them being key to electoral success. Both parties have sort of a more elite that views themselves as the “core” of the party, and a larger base that can be quite embarrassing at times. The Democrats have the college professors and such, but their real electoral strength are mostly poor urban dwellers who have historically always voted Democrat because of what amounts to “spoils” politics and heavily union blue collar workers that always vote the Democrat party line. The blue collar crowd has become heavily non-union over the last generation and subsequently I think they lean more Republican now than ever before. I actually think the economic philosophy of most Southern church goers is extremely liberal if not vaguely socialist, but they would riot if you told them that. It is good for the GOP that they are too stupid to actually understand how their personal feelings on economics jibes with the world at large. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-currently-the-main-constituencies-of-the-republican-party/585185/11 "2011-06-12T23:52:25Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > _Which_ article? I’d like to read the statement in context, please. Sorry, thought I had it linked. [http://www.politicalbull.net/republican\_party\_split.html](http://www.politicalbull.net/republican_party_split.html) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-currently-the-main-constituencies-of-the-republican-party/585185/12 "2011-06-13T00:16:37Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Sorry, thought I had it linked. > > [http://www.politicalbull.net/republican\_party\_split.html](http://www.politicalbull.net/republican_party_split.html) I added that link to your OP, if you don’t mind. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-currently-the-main-constituencies-of-the-republican-party/585185/13 "2011-06-13T01:20:27Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > The Democrats have the college professors and such, but their real electoral strength are mostly poor urban dwellers who have historically always voted Democrat because of what amounts to “spoils” politics and heavily union blue collar workers that always vote the Democrat party line. You are forgetting all the minorities who vote Democrat regardless of how conservative they are because of how thoroughly dominated by racists the Republicans are. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-currently-the-main-constituencies-of-the-republican-party/585185/14 "2011-06-13T02:06:15Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > You are forgetting all the minorities who vote Democrat regardless of how conservative they are because of how thoroughly dominated by racists the Republicans are. Yet there are a number of black Republicans as well as long as you are throwing out different possibilities. For some reason, most IT types vote Republican and lean libertarian. That is just a weird thing I learned working with hundreds of them in many different companies. Minority IT professionals tend to be Republican as well. Give me a black IT professional who served in the military and I will bet good money that person votes Republican without knowing anything else about them. Race doesn’t trump everything in politics.