Who would Philip and Vivian Banks vote for?

[solarstorm]

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

Wasn't Uncle Phil a Blue Dog who tried to unseat his more liberal mentor? Vivian probably stayed a liberal Democrat though, especially considering that they both were civil rights protesters at Princeton.

[solarstorm]

Wasn't Uncle Phil a Blue Dog who tried to unseat his more liberal mentor? Vivian probably stayed a liberal Democrat though, especially considering that they both were civil rights protesters at Princeton.

I know that he Phil wanted to become a judge, but lost. But I can't remember if he was a member of a political party.

[solarstorm]

I'm a bit staggered by this result. I think the Banks' party affiliation must have come up in the series; otherwise most people would certainly consider them Republicans.

[Kushahontas]

Despite their history of civil rights activism at Princeton, Judge and Mrs. Banks are very much a product of the high end Bel-Air environment in which they reside. Counting the Reagans as neighbors and holding a very law-and-order type of stance when it comes to juvenile delinquency, they were Republicans and would have voted that way in the late 80s-early 90s (with Vivian likely being a bit more of a swing voter).

With that said, Bush the elder's social conservatism focus in his bid for re-election would have likely alienated both and led to either a vote for Clinton or Perot. Though I can see them supporting moderate GOP pols at the state level, by the late-90s this would have likely turned into support for the emerging dominating Dem majority. An unenthusiastic vote for Gore in 2000 followed, as did a last minute decision to vote for folksy connecticut-cum-southerner Bush the younger in 2004 (though Vivian voted Kerry).

Both voted Obama in 2008, Dem in 2010, Obama in 2012 and likely stayed home in 2014.