political views tied towards hobbies

[freepcrusher]

One thing I've been thinking over is if there is a correlation between what sports you watch and you're political views (if any)

I've always assumed that an NFL fan was more likely to be republican than an NBA fan and an NBA fan was more likely to be a democrat than a NFL fan. The reason I see this is because I've always felt football to be Exhibit A of "American Exceptionalism" as it has failed to take hold in other countries. Basketball, while not as international as soccer, tends to have more fans in other countries.

It also seems as if football is more of a 'merkin sport so to speak. Although basketball is popular in rural Indiana or Kentucky, football seems to be much more of a rural sport. Although Odessa is not a rural area, its basically a giant small town. Football also has more of that sort of macho kill all the bad guys attitude a la Chuck Norris or John Wayne.

Basketball seems to be more of an urban sport. It seems like basketball is more popular in the big cities of the northeast, great lakes, and the west coast (LA, NY, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit).

This of course is assuming people at football or basketball games vote at all. But would you agree or disagree with my hypothesis?

[Keystone Phil]

Soccer = SOCIALISTS!!! in this country at least.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Basketball has to be the most Democratic sport, due to its popularity among minorities and in the inner cities. American football is obviously more Republican, but it has a strong popularity among blacks as well. Baseball is probably more Republican than both of those as it has the whitest fanbase of the three. Hockey probably has the whitest fanbase of all, but disproportionally in northern states and outside the south. So in order of Democraticness: Basketball->Hockey->Football->Baseball

[dead0man]

From conservative to progressive
gearheads*>Model train hobbyists>Comic book fan boys>HAM Radio operators>computerheads>political junkies>drug users



*traditional gearheads, not riceboys

[JohnnyLongtorso]

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/Sports-Stats_900.php

[Person Man]

From conservative to progressive
gearheads*>Model train hobbyists>Comic book fan boys>HAM Radio operators>computerheads>political junkies>drug users



*traditional gearheads, not riceboys

I disagree. When I was renting out dad's beach house, they were all stoners or tweakers and were all very Republicans. Is that a beach/Florida thing or just a fluke? Eventually, I had to shut the place down.

[Stranger in a strange land]

I'm a bit surprised nobody has mentioned NASCAR so far: it's got to be the most Republican sport, given that its fanbase is heavily white, Southern, rural and suburban/exurban, and male. Christian prayer features more prominently in NASCAR than in any other spectator sport. If you wanted to design a demographic that voted overwhelmingly Republican, NASCAR fans would come pretty close. I wouldn't be surprised if they vote Republican at the same rate Blacks vote Democratic.

Hockey is probably just as white, but it's more popular in Northern cities, where many of the fans are more likely to be Labor Dems or hold some liberal views.

As far as hobbies go, political memorabilia collecting and model building (ie most traditionally male, indoor hobbies) from my experience seem to be heavily dominated by ultra-conservative Republicans. People who program computers, write code for fun, or play RPGs (whether board, card, or computer) are more likely to be libertarian. Antique collectors and vendors, perhaps surprisingly, are often Leftists, or at least American Liberals.

[angus]

From conservative to progressive
gearheads*>Model train hobbyists>Comic book fan boys>HAM Radio operators>computerheads>political junkies>drug users

not sure I'm buying that at all.

I have noticed that coin collectors are generally Republicans while stamp collectors are Democrats.  Porn enthusiasts tend to be centrists.

[memphis]

From conservative to progressive
gearheads*>Model train hobbyists>Comic book fan boys>HAM Radio operators>computerheads>political junkies>drug users



*traditional gearheads, not riceboys

I disagree. When I was renting out dad's beach house, they were all stoners or tweakers and were all very Republicans. Is that a beach/Florida thing or just a fluke? Eventually, I had to shut the place down.

It's a worthless white kid thing.

[TeePee4Prez]

I don't know much about the big hockey states (3Ms- Minnesota, Michigan, and Massachusetts), but in the mid-Atlantic, I would say hockey actually leans slightly conservative, but not overwhelmingly.  In this area, hockey is an expensive sport and most top programs are at Catholic high schools.  Even in NJ, the best hockey programs are in conservative areas such as Brick in Ocean County and Morris/Passaic counties.   

[Person Man]

From conservative to progressive
gearheads*>Model train hobbyists>Comic book fan boys>HAM Radio operators>computerheads>political junkies>drug users



*traditional gearheads, not riceboys

I disagree. When I was renting out dad's beach house, they were all stoners or tweakers and were all very Republicans. Is that a beach/Florida thing or just a fluke? Eventually, I had to shut the place down.

It's a worthless white kid thing.

I agree with everything but the "kid" thing. lol

[Person Man]

From conservative to progressive
gearheads*>Model train hobbyists>Comic book fan boys>HAM Radio operators>computerheads>political junkies>drug users

not sure I'm buying that at all.

I have noticed that coin collectors are generally Republicans while stamp collectors are Democrats.  Porn enthusiasts tend to be centrists.

Masturbators are surprisingly apolitical...and the models they spank it to are as well....and when they do come out on things, they seem like Ben Campbell...kinda but not really a Republican...kinda but not really a Democrat. I knew this really hot stripper that was really liberal and knew her stuff, though.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I don't know much about the big hockey states (3Ms- Minnesota, Michigan, and Massachusetts), but in the mid-Atlantic, I would say hockey actually leans slightly conservative, but not overwhelmingly.  In this area, hockey is an expensive sport and most top programs are at Catholic high schools.  Even in NJ, the best hockey programs are in conservative areas such as Brick in Ocean County and Morris/Passaic counties.   

I'd say hockey is apolitical here because it's just ubiquitous... but the heart of hockey country here is the Iron Range, which is strongly Democratic... so take from that what you will.

[freepcrusher]

i would also say certain shopping places tend to attract certain types.

At Wal-Mart, it is a mix between poor-minority democrats and the Mike-Huckabee-is-the-second-coming-of-Christ republicans.

The people who shop at target could be pretty much anyone of any belief whether they are pub, dem, indy, green, libertarian, apathetic etc

Cabela's I would guess would be hard-core republican white male who when asked about Obama replies "Hayz a f---in' fa**ot"

Opera and Theater are probably democrats

Starbucks I'm guessing would be democrats who used to be republicans, but got turned off by the southerness of the party


Half the people at a Cracker Barrel look like they came out of a 912 rally

[Boris]

Hockey is probably just as white, but it's more popular in Northern cities, where many of the fans are more likely to be Labor Dems or hold some liberal views.

Not in Alberta!

[Beet]

In my personal experience, hockey fans tend Republican whereas baseball fans tend Democratic, although I can't really beat BRTD's logic.

Soccer definitely has the most liberal fanbase though. I watched some World Cup game at a bar and the crowd erupted in cheering when Bill Clinton came on for some reason.

What we really need though is some databases and regression tests, forget this speculation.

[Keystone Phil]

Soccer definitely has the most liberal fanbase though. I watched some World Cup game at a bar and the crowd erupted in cheering when Bill Clinton came on for some reason.

That really is horrible anecdotal evidence. 

They probably cheered because he's one of like twenty people that "supports" the U.S. national team.

[freepcrusher]

In my personal experience, hockey fans tend Republican whereas baseball fans tend Democratic, although I can't really beat BRTD's logic.

Soccer definitely has the most liberal fanbase though. I watched some World Cup game at a bar and the crowd erupted in cheering when Bill Clinton came on for some reason.

What we really need though is some databases and regression tests, forget this speculation.

I would guess that most hockey fans are apathetic or dem. Despite Palin trying to reach out to the hockey fan demographic, a lot of hockey fans are from Minnesota, which is a pretty democratic state


Baseball fans do have some of the stereotypical ethnic catholic in New York or Boston who is a big Yankees or red sox fans; but outside of that it is a pretty rural sport.

I’ve actually wanted to do a legitimate nationwide survey of this but I don’t have the money to conduct such a thing.

[Beet]

No, not a survey, a database. You know the kind where you build a relationship with a private sector marketing firm and then match this up with your voter files. You also need academic contacts. If anyone can do it, it's Nate Silver, but then how he would choose to present the results would be up to him. I might e-mail him although he probably doesn't respond to e-mails.

[TeePee4Prez]

In my personal experience, hockey fans tend Republican whereas baseball fans tend Democratic, although I can't really beat BRTD's logic.

Soccer definitely has the most liberal fanbase though. I watched some World Cup game at a bar and the crowd erupted in cheering when Bill Clinton came on for some reason.

What we really need though is some databases and regression tests, forget this speculation.

I would guess that most hockey fans are apathetic or dem. Despite Palin trying to reach out to the hockey fan demographic, a lot of hockey fans are from Minnesota, which is a pretty democratic state


Baseball fans do have some of the stereotypical ethnic catholic in New York or Boston who is a big Yankees or red sox fans; but outside of that it is a pretty rural sport.

I’ve actually wanted to do a legitimate nationwide survey of this but I don’t have the money to conduct such a thing.

Like I said, it leans Republican in the mid-Atlantic, but IIRC Palin got booed at a Flyers game when she dropped the ceremonial puck.  Again, here there are few frozen ponds and you typically need expensive ice time to play hockey here plus most of the top programs are Catholic high schools.  I would say it's a tough call.

[angus]

In 1996 Bill Clinton's reelection strategists noticed that basketball fans, knitters, and daytime talk-show viewers were generally his supporters, while fans of country music, college football, and the TV comedy show "Friends" favored Republican Bob Dole.  Apparently they used some of this data to help target their ads with certain TV programs.

Later, some other studies at Carleton College were done which back up freepcrusher's claims that Walmart shoppers are pro-gun, small-government types.  (I have noticed an impressive array of firearms at my local Walmart.)  And Target voters, according to those same studies, are cost-conscious, independent-minded shoppers who are likely to be important in swing states in a close election.  (The nearest Target is right across the street from Walmart here, and their gun selection is decidedly less impressive.  In fact, I've only seen water guns, toy guns, and the mock Playstation3 assault rifles marketed by video game manufacturers which teach our children to be violent sociopaths.  But I don't recall seeing any real guns there.)

According to Media Metrix, web behavior apparently also differs between Republicans and Democrats.  Registered Republicans are more likely to visit business and financial news sites such as schwab.com or etrade.com as well as on-line sports websites such as ESPN.com.  Democrats are more likely to visit retail sites and sites that provide specific advice on how to perform certain tasks like gardening or parenting. 

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I'm (naturally) a political junkie. My hobbies are: long walks, taking random photos outdoor, swimming, reading books. I have a guinea pig and I'm also a great fan of cats. I once had large aquarium and I would love to have it again at some point. Among my favorite bands are Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Blackmore's Night, Clannad.

So, basing on this data only, what are my political views?

[tpfkaw]

According to Media Metrix, web behavior apparently also differs between Republicans and Democrats.  Registered Republicans are more likely to visit business and financial news sites such as schwab.com or etrade.com as well as on-line sports websites such as ESPN.com.  Democrats are more likely to visit retail sites and sites that provide specific advice on how to perform certain tasks like gardening or parenting.

Sounds like you could replace "Republicans" and "Democrats" with "men" and "women," respectively.

[angus]

So, basing on this data only, what are my political views?

well, that's the problem, isn't it?  

I don't own a gun.  I have never owned a gun.  I don't want any guns in my home.  When my son gets a water gun as a party favor, I throw it in the garbage as soon as he comes home.  Also, we don't practice any religion.  My son has just turned six and has never been to see a priest, a rabbi, a guru, or an imam.  Of course, he has visited a Catholic cathedral, a protestant church, a mosque, a Buddhist temple, and a Dao temple, but only as a tourist.  (A rather rambunctuous one, at that.)  And I'm hardly a "socially conservative."  No one my age except a few social outcasts  and weirdos are less "socially conservative" than I.  Moreover, I'm a cheapskate and a swing voter.  I supported Obama in 2008, Bush in the prior two elections, and Clinton both times in the 90s.  I'm exactly the sort of "cost-conscious, independent-minded voter" that many claim to shop at Target.

Yet, I like Wal-mart way, way more than Target.  And they're right across the street from one another so it's not like the hassle factor is any different.  In fact, I'm a huge fan of Wal-mart.  I have been to Wal-marts in seven countries.  In this country, I have visited Walmarts as far east as Massachusetts and as far west as Maui.  Once, I visited four different Wal-mart stores in one day!  What a great day that was.

Don't read too much into these studies.  Sure, Republicans are slightly more likely to be found at football games or watching "Friends" than Democrats, and Democrats are slightly more likely to be watching basketball or knitting, but it's not as though you can say someone is a Democrat just because he's at a basketball game, or that he's a Republican just because he's at a football game.  Somewhere out there, there's someone diametrically opposed to you politically that likes guinea pigs, swimming, reading, and taking pictures.  

[freepcrusher]

fans of country music, college football, and the TV comedy show "Friends" favored Republican Bob Dole. 

The "Friends" thing really surprises me. Friends is very much about a stereotypical democratic leaning demographic (young people) who are single or shacking up (also dem leaning) and live in a big city (even more likely to vote dem).

Country music doesn't surprise me and neither does college football.