Democrats Are Messy, Republicans Are Neat

Democrats Are Messy, Republicans Are Neat

Monday, October 20, 2008

filed under: family

A new study says your political affiliation is reflected in your home.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin say they can tell someone's political affiliation by looking at the condition of their home. Messy? You're a lefty. Neat? You're a righty.

Here's the gist: When scientists analyzed the bedrooms and offices of liberals (who are generally thought of as open), their homes were colorful and stocked with huge, sloppy piles of books about travel, ethnicity, feminism and music, along with art supplies, movie tickets and travel memorabilia. Their CD collections included folk, classic and modern rock.

Conservatives, on the other hand, tend to keep cleaning supplies, calendars, postage stamps, laundry baskets, irons and sewing materials in their homes. Their bedrooms and offices are well lit and decorated with sports paraphernalia and flags -- especially American ones.

The whole idea is that conservatives have a need for order and this expressed by owning more cleaning supplies, so their environment is predictable and safe.

Do you think this sounds legit, or is it just a bunch of BS?

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32 comments so far | Post a comment now >>

ok so let me get this right… Democrats have “messy piles of books…” and Republicans are “…predictable and safe”. Hey!! I resemble that remark!! :O) I’m a democrat but I’m voting for McCain. I wonder what the study would show about people who cross their normal party lines when voting…

- AK Mom

Posted 10/20/08 03:23 PM

I don’t agree…I think that just because you are clean and neat doesn’t mean that you are a republican, I also think that just because you travel and read doesn’t make you a democrat either. I think that you choose the best candidate based on who has the right ideas. I know that they are saying that people with these rooms tend to vote one way or another….but come on the study was done at UT…I wonder what ATM would say if they did the same study?

- Charli

Posted 10/20/08 03:49 PM

i think it is the reverse. republicans are the the messy ones. look around the world it is getting messy because of the republicans. i think the democrats are the neater ones. they will even iron the mess of their opponents if they are going to win the presidential election.

- sagada

Posted 10/20/08 04:23 PM

better check again, I know a lot of folks that are Rep. and are messie as all out and Dem. are very neat and clean.

- EAS

Posted 10/20/08 04:30 PM

I agree…at least with my own habits.

- Amy

Posted 10/20/08 04:51 PM

Opposite of my habits. I’m OCD clean and a true democrat. What I want to know is who’s the subject of these tests? I’ve never known a single person polled by anyone. Who is taking these damn polls?

- foxymama

Posted 10/20/08 06:15 PM

My home is always spotless and I’m voting for Obama. I disagree with this. I can see how this could be true for some…

- Lynn

Posted 10/20/08 06:16 PM

Count me as a hard core Republican who’s as messy as they come. And those Dems think we have nothing in common. For shame.

- Not Applicable

Posted 10/20/08 06:33 PM

Though no generalization fits all, the spirit of the study I agree with. Those with a liberal bias are more comfortable with change. This gives them the ability to embrace whatever methods resolve problems, change their minds, etc. Liberals don’t need as much order in their lives to feel comfortable. Conservatives don’t like change. It scares them. It causes them to rationalize, attack, ignore or dismiss facts that threaten and deviate from their view of the world.

- greg

Posted 10/21/08 12:08 AM

THIS CAN’T BE TRUE! DO I KNOW SOME MESSY REPUBLICANS!!! LOL.

- praying4baby#2

Posted 10/21/08 01:25 AM

Come one now…….. sagada on October 20, 2008 4:23 PM wrote: i think it is the reverse. republicans are the the messy ones. look around the world it is getting messy because of the republicans. i think the democrats are the neater ones. they will even iron the mess of their opponents if they are going to win the presidential election. Why don’t we try to look at this situation like adults? People — not parties — make the messes that are happening in the US and around the world. This party blaming crap is just that — CRAP! I don’t recall ANY politician that has been truly honest. They may honestly want to do something or other when they get into office, but I think ALL politicians find out that things on Capitol Hill aren’t whay they thought they would be. As far as the messy vs. clean thing goes, it may be true, but I think it’s way too much of a generalization for it to have any real merit as far as I’m concerned. But it was interesting to read about………..

- Jennifer

Posted 10/21/08 10:21 AM

I’m going to have to agree with this. Me and my family are extreme liberal democrats, and my husbands are extreme conservitive republicans. I am a messy person and can’t stand cleaning and like a little bit of a mess of books and what not. My parents are the same way. My husbanda parents on the other hand clean every nook of the house every day of the weel (minus sunday—-day of rest) There isn’t a speck of mess any where in thier house. Its almost sickening. So in this case… its definatly true.

- Jane

Posted 10/21/08 01:24 PM

Must be ideals versus values type of thing? Ideals being, being American, having the rights and privileges that proud Americans have, what should some of those things be? Freedom, not often free, spend what you have, not what you don’t have. That was what the Democrat originally stood for, that is not appreciated in society today, it is practically opposite of all that. Democratic values tend to be to take care of what is on the home front, take care of whats in our backyard type of thing. I don’t see how that pertains to being messy? But it is many other quirks that are thrown into the mix, gays having benefits for their spouses, messy there are other areas, writing off bad debt, messy, not wanting to work because of job loss, downsizing, immigration, deregulation, out sourcing, messy. So maybe there is something more to this. Republicans think they are always right, what could the problem be with that? Big oil, big companies, (that you and I are paying for, whether they are successful or not).

- Gloria

Posted 10/21/08 02:28 PM

Good grief….too simplistic. I am not that neat, but I am not a member of either party, I’m an independent. I am SO weary of the boxy characterization or demonization of democrats this and republicans that. There is plenty of blame to go around and every single solitary one of us on this earth is TO BLAME, myself included!Clean up your own heart and house first. I can see the need for some change, but other change is also unwarranted, as it further prys open the disastrous Pandora’s box of social chaos that has been unleashed in the last 40 years. I see individuals who pray as the best hope for the future. I am a conservative Christian and I think God has the best answer to all this mess. No one politician from either party is going to solve this. Each of us gathering our families, friends and close communities, can make a big difference. Listen respectfully, have good dialogue, do not condemn others for views that differ from yours (hear that San Francisco liberals???—-I live in SF and I am not liberal, and those who dare to stray from the liberal party line in SF are roundly criticized!). Vote, pray, help others. Pray for those in political office, that they are guided by a Higher wisdom.

- Wendy

Posted 10/21/08 11:05 PM

I think the study is wrong. Even with the description I have crossover. I’m messy, but have the organizational tools. But then, I’m a crossover voter. Used to think I was conservative, then moderate, now liberal, because of what has happened to our country. Maybe it has more to do with growth as a person. As I’ve grown, my priorities changed, others’ opinions mattered less.

- minerva66

Posted 10/21/08 11:40 PM

Cleanliness is next to Godliness :) So yes Republicans could possibly be less messier than Democrats. Of course, this is just my opinion. HaHa!!! Speaking of messes. Here is one that was caused by Obama’s now Chief Economic Advisors, Franklin Raines and Tim Howard. Oh, and there’s also Jim Johnson, Obama’s Finance Advisor. If you don’t know who these people are let me explain: Franklin Raines: Former chairman, CEO of Fannie Mae. Forced to retire when auditing done at Fannie Mae revealed severe irregularities in Fannie Mae’s accounting activities. Raines left Fannie Mae with 240 MILLION dollars in benefits. Tim Howard: Former Chief Financial Officer who failed to provide adequate oversight to key control & reporting functions with Fannie Mae. Howard’s “Golden Parachute” was estimated at 20 MILLION dollars when he was forced to resign. Jim Johnson: A former executive of Lehman Brothers who was later also forced to resign his position as Fannie Mae CEO. In a Government report in 2006, mismanagement & corruption were found inside Fannie Mae. Johnson’s “Golden Parachute” was estimated at 28 MILLION dollars. So these are the economic advisors that Obama has picked to help clean up our ecomonic mess, so to speak. GREAT! I hope you enjoy being poor. Lone Star cards for everyone!!!

- Lori M

Posted 10/22/08 12:32 PM

Who makes up this nonsense. What a waste of space. Do they ever do any real reasearch.

- Mica

Posted 10/22/08 03:21 PM

I can think of plenty of individuals that do not fit into the paradigm of this study, but these studies are designed to make generalizations about populations, not individuals, so I agree with the outcome. In general, the Republicans I have know have tended to have cleaner, more formal and well-ordered homes (i.e. few/no toys on the floor or bright plastic toy bins in the living room), are less likely to do “messy” activities, have rigid schedules, etc. Democrats I have known tend to be more “flexible” with their living space and time and less dedicated to “preventing messes” and putting cleaning before “doing things” that seem important.

- IdahoAspieMom

Posted 10/25/08 11:31 AM

I fit this description perfectly, and know a lot of others who do too. By the way, HOOK ‘EM HORNS!

- Lyndie

Posted 10/25/08 08:35 PM

I can’t stand messes and I am so Republican!!

- Debbie

Posted 10/26/08 09:45 PM