Why Professors are Predominantly ‘leftist.’

[Dr.Traveler]

Why would the objects of such overt disdain of academe hang around?

Why do soldiers stay in hostile nations? Why do Christian missionaries stay in non-Christian nations?

If you believe that your job is important, and the message you're sending out is important, you stick it out.

And there are a lot of things that Conservatives could do to support Conservative voices in academia.

 

[Ravi]

No one is stopping cons from being teachers except themselves.

Yep. And Conservatives have an enormous amount of power using the pocket book if they don't like the political composition of higher education. Send your child to a different school that is more palable to your tastes. Give money to Conservative think tanks and encourage them to offer grants to professors in line with their views (Grant money is a powerful influence on the tenure process). And that's just a start.

There are a lot of factors stopping Teachers from voting Republican or leaning Right however. If you're in education, you know the value of education. Most Republicans once elected will opt to cut Education when budget balancing time comes. Motivated self interest assures that if you value education, you won't vote for a party that prioritizes it for cuts when times are lean.

Hey, that beats whining about it doesn't it?

 

[Dr.Traveler]

Right...The parasites seldom vote to cut themselves off from the host.

You don't vote for Democrats because you see that as voting against your own self interest. Its the exact same thing.

I was a Republican most of my life. If DeLay/Frist/Bush hadn't pushed me out of the GOP with their insane hypocrisy, I'd have probably left it by now already thanks to the GOP's general attitude towards education. I value education and research. The GOP doesn't seem to share my values. Why should I vote for them?

If the GOP wants more Conservative teachers, you may want to make your message more palatible to teachers.

 

[Oddball]

Maybe those types aren't motivated by their politics first and foremost.

Maybe they want to move on, live their lives and be left alone by the ivory tower technocratic know-it-alls of academe.

 

[Dr.Traveler]

And what of the enormous amount of money that could be spent on education their kids, that is expropriated from them to support gubmint schools that teach values incompatible with those tastes?

That's a whole different topic than what I was talking about. You're talking about a voucher system, and you may be surprised to find I support that. Most of the states in the Union have a voucher system of some kind running in Higher Education (Look for scholarships to state institutions). I believe that it should be possible to give parents more choice on where their students go to school without all of the doom and gloom that people assure us will result.

 

[Si modo]

Why would the objects of such overt disdain of academe hang around?

Why do soldiers stay in hostile nations? Why do Christian missionaries stay in non-Christian nations?

If you believe that your job is important, and the message you're sending out is important, you stick it out.

And there are a lot of things that Conservatives could do to support Conservative voices in academia.

Because the 'war' I went in fighting was ignorance of organic chemistry, not politics.

 

[Oddball]

And what of the enormous amount of money that could be spent on education their kids, that is expropriated from them to support gubmint schools that teach values incompatible with those tastes?

That's a whole different topic than what I was talking about. You're talking about a voucher system, and you may be surprised to find I support that. Most of the states in the Union have a voucher system of some kind running in Higher Education (Look for scholarships to state institutions). I believe that it should be possible to give parents more choice on where their students go to school without all of the doom and gloom that people assure us will result.

I'm talking about nothing of the sort...I'm talking about people paying out-of-pocket for services rendered.

Vouchers are nothing more than food stamps for schools.

 

[Dr.Traveler]

Maybe those types aren't motivated by their politics first and foremost.

Maybe they want to move on, live their lives and be left alone by the ivory tower technocratic know-it-alls of academe.

So you're saying they don't believe in the value their beliefs and profession as highly, and have other motivations?

Then that's a problem for Conservatives, and there are ways you could support, right now at this moment, Conservative teachers who DO value their political beliefs and profession high enough to stick it out.

I'm not being snarky, but I think you're probably closer to explaining why Professors are leftist than the OP. The Leftists simply belive in their jobs and political beliefs more and are therefore more willing to stick out crappy pay and crappy hours.

I know I could leave my job for an 8 to 5 job and make a LOT more money. But I like my job and think its important. So I stick it out.

 

[JBeukema]

Maybe those types aren't motivated by their politics first and foremost.

Maybe they want to move on, live their lives and be left alone by the ivory tower technocratic know-it-alls of academe.

Then they can stop bitching about 'the ivory tower technocratic know-it-alls of academe', since they have no desire to do anything to change it.

 

[Oddball]

Maybe those types aren't motivated by their politics first and foremost.

Maybe they want to move on, live their lives and be left alone by the ivory tower technocratic know-it-alls of academe.

So you're saying they don't believe in the value their beliefs and profession as highly, and have other motivations?

Then that's a problem for Conservatives, and there are ways you could support, right now at this moment, Conservative teachers who DO value their political beliefs and profession high enough to stick it out.

I'm not being snarky, but I think you're probably closer to explaining why Professors are leftist than the OP. The Leftists simply belive in their jobs and political beliefs more and are therefore more willing to stick out crappy pay and crappy hours.

I know I could leave my job for an 8 to 5 job and make a LOT more money. But I like my job and think its important. So I stick it out.

I fail to see how the general mindset that you're doing everyone else a big fat favor by your mere existence is constructively instructive to anyone.

 

[Dr.Traveler]

I'm talking about nothing of the sort...I'm talking about people paying out-of-pocket for services rendered.

Vouchers are nothing more than food stamps for schools.

Ahhh...

I'm in favor of that as long as you make education available to those that can't afford it. Education coupled with hard work is the single best way to improve your lot in life. I grew up below the poverty line and I'm now upper middle class. My child has a life that is so much better than my own childhood that its impossible to compare the two. That was all made possible by a VERY good public education.

That's why I find the state of Public Education important. Education should open doors, but a lot of students I'm seeing come out of Public education end up just trapped in poverty.

 

[Dr.Traveler]

I fail to see how the general mindset that you're doing everyone else a big fat favor by your mere existence is constructively instructive to anyone.

I'm good at my job. Very good. So yeah, continuing to do it is a benefit to my community.

Call it ego if you want, but its ego based in fact. If I didn't know I was good at my job, I'd have left it for a better paying job a long time ago.

 

[Oddball]

I'm talking about nothing of the sort...I'm talking about people paying out-of-pocket for services rendered.

Vouchers are nothing more than food stamps for schools.

Ahhh...

I'm in favor of that as long as you make education available to those that can't afford it. Education coupled with hard work is the single best way to improve your lot in life. I grew up below the poverty line and I'm now upper middle class. My child has a life that is so much better than my own childhood that its impossible to compare the two. That was all made possible by a VERY good public education.

That's why I find the state of Public Education important. Education should open doors, but a lot of students I'm seeing come out of Public education end up just trapped in poverty.

Food and clothing are available the same way, and we have no starving naked chilluns running around.

 

[Dr.Traveler]

Because the 'war' I went in fighting was ignorance of organic chemistry, not politics.

Then fight that war.

 

[Oddball]

Maybe those types aren't motivated by their politics first and foremost.

Maybe they want to move on, live their lives and be left alone by the ivory tower technocratic know-it-alls of academe.

Then they can stop bitching about 'the ivory tower technocratic know-it-alls of academe', since they have no desire to do anything to change it.

The way to change it is make academe subject to market forces...Which it currently isn't.

Now, get back to class, you little putz.

 

[Truthmatters]

Here we are again with the right SPEWING HATE on any education and the people who seek education.

The facts have a liberal bias.

That is why educated people lean left.

When a group of people tell you education is bad for you and EXAULT the people with the most money as the best people in a society and that everyone who doesnt agree with the wealthy is just envious and has nothing good to say then you can surely bet those people are the Kingmakers lackeys.


The right wants you to HATE and devalue education, science, news reporters, people who are anti war and anyone or anything that would demminish the power of the WEALTHIEST members of our society.

They want you uneducated, uninformed, believing any myth they say and ready to die for it.


Just how stupid can people be?

Wrong again, dingbat.

People in general like intellectuals and smart people...It's academic snobs that they loathe and mistrust.

There's a HUGE difference.

The right spews hate on teacher and professors all day long.

They deny science whenever they dont like the results the science finds.

They rail against universities and their studies.

They rewrite History to suit their political aims all the time.

 

[JBeukema]

That, Dude, its due in large part the food stamps and other social programs.

 

[Oddball]

Here we are again with the right SPEWING HATE on any education and the people who seek education.

The facts have a liberal bias.

That is why educated people lean left.

When a group of people tell you education is bad for you and EXAULT the people with the most money as the best people in a society and that everyone who doesnt agree with the wealthy is just envious and has nothing good to say then you can surely bet those people are the Kingmakers lackeys.


The right wants you to HATE and devalue education, science, news reporters, people who are anti war and anyone or anything that would demminish the power of the WEALTHIEST members of our society.

They want you uneducated, uninformed, believing any myth they say and ready to die for it.


Just how stupid can people be?

Wrong again, dingbat.

People in general like intellectuals and smart people...It's academic snobs that they loathe and mistrust.

There's a HUGE difference.

The right spews hate on teacher and professors all day long.

They deny science whenever they dont like the results the science finds.

They rail against universities and their studies.

They rewrite History to suit their political aims all the time.

I don't hate the skunk merely because I do not like its smell.

Get a grip, dingbat.

 

[JBeukema]

Maybe those types aren't motivated by their politics first and foremost.

Maybe they want to move on, live their lives and be left alone by the ivory tower technocratic know-it-alls of academe.

Then they can stop bitching about 'the ivory tower technocratic know-it-alls of academe', since they have no desire to do anything to change it.

The way to change it is make academe subject to market forces...Which it currently isn't.

Now, get back to class, you little putz.

Really? Not subject to market forces? The rich can send their kids to any school they want and vouchers help poorer people do the same. That is subjecting them to market forces, as those schools nobody wants to go to are clearly failing. Let me guess, you want to further cut funding to the schools that perform poorly so they can't woo better teachers or get new materials?

 

[Si modo]

Here we are again with the right SPEWING HATE on any education and the people who seek education.

The facts have a liberal bias.

That is why educated people lean left.

When a group of people tell you education is bad for you and EXAULT the people with the most money as the best people in a society and that everyone who doesnt agree with the wealthy is just envious and has nothing good to say then you can surely bet those people are the Kingmakers lackeys.


The right wants you to HATE and devalue education, science, news reporters, people who are anti war and anyone or anything that would demminish the power of the WEALTHIEST members of our society.

They want you uneducated, uninformed, believing any myth they say and ready to die for it.


Just how stupid can people be?

Wrong again, dingbat.

People in general like intellectuals and smart people...It's academic snobs that they loathe and mistrust.

There's a HUGE difference.

The right spews hate on teacher and professors all day long.

They deny science whenever they dont like the results the science finds.

They rail against universities and their studies.

They rewrite History to suit their political aims all the time.

Answer the question, idiot. Or stop polluting the thread with your moronic posts.

Here we are again with the right SPEWING HATE ....

Could you please point out that 'hate' you see in the OP? I'm having a bit of a hard time seeing it. I'm not quite on your wavelength there, so help me out.