Cigarettes Smoking & Politics -- Is there a gullibility factor?

[IdaBriggs]

Poll question: Cigarettes Smoking & Politics -- Is there a gullibility factor?

I'm curious as to whether or not Smoking has any relationship to political party. This poll makes the assumption everyone here is a Non-Republican, so....

[IdaBriggs]

1. 4 Non Smokers to 10 Smokers at 11:54 p.m. -- Wow!

Not what I expected AT ALL! :) Keep going, folks. This is interesting!!!

[Redstone]

2. There's no relationship between the two.

Therefore, the lack of significant response.

Redstone

[IdaBriggs]

3. Seems like there should be some relationship -- I just don't know what.

At some point in time, peer pressure or parental example or just plain curiosity prompts someone to pick up a cigarette. At some point in time, folks start to identify themselves as Non-Republican. I had honestly expected more folks to identify themselves as Non-Smokers, but so far it looks like we have more Smokers than Non on DU....

I hope I get at least a hundred responses or so. It should be an interesting final number....

:)

[Withywindle]

4. Well, for me it was curiosity...

...which is a Liberal trait.

Also, believe it or not, I really liked the smell. Still do.

The SO (who doesn't post here) is also a smoker and lifelong Non-Republican, as is his father. Come to think of it, almost every SO I've ever had has been a smoker and lifelong Non-Republican. (Non-smokers usually won't date me, and I won't date Republicans. :D)

[Redstone]

5. No. You obviously have a pre-set opinion, and

that is that "good people" are Democrats, and also that "good people" don't use tobacco.

Not to be argumentative, but there's simply NO correlation between politics and tobacco usage.

Redstone

[IdaBriggs]

6. Actually, I was testing a hypothesis.

Still am. Right now it looks like more DU'ers are smokers than Non. (Granted its a limited sample size.) That's a surprise to me because as a Non-Smoker, I generally hang around other Non-Smokers, so my original hypothesis (currently being quickly discredited) did have to do with more Non-Smokers being Non-Republican than other. Its kind of neat to see how the other half lives. :)

(And don't forget that kick butt study that found wages for college graduates were most dependent on HEIGHT for interesting stuff. Ah, social science! My question is obviously too limited in scope, but its still kind of interesting to me....) :)

[ebayfool]

8. My experience has been the opposite _ extended family=repubs=non-

smokers. Most, no - all my friends=dems=smokers. One ex-friend (she became a fundie, brrr) repub=smoker. Most of us are in the age group that started smoking in the 60's & 70's, though. Back then, no one I knew smoked. It was part of a ~dangerously free thinking~ mindset in those I grew up with (you know, might lead to pot & Haight/Ashbury & shhh, sex!) - yeah, we were stupid. Plus I was told it would help you lose weight, /snort! Don't know how that fits w/your hypothesis though.

[DrDebug]

11. A reason for the strange bias

Messageboard junkies are usually smokers. I think it has more to do with proness to addiction.

[arcos]

14. More than message board junkies, political junkies...

When I was in politics in the university (not too long ago), I remember a majority of people smoked... I think it is more or less natural, it is something that causes a lot of us deep stress and we think that smoking relieves it. :P

[AntiCoup2K4]

9. The relationship is that smokers fund the Republican party

Which is kind of a silly thing to do if you ain't a Republican ;)

[tcfrogs]

7. Could you

make the options more confusing??? :)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

10. Ida, I think you needed another option

Current smoker for the last 4.5 years due to added stress in your life since Cuckoo Bananas has taken office, should cover it. :)

[NMMNG]

12. Lifelong nonsmoker and non republican

I've never taken one drag-never could tolerate the smell of cigarettes.

Never could tolerate the smell of republicans either ;)

[REP]

13. Another Meaningless But Fun Datapoint/Anecdote

I'm a long-time smoker, and there's always been a lot of NON-smokers coming over to the smoking section to talk with us nicotine fiends (the ones I hang with range from "liberal" to "commie pinko flaming liberal") because we're more interesting. It could be our conversation - or it could be what we don't have with us (such as diaper bags).