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Voting Dictated by Genetics

twiceinfinity.wordpress.com — Science Daily reported today that “the decision to vote is partly genetic.” Researchers discovered that the likelihood of participation in politics, including voting, campaign contributions, and other activities, is linked to two genes, MAOA and 5HTT. The researchers noted that genetics play a significant factor in…

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  • karishore, on 07/03/2008, -10/+17Amazing story. Just goes to show you how great God really is.... He always is so logical, in my view. We are fearfully and wonderfully created.... down to our voting genes.
    • greenroom628, on 07/04/2008, -11/+3i prefer to think of it as part of the infinite wisdom of the great spaghetti monster.
  • LilFotherMucker, on 07/03/2008, -8/+3Great news for Procreationist Party of America.
    • mshafer314, on 07/04/2008, -2/+3Unless, of course, they have procreate babies who don't have the voting genes...
  • DerangedPenguin, on 07/03/2008, -5/+14So my genes dictate that I am an uncaring, cold hearted, hateful, closed minded, bastard of a Conservative Libertarian. Who believes it is better to walk softly and carry the biggest f(*king stick you can find, be willing to use that stick when necessary to defend yourself and your loved one. It is better to give a man a fishing pole and force him to learn how to fish than to give him a slice of welfare bread and tofu. Gee I feel better knowing the roots of my belief, that it was better for people to achieve all they be, by being all they can be without the Government interfering in their lives or shoving the teat of big government down their ungrateful mouthes, are a genetic malfunction. Thank you useless researcher I feel so much better.
    • RRJackson, on 07/04/2008, -1/+2Sometimes you even have to use that stick to defend yourself *from* a loved one. Something Phil Hartman never learned. ;-)
    • twomeyw23334, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1Yep, I think that's caused by the 134,432th DNA pair.
  • tvanwyk, on 07/04/2008, -1/+3What's next? A great ethnic culling of the non-voters?
  • twomeyw23334, on 07/04/2008, -0/+5We're all slaves to our DNA. The more studies they do the more they seem to agree. I'm just waiting for the UCLA to start using this type of stuff for defense trials. "He's innocent, his DNA made him to it."
  • HOWDOYOUKNOW, on 07/04/2008, -0/+5A dictator would love for this socalled "research" to continue. Then his one vote would mean everything. Proven "scientifically" of course.

    In my opinion, decision making is not in our DNA. It is in our brain, and based on current experience and knowledge and outside forces. This article is assuming DNA knows our history, our future and all our experience and can estimate with accuracy every decision we make. I just don't believe that.

    This sounds exactly like the false global warming models our "leaders" are trying to push on us all! Scientists can't even estimate what the weather will do next week, but their global warming "models" are estimating climate and weather hundreds of years out. And based on that we should all alter our lifestyles and give up our wealth and opportunity. I just don't believe that either.
  • planet87, on 07/04/2008, -0/+3Somebody please read my genes and tell me who to vote for cause I haven't made up my mind completely. I don't think they will be able to tell who they will vote for, even if they know. There are so many variables that affect people.

    Physical and personal perceptions of the candidate. How do you tell whether a greenie is going to choose between Obama and Nader or how a Christian-Liberterian-type is going to decide between Bob Barr and John McCain. I was going to vote third party in 2004 until John Kerry pissed me off so much, I had to vote for Bush to make sure he wouldn't get elected.


  • Rotzooi, on 07/04/2008, -1/+6DNA is going to surpass God as the ultimate excuse: "..But people are starving" - "Let God take care of them" will now become, "Hey, it's not in my DNA to give a rat's ass - sorry!"
  • greenfyre, on 07/04/2008, -2/+5How did "the decision to vote is partly genetic." become "Voting Dictated by Genetics "??
  • DuggDowner, on 07/04/2008, -7/+3Now let's isolate the Republican gene and irradicate them before they're born.
    • JimmySpaza, on 07/05/2008, -6/+4How about we isolate the gene that inclines a person to still live in their parents' basement after high school, spend hours on Digg.com, and issue useless rhetoric like "now let's isolate the Republican gene and irradicate them before they're born"?

      Duggdowner, prepare for some gene therapy. It will do you some good.
      • DuggDowner, on 07/05/2008, -3/+2I make more money in a month than you do all year, and you spend considerably more time trolling on Digg. But since you're wrong on every other issue, it's no shock you got that one wrong too.
      • JimmySpaza, on 07/05/2008, -2/+2@ DuggDowner

        "I make more money in a month than you do all year,"

        You're not allowed to count your allowance from your parents.

        "and you spend considerably more time trolling on Digg."

        Says you. Says you.

        "But since you're wrong on every other issue, it's no shock you got that one wrong too."

        blah, blah, blah. Someone get DuggDowner a hanky. He's drooling again.
  • JimmySpaza, on 07/05/2008, -5/+6Interesting. If we are nothing but combinations of chemicals and DNA rules our lives, then what does that say about our supposed sentience or consciousness? Is THAT just an illusion?

    If humans do NOT have a soul or any supernatural component, then we are nothing but a complicated collection of chemicals and every decision, including voting, is fixed and predetermined depending on our genes.

    But, you and I know that we are sentient and self-aware. This cannot be scientifically tested, much less proven.

    So, I guess those people who say that nothing supernatural exists because it is not testable have to say that consciousness must be taken on faith. Interesting indeed! See how they have painted themselves into a corner with their own logic?
    • Chassit, on 07/05/2008, -2/+2Please spare us your fallacies. Just for once. Please.
  • m0llusk, on 07/05/2008, -1/+1The headline is FALSE. The article describes and influence which is "partly" responsible. It is impossible to understand science without respecting that kind of distinction.
  • ileftfark, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1FTA: "Science Daily reported today that “the decision to vote is partly genetic.” "

    Name a human behavior that is not 'partly genetic'. Fairly useless article with a terrible headline. Frontpage this!
  • Daz3, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1What's a soul? Why do you believe in some supernatural entities and not in others - is your decision making on this entirely ad-hoc?

    How does a supernatural soul 'communicate' with our material minds? You're spouting conclusions with the argument from ignorance as your only premise.

    Please, for once, create a sound argument that backs up your conclusion.
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