I was once very convinced that being a liberal had something to do with intelligence. That liberals were actually more intellegent than conservatives. It wasn’t a bias so much as careful observation. Every Republican I met seemed a little … well, stupid. I remember reading an article from the UCSD Guardian while I was a student there which complained about the hegemony of liberal professors on campuses across the country. Of course professors are liberals, I thought. They’re smart people and smart people are on the left. Conservatives are dimwits, religious zealots, red-necks, and trust fund babies.
Reading blogs has changed all that though. I’ve come to realize that there are some very very intelligent conservatives out there. People who believe (and are probably right) that they have worked for everything they have and that you should do the same. It’s that feeling you get when reading Ayn Rand – empowering self-reliance which borders on Fascist environmental destruction when implemented on the macro level.
So my new conclusion. Amongst those who really take the time to care and evaluate objectively (as possible) their political leanings, one’s political view is an extension of where their heart is at. If you are a giving person accustomed to adaptation you will probably consider yourself a liberal. (and if you went to college you will probably try to intellectualize why you are a liberal rather than seeing it as an extension of your heart, not your mind). If you are greedy and have an aversion to change you will probably intellectualize your conservativeness.
Most political scientists would be against such a conclusion because it means studying psychology, humanity, and spirtuality to find an answer for how we choose how we are governed. I’d be curious to hear what you have to say.