Why Do I Vote Against My Self Interests?

If you were a red state Republican and met me, you might be tempted to ask, "how can you as a straight, educated, well paid white man, vote against your self interests as a liberal democrat? How can you support everything from sensible border controls, to sanctuary cities, to "special" gay and women's rights, to handouts to the poor? You should be a Republican!"

The question of voting against one's self interests is typically asked by liberals like me of poor, working class Americans who vote Republican, but it bears asking liberals as well. In my case I'll cut to the chase - I don't vote against my self interests - I consistently vote for them.

Leaving aside the moral and ethical arguments that would only serve to drive a further wedge between me and a typical conservative, often Christian, Republican, I can look at my political convictions from a purely pragmatic standpoint. I am a partial urban American in that I work in a high population area shoulder-to-shoulder with people from every race, class, culture, sexual orientation - you name it. And being so close and interdependent, it is necessary for us to get along as neighbors and coworkers. Our peace of mind and even financial livelihoods depend on it. And after so much exposure to each other it is the most comfortable, natural way to live and build a strong, tolerant community.

That rural red state Republican, who may have not had much personal or varied experience with people of color, Muslims, or female execs and may have no practical or financial need to interact with them must often rely on evaluating those "others" through the lens of group affiliation and identity, often as a stereotype or caricature. Conversely, many urban Americans have, through direct experience, developed a more complicated view based on varied exposure and actual interaction with individuals of many backgrounds.

As a thought experiment, think of, say, a Muslim. If you had rarely met one or usually only saw them on TV you might picture a bearded, dark skinned middle easterner who speaks Arabic or a poor, uneducated Solmali who, you might assume, holds fundamentalist views on Islam, oppresses women, and actively or passively condones extremism.

When I try to picture a muslim in my mind I can't do it. Why? We'll, do I picture my clean shaven Pakistani coworkers who are flag waving all-Americans? Or do I envision the secular Muslim Israeli Arabs I met on my business trips who speak Hebrew? How about my friend from Algeria who doesn't eat pork and is somewhat observant but has a Japanese wife? And yes there is the woman at work who wears a hijab and a Muslim Indian man who prays in the afternoon on his portable prayer rug.

The point is, I couldn't generalize if I wanted to. This holds for people of color, members of the LGBTQ community-you name it. And since they are as likely as anyone else to be productive workers or my friendly neighbors, I support sensible border controls, equal pay for women, and pro LGBTQ policies because I support them and my community. And It's all to my personal benefit, including my wallet.

I don't support local police cooperation with ICE because it only makes our communities less safe by discouraging crime reporting in minority communities. Again, self interest. Tolerance only makes our community stronger and safer. Now, I admit that cultural homogeneity and suspicion regarding outsiders may be beneficial to social cohesion and safety in rural communities-I'm only talking about the needs of the majority of Americans like me who live in urban areas or diverse suburbs. For us, there are no outsiders.

How about helping the poor and the homeless? - i.e. the "takers" in Republican parlance. San Jose where I work is rife with homeless camps lurking near highways, underpasses and parks. From a purely selfish perspective, I don't want to have to look at people in such tragic circumstances, have them so desperate that they steal my stuff or so mentally ill or drug addicted that they put me and my family in danger. And harsh punitive measures that try and force them from the community don't work. That is why I support and am willing to pay my taxes for shelters, drug rehabilitation and job training programs.

And what about free trade? My company and most in my area depend on selling products globally. Protective tariffs, corporate welfare and "America First" economic policies actually put urban America (and I'd argue, most Americans) last. So I do defend mainline republican and democratic support for free trade and abhor economic and border controls that stifle competition. On the other hand, I strongly support pollution and environmental controls because, without them, urban life would be intolerable. I lived in LA in the 90s with the choking smog. Not pleasant.

I could go on, but my point is, tolerant, liberal voting patterns, even among the wealthy white elite is necessary for American cities to thrive and remain vibrant, and not solely a matter of ethical or moral views that differ from those prevalent in red America.