6 Free Financial Modeling Lessons...and More.

Financial Modeling Training
Guide to Finance Interviews

(Neanderthal, 3,602

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 9:23am

I think you have to look at the history of conservatism in the U.S. to understand why what the Republicans are pushing nowadays is antithetical to much of Northeastern political tradition.

The Republicans who did well in Boston/NY during the past century were in the Alexander Hamilton/Teddy Roosevelt/Nelson Rockefeller mold. That is they believed in capitalism being the best solution but saw it in a pragmatic light and understood that inequality sapped the long-term viability in the system.

Voting for the Democrats nowadays is not antithetical to your financial interests no matter how wealthy you are. Since the Barry Goldwater days, the Republicans have been the antithesis of small government and fiscal conservatism no matter what they actually claimed. Seriously, take a look at the historical record. Not since Ike have we seen a Republican administration that could in any way be characterized as long-term greedy (long-term financial well-being should be in everyone's interest).

Think about it. If your tax rates go up, you're still richer than the guy who was making less in the first place. Happiness derived from wealth is a relative thing. And if taxes going up makes it difficult to meet your liabilities, you've been acting like an idiot.

The Republicans have drifted far, far away from true capitalism into some bizzaro austerity for the people (which they would bait-and-switch for more spending the moment they take the White House), socialism for corporations ideal. The Democrats, while trying to make wealth accumulation a little more difficult in the short-run, are still pretty constrained considering how important their donors in the financial sector are. A lot of the rich in the NE realize that and would rather vote for the devil they know than buy into something that has so utterly lost touch with economic reality.

http://video.pbs.org/video/22

Newspeak

(Orangutan, 340

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 9:57am

http://video.pbs.org/video/2296684923

Here's my question: Why is

farmerbob

(Senior Baboon, 176

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 10:28am

Here's my question: Why is every major population center in the country (with few exceptions) extremely liberal?

Something we have to put up with for a job in finance I guess. All I know is when you get a lot of people in one area, you also get a lot less freedom. (More restrictions from both parties)

I'm about to spew off some

NestoGrande

(Baboon, 159

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 10:49am

I'm about to spew off some elitist bullshit so please excuse me. I also realize I'm generalizing and there are exceptions to every rule.

A question in response to your original question: Why would a married couple of factory workers in Alabama who have a combined income of 40k a year and 3 kids vote republican?

Because at this day in the age, people care just as much or more about social values than economic values. It makes absolutely zero sense for 90% of the people in red states to vote Republican from an economic perspective. The country has vilified the wealthy and well-educated, and to prove this point all you have to do is look at how Romney was given shit for being successful. His commercials should be saying "This guy has a JD/MBA from Harvard." But that's not what the average American wants to hear these days. They care more that he's pro-life, pro-gun and shares their values. They really aren't smart enough to figure out his policies are going to fuck them financially.

Another point of discussion is urban vs. suburban/rural lifestyle. People in suburbs tend to be more conservative, less intellectual and generally more paranoid that cities are dangerous. I've been a city-dweller my whole life and I find this ridiculous. Urban areas (a predominant portion of the Northeast) are more open-minded and well-educated. That means that their social values drift toward the left. Combine the intellectuals with inner-city minorities who want to vote for someone like them and don't really like rich white guys, and you have exactly why Obama won this election. Single women were really just the icing on the cake. In the South and more rural areas, you'll see women married at ages 22-26. In big cities you'll see more single women who are closer to 30 because they are career-oriented or just want to experiment in several different relationships before choosing an eventual husband. Due to the abortion topic, single women in their late 20s and early 30s will always vote liberal. If you're a single woman who's 30 in rural Georgia, there's something wrong with you, so you rarely see that. Married women care way less about abortion than unmarried women.

The end.

They're smarter.

Matthias

(Orangutan, 298

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 11:27am

They're smarter.

A combination of religious

seabird

(King Kong, 1,482

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 1:10pm

A combination of religious differences that started around the 1850s (interpreting the bible as gods words interpreted by man compared with the word of god, divinely inspired), which lead to strikingly different ways of dealing with culture and religion between the more open to interpretation, imperfect human understanding of gods will religious thought of the north and the evangelicals of the south, the fact that people in the NE have to live closer together and have a barter based economy that started in the colonial days because of the resources available compared with the agrarian south, which has lead to a stronger urban focus in both culture and of the economic elite (this being relevant because of the urban focus of democrat constituencies and their political objectives), and the academia, which is overwhelmingly liberal because of infiltration by communists, keynesians, and other liberals who pretty much changed the way the game was played after the 1968 chicago DNC/riots, because of their ways of sympathizing with the violent anti war protestors, which never really went away in their ideology.

http://www.fpri.org/articles/2012/12/crisis-americ...

“...all truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”

- Schopenhauer

Because with wealth and

(Human, 13,508

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 12:57pm

Because with wealth and riches comes the desire to control those who are thought to be not as smart or deserving. Liberalism is a nice mask for control and theft.

The Northeast definitely

tkid3400

(Baboon, 138

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 1:15pm

The Northeast definitely isn't as liberal as people make it out to be. NH and Maine certainly aren't, and the rest of New England/New York isn't either with the exception of the cities that are liberal in almost every state. However, much of the population in these states live in diverse cities and so the state goes for the Dem despite there being 40% of the vote for the republican. The repubs do best in rural areas with dumb people (no offense) in places like WV, KY, TN, SC, AL, MS and the dems do best in liberal/desirable cities like LA, SF, Chicago, Boston and NYC.

tkid3400: The repubs do best

seabird

(King Kong, 1,482

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 1:20pm

tkid3400:

The repubs do best in rural areas with dumb people (no offense) in places like WV, KY, TN, SC, AL, MS and the dems do best in liberal/desirable cities like LA, SF, Chicago, Boston and NYC.

You are, of course, aware that the constituents that comprise the repubs are skewed to older, middle class + people and the married, and the dems skew towards uneducated groups in ghettoes, as well as the academia?

“...all truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”

- Schopenhauer

I'd agree with NestoGrande -

West Coast rainmaker

(Neanderthal, 2,072

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 1:30pm

I'd agree with NestoGrande - most people vote according to social values. It is much easier to grasp "abortion" or "gay marriage" than it is "labor laws" or "tax policy". And the better educated tend to hold more liberal social values.

I believe that most liberals would be considerably more libertarian if economics was more widely taught. If you are not familiar with basic economics, then it just seems like conservatives hate the poor for wanting to shrink entitlements. But it is easy to go through college without ever taking economics (many avoid it because it is perceived as math intensive).

TNA: Because with wealth and

TheKing

(Senior Neanderthal, 5,141

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 1:39pm

TNA:

Because with wealth and riches comes the desire to control those who are thought to be not as smart or deserving. Liberalism is a nice mask for control and theft.

Bullshit.

Actual answer: because we're socially liberal. Not that hard, folks! Don't over-think it.

Check out my WSO Blog

West Coast rainmaker: I'd

(Human, 13,508

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 1:42pm

West Coast rainmaker:

I agree with you. Most liberals know nothing about economics.

TheKing: TNA: Because with

(Human, 13,508

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 1:47pm

TheKing:

TNA:

Because with wealth and riches comes the desire to control those who are thought to be not as smart or deserving. Liberalism is a nice mask for control and theft.

Bullshit.

Actual answer: because we're socially liberal. Not that hard, folks! Don't over-think it.

If it was only social liberalism you wouldn't have the outrageous taxes that you find in most liberal enclaves.

TNA: TheKing: TNA: Becaus

tkid3400

(Baboon, 138

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 1:53pm

TNA:

TheKing:

TNA:

Because with wealth and riches comes the desire to control those who are thought to be not as smart or deserving. Liberalism is a nice mask for control and theft.

Bullshit.

Actual answer: because we're socially liberal. Not that hard, folks! Don't over-think it.

If it was only social liberalism you wouldn't have the outrageous taxes that you find in most liberal enclaves.

Providing healthcare for everyone, giving low wage workers rights, giving poor people pathways to success and saving the environment are moral issues, though they cost money. It isn't like they're advocating that the US build up a stronger military or blow dollars invading other countries for no reason.

West Coast rainmaker: I'd

Newspeak

(Orangutan, 340

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 2:06pm

tkid3400: TNA: TheKing:

(Human, 13,508

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 2:25pm

This is particularly true.

marcellusgreen

(Chimp, 7

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 2:50pm

Let thine own self be true

marcellusgreen: This is

Newspeak

(Orangutan, 340

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 3:10pm

they can afford it.

Febreeze

(King Kong, 1,151

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 3:29pm

RIP WSO Chat.

Newspeak: This is a pretty

seabird

(King Kong, 1,482

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 3:41pm

“...all truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”

- Schopenhauer

preach

digikc94

(Monkey, 50

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 3:52pm

GoodBread: I think you have

gammaovertheta

(Senior Orangutan, 429

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 4:02pm

To be fair, here is the

SirTradesaLot

(Senior Neanderthal, 4,509

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 4:09pm

Turbo leverage for capital explosion -- BD Capital

My WSO Blog

marcellusgreen: This is

Ron Paul

(Senior Gorilla, 916

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 4:09pm

Wow, I just read through this

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 7:34pm

farmerbob: Here's my

carlfox

(Orangutan, 256

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 7:32pm

"The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets."

-John D. Rockefeller

DCDepository: Wow, I just

Financial Modeling Training
Guide to Finance Interviews

(Neanderthal, 3,602

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 8:36pm

To put my argument more

Financial Modeling Training
Guide to Finance Interviews

(Neanderthal, 3,602

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 8:56pm

I support anyone that reduces

(Human, 13,508

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 9:10pm

GoodBread: DCDepository: Wo

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 9:36pm

Might be come confusion with

(Human, 13,508

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 9:48pm

DCDepository: Now I've heard

Financial Modeling Training
Guide to Finance Interviews

(Neanderthal, 3,602

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 9:53pm

GoodBread: DCDepository: Wo

marcellusgreen

(Chimp, 7

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 9:53pm

Let thine own self be true

marcellusgreen: I don't know

Financial Modeling Training
Guide to Finance Interviews

(Neanderthal, 3,602

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 10:04pm

GoodBread: DCDepository: No

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 10:31pm

DCDepository: Once again,

Financial Modeling Training
Guide to Finance Interviews

(Neanderthal, 3,602

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 10:43pm

GoodBread: DCDepository: On

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 11:03pm

GoodBread: Think about it.

John Daggett

(Senior Baboon, 241

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 11:36pm

NestoGrande: Another point

John Daggett

(Senior Baboon, 241

Points)

on 12/22/12 at 11:47pm

DCDepository: If organizing

Financial Modeling Training
Guide to Finance Interviews

(Neanderthal, 3,602

Points)

on 12/23/12 at 4:12am

John Daggett: I don't care

Financial Modeling Training
Guide to Finance Interviews

(Neanderthal, 3,602

Points)

on 12/23/12 at 4:16am

Texas is the home of the

John Daggett

(Senior Baboon, 241

Points)

on 12/23/12 at 9:15pm

John Daggett: Texas is the

Febreeze

(King Kong, 1,151

Points)

on 12/24/12 at 3:14am

RIP WSO Chat.

That ticket was handed out