What makes a liberal? What makes a conservative?

According to this new "study", The whiny kids tended to grow up conservative, and turned into rigid young adults who hewed closely to traditional gender roles and were uncomfortable with ambiguity.The confident kids turned out liberal and were still hanging loose, turning into bright, non-conforming adults with wide interests. The girls were still outgoing, but the young men tended to turn a little introspective.

Okay, then. I take it "hewed closely to traditional gender roles...uncomfortable with ambiguity" means "black and white" type thinking. Right is right and wrong is wrong? And that's a bad thing...how? I count it a good trait that one isn't ambiguous about what they believe is right and wrong. A good, healthy inquisitive nature is to be encouraged, but so is thinking for one's self and having a backbone. I certainly don't want my daughter to be some namby-pamby, goes where the wind takes her, falls for anything type of person. No, I want her to be the type of woman who says "this isn't right" or "I need to learn more about this" and sticks to her decisions. Gee, kind of like a lot of conservatives I know and admire. (like, dare I say it, our President.)

On the liberal side...if "bright, non-conforming adults...outgoing...a little introspective" means this, or this, or this, or this? I'm going to pray that my baby girl is as whiny as they get.

Update: Please also see the new Washington Post weblog "Red America" and its take on this particular "study".

Another example of "bright, non-conforming...outgoing...a little introspective"

And another...
And those "loose" liberals comfortable with amiguity in gender roles...

Apparently these two were whiny children, doomed to be *gasp* conservatives.



Out of these photos, whom would you like running the country in the age or terrorism? I, personally, would like a man (or woman in the case of Condoleeza Rice) with a spine. A sense of right and wrong and the cajones to do what's right in the face of criticism and persecution. Thank you very much.