A lengthly study in California recently produced this interesting article on inherited conservatism in NURTURE Magazine:

REPUBLICANISM SHOWN TO BE GENETIC IN ORIGIN

Scientists in the current issue of the journal NURTURE
announced the
discovery that affiliation with the Republican Party
is genetically
determined. This caused uproar among traditionalists
who believe it is a
chosen lifestyle. Reports of the gene coding for
political conservatism,
discovered after a decades-long study of quintuplets
in Orange County,
CA, has sent shock waves through the medical,
political, and golfing
communities.

Psychologists and psychoanalysts have long believed
that Republicans'
unnatural disregard for the poor and frequently
unconstitutional
tendencies resulted from dysfunctional family dynamics
-- a remarkably
high percentage of Republicans do have authoritarian
domineering fathers
and emotionally distant mothers who didn't teach them
how to be kind and
gentle. Biologists have long suspected that
conservatism is inherited.
"After all," said one author of the NURTURE article,
"It's quite common
for a Republican to have a brother or sister who is a
Republican." The
finding has been greeted with relief by Parents and
Friends of
Republicans (PFREP), who sometimes blame themselves
for the political
views of otherwise lovable children, family, and
unindicted
co-conspirators.

One mother, a longtime Democrat, wept and clapped her
hands in ecstasy on hearing of the findings. "I just
knew it was genetic," she said, seated with her two
sons, both avowed Republicans. "My boys would never
freely choose that lifestyle!" When asked what the
Republican lifestyle was, she said, "You can just tell
watching their conventions in Houston and San Diego on
TV: the flaming xenophobia, flamboyant demagogy,
disdain for anyone not rich, you know." Both sons had
suspected their Republicanism from an early age but
did not confirm it until they were in college, when
they became convinced it wasn't just a phase they were
going through.

The NURTURE article offered no response to the
suggestion that the high incidence of Republicanism
among siblings could result from their sharing not
only genes but also psychological and emotional
attitude as products of the same parents and family
dynamics.

A remaining mystery is why many Democrats admit to
having voted Republican at least once -- or often
dream or fantasize about doing so. Polls show that
three out of five adult Democrats have had a
Republican experience, although most outgrow teenage
experimentation with Republicanism.

Some Republicans hail the findings as a step toward
eliminating conservophobia. They argue that since
Republicans didn't "choose" their lifestyle any more
than someone "chooses" to have a ski-jump nose, they
shouldn't be denied civil rights, which other
minorities enjoy.

If conservatism is not the result of stinginess or
orneriness (typical stereotypes attributed to
Republicans) but is something Republicans can't help,
there's no reason why society shouldn't tolerate
Republicans in the military or even high elected
office -- provided they don't flaunt their political
beliefs.

For many Americans, the discovery opens a window on a
different future. In a few years, gene therapy might
eradicate Republicanism altogether.