Preppy Politics

[Mr. Illini]

So, this is one demographic that has really gotten me thinking lately. Preppies have always been stereotyped as being conservatives, probably because they come from old money, but everything about them tells me that they would be liberals or moderates.

Most come from the northeast and specifically New England.
They attend Ivy League universities.
They strongly value education.
They are very socially tolerant.
They do not put a big emphasis on hard work and are well known for vacationing a lot.

They seem to me like classic JFK moderate lefties, so why have they been given this stereotype? Is it a false stereotype or are they New England's only conservatives?

[Del Tachi]

Most come from the northeast and specifically New England.
They attend Ivy League universities.
They strongly value education.
They are very socially tolerant.
They do not put a big emphasis on hard work and are well known for vacationing a lot.

 

These two statements seem to be, at the best, mildly problematic.  What's the point of a stellar education if one is never going to use it?

Most come from the northeast and specifically New England.
They attend Ivy League universities.
They strongly value education.
They are very socially tolerant.
They do not put a big emphasis on hard work and are well known for vacationing a lot.

 

Do they?  Most students walking Ivy League campuses aren't rich, White New Englishmen (at least not anymore) and most rich people in New England don't hold degrees from Ivy League institutions.


Moreover, does a monolithic block of people like this event exist?  Or are New English "preppies" just another great American stereotype along the same lines of the Texas cowboy or the California surfer "dude"?  After all, America's "preppiest" family - the Kennedys - were themselves not very good candidates for the position; they were Irish Catholics, remember?

Rather, the preppy persona is probably something that has been built-up by retailers like L.L. Bean as a way to sell overpriced merchandise.  There isn't actually anybody around like the people you see in Ralph Lauren or Vineyard Vines catalogs.  Its a marketing scheme; a way to sell people an image rather than a product. 


On a more substantive note, rich, well-educated and well-bred people exist all over the United States.  From the suburbs of the Sunbelt to Manhattan's Upper East Side to the rural Mississippi Delta there exist "preppies".  How these people vote has much more to do with where they are from, or what church they go to rather than what clothes they wear or the schools they attend. 

[DINGO Joe]

Went to a private university in Texas, no shortage of preppies there.  As far as personal behavior they were very libertarian.  Connections seem more important than hard work.  Of course, they voted heavily Republican. 

[Indy Texas]

There were a couple of families like that at the private school I went to. One was New England preppy (parents went to Yale and Dartmouth; they "summered" on Martha's Vineyard, and all that) and the other was Mid-Atlantic/Maryland/Virginia preppy (parents went to UVA; they "summered" on Chesapeake Bay somewhere). Not sure what the parents' politics were but the kids were liberal - one played John Kerry in the mock debate our high school had during the '04 election.

In college, we also had the legitimate preppies (who went to good private high schools and had grown up in Highland Park or Memorial or somewhere in the Northeast). And then we had the frat guys from the 'burbs who had bought an entire Vineyard Vines wardrobe before freshman orientation and always wore Sperrys despite never having been on a non-motorized boat in their lives. The former had varying political views (including one girl who was from Massachusetts, drove a Prius and voted for Mitt); the latter tended to just adhere to the "Poor people are gross so I vote Republican" mantra.

[Mr. Illini]

Seems like northeastern preppies are liberals while southern preppies are conservative, which kind of fits the respective regions.

[Del Tachi]

Seems like northeastern preppies are liberals while southern preppies are conservative, which kind of fits the respective regions.

But Southern preppies aren't Tea Party types; think more along the lines of Thad Cochran, Lamar Alexander, or Saxby Chambliss. 

[NerdyBohemian]

I think Lincoln Chafee defines preppy beliefs.

[Mr. Illini]

Seems like northeastern preppies are liberals while southern preppies are conservative, which kind of fits the respective regions.

But Southern preppies aren't Tea Party types; think more along the lines of Thad Cochran, Lamar Alexander, or Saxby Chambliss. 

Oh, yes, I knew enough to know they wouldn't be Tea Partiers if they were conservatives, and they also wouldn't be socialists if they were liberals. Everything about them screams moderate.

[Indy Texas]

Seems like northeastern preppies are liberals while southern preppies are conservative, which kind of fits the respective regions.

But Southern preppies aren't Tea Party types; think more along the lines of Thad Cochran, Lamar Alexander, or Saxby Chambliss. 

Oh, yes, I knew enough to know they wouldn't be Tea Partiers if they were conservatives, and they also wouldn't be socialists if they were liberals. Everything about them screams moderate.

The sooner everyone compromises and strikes a deal, the sooner they can get out to the bay/cape/island for the weekend to sail or drink gin & tonics or whatever else they do.