So Similar Yet So Different

I've got two sets of buddies, one up in LA and one down here in SD. Both groups of guys are very similar in a lot of ways:

- Love sports
- Think lap dancing is an art form
- Have all fired a weapon at least once
- Adore women
- Hate the religious right
- Laugh at the commie left
- Enjoy fine cigars
- Believe steaks are a God-given right
- Disagree with the adage "money can't bring you happiness"

I like all my buddies and generally think they're all pretty decent guys. In fact, we all get along real well when we get together. But there is one huge difference between the two groups: my friends in LA are Democrats and my buddies in SD are Republicans.

If you asked them to all fill out a questionnaire, you probably wouldn't be able to tell who was from which party. You'll have a Democrat who wants to overhaul social security and constantly bitches about taxes and a Republican who thinks the war in Iraq is stupid and is always asking me for porn. What's the one quality that distinguishes my Democrat friends from my Republican buddies? Race.

All the LA Dems are minorities (Asians, Black, Mexican, Tandori, some Mutt-mix) and the SD Republicans are as white-bread as you can get (they think grilled chicken breast is good eats). While we're all generally centrists (social liberals, fiscal conservatives), we all tend to align ourselves with the party that best represents our race. And to be honest, I think that's probably the rationale thing to do. I got so ticked off when I saw some dumb ass China boy gleeing like a fucking railroad worker at the RNC last year. On the flip side, if I was a white boy, I wouldn't trust a party that includes Jesse Jackson and Cruz Bustamante, no matter how "down" I was.

If there was ever a party that would make both groups comfortable, I think that party would rule. Actually, I should check out those Libertarians...