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February 19, 2008  --  Got something to say?
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Kibitzer's Corner By J.G. Azarcon Esq.By J.G. Azarcon Esq.
Dont worry, be happy. Whom do you think would likely be humming that tune, Republican or Democrat?
I was happily drinking my coffee on a cold and cloudy Sunday morning when I stumbled upon an article written by Eric Weiner in the Outlook section of Washington Post (Feb. 10, 2008) dealing with personal contentment.
Citing studies on the subject, here are some of the notable findings. Rich people are happier than poor people. Duh? This one does not require research. Of course, you see more smiling faces among shoppers at Macys
than in a thrift store.

People who are sexually active are more happy than those who are sexually shy. No comment. I will just refer to that commercial ad featuring pill pusher Bob grinning from ear to ear. Republicans are happier than Democrats, true or false? True, according to Weiner. He cites a 2006 Pew Research poll finding that 45 percent of Republicans describe themselves as very happy compared with only 30 percent of Democrats (and 29 percent of independents). He also points to the annual survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago since 1972 which consistently found that Republicans have been happier than Democrats.

Whats the explanation for this glaring gap in the happiness index?
One may speculate that it must be the disparity in wealth as some surveys show that Republicans tend to be wealthier than Democrats. The Pew Researchers discount this. They found that after adjusting for differences in income, rich Republicans are happier than rich Democrats and poor Republicans are happier than poor Democrats.

And it is not because Republicans have controlled the White House for most of the past 35 years. Republicans still enjoyed higher sunny disposition regardless of which political party occupied the White House. Could it be that they rely on government less for their self-fulfillment?

The researchers have no definitive explanation. Weiner offers some insight. People who attend religious services tend to report very happy than those who dont (43 percent vs. 26 percent).
Furthermore, married people tend to be happier than singles and Republicans are more likely to be married than Democrats.

O.K., so lets see how this research holds up when we apply it to real people. Lets pick a Democrat named Bill Clinton and a Republican named John McCain.

Both are successful politicians and both married well, Clinton to a very bright attorney and McCain to a pretty heiress to a national beer brand. Clinton has a reputation for picking somebody elses flowers. McCain seems to be settled in his own garden. Whom do you think is happier with what theyve got?
How will this happiness index figure in this coming elections?

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton promise health care insurance for everyone. Barak Obama says that if you live in America you have the right not to be poor. In a way, this is telling people that the government is the provider for peoples needs.

On the Republican side, John McCain promised to make permanent the Bush tax cuts that resuscitated the economy after the high tech meltdown just as Bill Clinton was leaving office and the financial shock of the 9/11 attack. Government should minimize financial burdens on individuals and businesses so as not to curtail economic creativity and innovation.

Go figure out who could be happier, people who believe that they can get by on their own personal initiative with the least government intercession or people who expect that government should provide the essentials in life.

I dont know about you, but this Valentines Day I will celebrate love to the hilt, with malice towards one and with charity for me. Cheers to the happy people, elephants and all.

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