What is your view of the "Typical American"?

[rucky]

[LittleApple81]

1. Well... we are Americans here and I don't think we are dumb.

Generalizations are dangerous.

[rucky]

3. Generalizations are omnipresent

we're all betting on who is "most electable"
we all ask "when will 'the people' wake up?"
"how are we going to get that swing vote?"

this is a very pertainent question, because it frames our opinions of what we think is best for the country.

For the record: i chose "smarter than we give 'em credit for"

[Speck Tater]

2. I would guess that about half of them...

... are above average, and about half of them are below average. ;)

(edit dumb typo since I'm in the below average half)

[tom_paine]

4. This is too broad a generalization -- I can't vote on it

There is no such thing as a "Typical Amerikan".

[proud patriot]

5. I think they are smarter than we give them credit for

I just wish they'd vote and take part more often

[jokerman93]

6. Typical American is a Disney Marketing Concept

It's myth. There have never been any substantiated sightings.

But he/she still looks allot like the imaginary people on the PAX channel.

Something about Wonder Bread and a Blond Jesus...

[rucky]

7. Of course it's a myth...

but that doesn't make perception any less real.

The poll numbers are interesting, no?

[Political_Junkie]

12. LOL

beautiful, Jokerman, beautiful!

[Terwilliger]

8. Decent and misguided and in denial

with a dash of simple kindness, which is what's so staggering about the way we act politically

[ScreamingMeemie]

9. In the interest of fairness, I think a lot of people are to busy, more

than anything else to worry much about what is going on politically right now. Case in point...my mother, who recently said to me,"We'll talk about it in October before elections, I just don't have time to listen right now". Any many others, who really don't wish to rock the boat, kind of like Nazi Germany...eh?

[Nikia]

10. There are too many versions

We pride ourselves in America as being individualistic in our thinking. It is true that many people follow a type of culture and want to "fit in". There are hundreds of these cultures across America. I've noticed, for example, the "typical" lower middle class white person in Ohio is very different than the "typical" lower middle class white person in Wisconsin. Then, of course, there are many of us who don't care as much about fitting in. There is not any one typical American.

[Zero Division]

11. The "Typical American" is just a stereotype that changes definition...

depending on who you ask the question "who is the typical american?" to.

From political views to political behavior, there are probably so many cross-cutting cleavages (a great term I learned in an American Politics college course, which means that different groups of people share some of the same views/behaviors even when they are significantly disimilar in many ways) among Americans that it would grossly inaccurate to try and figure what the "typcial American" is like. IMHO, of course.

Perhaps, it may be more accurate to figure out what kinds of groupings of political views/behavior are most common in America.

[Selwynn]

14. Fine - the majority of americans are decent, but misguided folks..

...there are more decent by misguided folks than there are other kinds of folks I believe, if you don't like the phrase "typical"

[Selwynn]

13. Decent but misguided. (nt)

[leftyandproud]

15. they may be decent...but lets be honest...

They're still idiots.
Look who they put in three branches of government..

[OneTwentyoNine]

16. Should have had "Decent ,but rely only on spoon fed news" n/t

[MoonRiver]

17. I voted "Smarter..." because

I don't believe we are being allowed to KNOW what the average American wants or believes. Since rightwing media whores control the news, and most of the polls, we see, who the &%#@& can tell what goes on in the "hearts and minds" of our citizenry!

[JackRiddler]

18. You're missing the right answer...

all of the above.

[leftofthedial]

19. substitute "ignorant" for "dumb"

and it's sheeple all the way, unfortunately.


Lazy would fit in there too.