Living the ‘Crunchy-Con’ Lifestyle
What does politics have to do with pilates?
July 13, 2012 - 9:45 am
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I also like organic produce and food. In fact, I just stopped by my financial guy’s office to pick up organic eggs and tomatoes. He has a farm, grows his own food, and worries about pesticides and the environment. But like my family, he stockpiles MREs, and if I had to guess, I bet he votes more to the right than left, but I could be wrong. It’s hard to say anymore where people are politically just because they like certain foods or because of lifestyle choices. And why should it matter?
Who says the left should act as if they own health food or yoga — or pilates for that matter? Who died and made them God?
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I’m a conservative who lives in NY (crazy huh) and I do most of my food shopping for the outdoor organic markets and trader joes. On the weekends I escape to upstate or New Jersey to pick my own produce. I love attending out door movies and music festivals that are usually populated by left wing hipsters. This all goes to show you how much harm cable news networks do with their stereotypes for both sides of the spectrum. 90% of the time when I engage a left winger online in a debate I’ll be called a racist, homophobic religious hick. It’s funny because I’m none of those and neither are the few conservatives I know here. It’s the same with us though, I never ever generalize when I debate a left winger and call them a hippie or a social welfare leech. It’s just not honest.
I love yoga-walk three miles a day- grow an organic garden-drive a Subaru Outback. I look like a hippy chick yogurt slurping Obama supporter but in reality I am a diehard conservative.
It’s always been easy to find the Subies driven by conservatives and libertarians.
They may be old but look well maintained, and they don’t need twenty variations of the stupid “Coexist” stickers to keep the bumpers on the vehicle.
(Love our Outback and our Forester!)
Had to laugh at your comment as I was literally slurping my breakfast smoothie made from home made yogurt. You will not, however, find an Obama sticker on my Prius, which I am just as likely to use to haul grass fed beef or local organic produce. Here’s to all of us who live above the stereotypical fray. Cheers!
I had to laugh at your comment, as I was actually slurping my breakfast smoothie made with home made yogurt while I read it. You will not, however, find an Obama sticker on my Prius. Our family motto is, “Not the demographic.” Here’s to all of us who live above the stereotyped fray.
I’m a diehard NY fiscal, not social conservative with a subaru that was paid off 12 years ago. Love that car!
Likewise, male-wise.
Subaru’s are great, love the Outback.
I love good vegetarian food as much as I love a good steak.
Eating a vegetarian dish is not the same, however, as being a vegetarian. Being a vegetarian is not about what you eat, but why you eat it (or not, I suppose). It is defacto a political platform because it entails the concept that eating in some ways is environmentally, socially, and culturally obnoxious, and potentially even harmful.
And preaching about what you eat is pretty darn obnoxious.
Me, I have canines, incisors, AND molars, and a single stomach, as well as a body adapted to a certain combination of amino acids; I choose to eat in a way that takes these facts into account. At the same time, I love my veggies, and I defend, um, to the death I suppose though I hope it never comes to that, everyone’s right to forego whatever types of food they wish.
Thanks for clearing that up. I have never had the intention to be a vegetarian. Simply stating that I appreciate vegetarian food (yes I said vegetarian as in the religion). I do believe that vegetarianism inspires delicious recipes that I like to eat. Excuse me, got to go see if the grill is ready to cook my meat and veggies.
There is difference between liking crunchy things and believing in the crunchy religion.
Years ago I attended a talk by Dreher. The topic was “crunchy conservatism.” I didn’t understand it then and I don’t understand it now. Someone identifies as a conservative AND wears Birkenstocks? Big deal. I’ve never associated my hobbies, clothes, etc. with my political and philosophical outlook, so that this is even a thing confuses the heck out of me.
It helps to understand if you’re a conservative whom fellow conservatives get puzzled or irritated with because of some of your personal folkways, to the point of having your conservative bona fides questioned.
JW – Easy, it is the politics of faction. If they can keep you worried about the things that divide rather the than the common cause against being treated as a slave then they control you.
Look at the modern ‘factions’ =
Hispanic vs ….
Black vs ….
White vs ….
Female vs ….
Gay/straight vs ….
If they can keep you concerned about the things that divide rather than the things that are held in common….
I’m a Republican (libertarian on social issues) who’s deeply involved with other Republicans in the saner environmental groups for conserving wildlife habitat. Republicans like to have natural places to hunt, fish, camp and even birdwatch, just as Democrats do. We Repubs in my area are gaining influence in some groups and also establishing our own. The trouble with many of the environmental groups is that anti-capitalists have become the decision makers, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
I’ve taken quigong classes and found great benefit from them. As far as diet and exercise, I’m in the Paleo movement. I wear Five fingers shoes out on my walks, and I try to avoid the more processed modern foods, which means I do most of my grocery shopping at Whole foods and Central Market. Paleos cross the political spectrum, but I have a sense of a relatively high percentage being libertarian and even Ron Paul types.
I’m not a Nazi about it–I raided my sons Flaming Hot Cheetos con Limon the other day.
I really just hate being pigeonholed.
Same here Stace: a lifelong avid birder, ecologist and conservationist with a commitment to safeguarding the most valuable habitats.
So why wouldn’t I be a committed Republican?
The amazing thing is, I am slowly but surely finding others like myself.
Why does vegetarianism have to be a political statement? Can’t one just like vegetables once in a while without being inundated with leftist politics?
Because everything is political to a Leftist. That’s what makes them such a problem, no aspect of life is either too important or too trivial to be the subject of governent regulation. Liv has it right about the religious aspects of Leftism, but it goes beyond any normal sense of “faith.” The Left draws the control freaks, because it gives them a justification for sticking their noses into everyone elses business.
Ex-friggin’-actly. EVERYTHING is political, and they own the only good side of everything, and if you disagree it’s not because you see things differently: it’s because(depending on particular subject)
You hate anyone different.
You’re racist.
You’re bigoted.
You’re stupid.
You hate women.
And, the big one, you’re evil.
I recently cut off someone I’d thought of as an intelligent sort because she made one of her pronouncements that ‘Republicans(she also lumps conservatives and libertarians under that heading) just want to be on top so they can crap on everyone else.’ And when called on the bigotry of that, got seriously bent out of shape. It finally hit me that she ACTUALLY BELIEVED that I’m either
Evil
An apologist for Evil
Or too stupid to know
and why the hell am I wasting time talking to someone who actually believes that of me?
The ‘progressives’/liberals like this don’t care what you actually do, they just care whether you worship at the approved altar, and if you don’t… they want to tie you over it and cut out your heart.
Don’t forget, if you are not a vegetarian it is because you are too weak to give up meat, not because you don’t believe that eating meat is wrong. Holier than thou, the mantra of the left.
I had to cut ties with a few old friends after I woke up from my leftist haze. I learned that some of my friends only liked me because I marched in lockstep with them. On the other hand, I am still friends with some radical leftist vegans. The difference is the former types were authoritarian and the latter have a true grasp of what tolerance is.
Your final image—”if you don’t worship at their altar, they want to tie you over it and cut your heart out”—is perfect! I”ll picture it next time I’m savaged by someone who should know better, but loves their righteousness more than they love me.
Precisely. Behind the facade of hipness lies the great grandchildren of the temperance movement. We’ve always had this authoritarian strain in American society, but now, instead of being the frumpy, self-righteous authoritarians who pushed Prohibition through, they’re the hippy, self-righteous authoritarians who push renewables/sustainable ideas that have no more chance of working than Prohibition did.
Plus ça change and all that.
What is never really mentioned is that the temperance movement was also an early Progressive movement as well, along with eugenics and a whole raft of authoritarian ideas that were en vogue with intellectuals in the early 20th century.
J.M; Helen,
I think that what Dreher does poorly is explain the point you are making – while many people seem to think that holding certain political views *does* determine your entire lifestyle, this isn’t the case.
Haven’t you heard? God died, and they made themselves God.
I appreciate the existence of vegetarians. Replacement food on the (proverbial) hoof when a shtf event happens. Eat cow food, taste like cow.
Oh, yeah!
Vegan. It’s what’s for dinner!
I don’t care who you are, that’s funny.
Now if we could only get them to grow wool…
hadn’t you noticed? most of the first people to introduce this stuff had russian grandparents, or parents. Or leftist european antecedents. they haven’t quite gotten that America is a melting pot that takes everyone in, and keeps what is best. American beer? Is German- style beer. Watermelon and black-eyed peas? African.
The people who class people lib or con- they are just a little too fresh off the boat- even 100 years later!
Mind you, I wear pink button-down shirts, khaki shorts and AP my kids, and I’m in Austin. So I’ve been lectured by women in awful tie-dye printed dresses about the virtues of slings, co-sleeping and so on. I made all the slings for moms in my very, very progressive play-group, and I won a national “wildest places to nurse” contest- beating the founders of the nurse in public at the mall of america– so I feel your pain. The most tie-dye annoying one was ignoring her kid trying to get out of his sling to go explore. He was at Bookpeople. The kid section is set up for kids to safely explore.
it’s peasants vs perceived aristos vs townies. peasants are resentful shits who think people who do hunt and eat venison are evil, oppressive aristocrats, rather than what we’ve got in America- independent people on their own land. somehow, living in a town means you’re serving the manchester mills machine/monster. it’s really nuts. it’s not american, at all.
This is just another case where the stereotypes doesn’t fit the majority and doesn’t even come close. On TV all of the “computer people” are always freaks and weirdos who look like they just escaped from the Matrix. In real life, yeah some people are like that. But the others – the majority – are just normal people with all of the variation that entails – 2nd gen asians, moms with kids, former jocks and cheerleaders, vegetarians from vermont, midwest ex-military, etc etc. I’m sure conservatives are the same way.
I drive a Volt and use it to carry my Glock and ACR to the range.
I try to call out fraud and hypocrisy anywhere I see it, and believe that joining a political party means demonstrating which hypocrisies you tolerate or endorse. Whether it’s unions or banksters, anyone seeking rent from my pocket or my rights is my enemy, and any seeking to preserve or increase my liberty my friend.
So true. I am often accused of extreme conservationism by friends and family, yet my lifestyle, and some of my life choices are way to the left of those accusing me. I recycle and compost so that my trash output is less than one tall kitchen bag a month; my 12 year old four cylinder Subaru has less than 90,000 miles (1 1/2 trips to the coasts per year from Colorado – I take back roads and car camp); while heterosexual now, my youth was bi-sexual. I have slept along side homeless folks in alleys and parking garages when funds for hotels were not available. I fully support alternative energy on a micro level (you would be surprised how difficult it is to get solar panels and wind mills through our ‘progressive’ town planning council).
Yet I am the radical right wing extremist to all my lefty family/friends because I dont love and honor the exalted Barack Obama (you want to see intellectual contortions, just point out that he has either continued or enlarged all those foreign policies that the left so hated when Bush was President).
I am searching for John Galt… and am finding many Hank Reardon’s and Ragnar Danneskjöld’s… and Andrew Brietbart. The confirmation bias that your husband speaks of is on the cusp of crumbling.
This debate also mirrors the one on environmentalism. Most liberals live in urban areas whereas Republicans make up the majority of the population in the rural areas….where all the forests and tree are. The closest thing to a forest the far left has experience is the fake Christmas tree display at their local department store, but Republicans are “hicks” who don’t know anything about the environment.
I was chatting with a friend who’s quite liberal, and when I said “I was in the organic food store in town” she did a double take. “I just can’t associate Republicans with organic food stores” she said. I felt sorry that her world was that small.
I embrace the “reduce/reuse/recycle” meme. I freely tell people that it’s not because I’m a stupid greenie, it’s because I’m Scotch-Yankee, and we’re cheap as hell.
Why this makes sense is the comment Rush Limbaugh said. It isn’t enough for libs to be just vegetarians, or environmentalists or whatever. It is that they aren’t happy unless we are all made to be vegetarians or whatever they believe in.
Conservatives generally are more content to let everyone do what they want.
Gonna order this book right away.
I’m a vegan, farmers’ market shopping, bike commuting, hybrid driving, gun-toting Teabagger.
I love my Prius ~ has two bumper stickers: Free Markets ~ Free People printed over a peace symbol & Question Everything printed over Question Authority. Take that.
I think it is a matter of individualism and freedom. You are really countercultural libertarians, who want individual freedom, but also know that only free enterprise can provide both prosperity and individual freedom. I think the key is right now the radical leftists are far more of a threat to individualism and freedom than the social conservatives. One big difference is you might buy a prius or eat organic because you personally want to, while a leftist would force you to buy it because they think it is good for you or the planet. The moderate libertarian vote is the real swing vote in the US. Under Bush the socons and war on terror fanatics were the worst threat to our freedom, while they did little to restrain leftist dem overeach on spending, and we stayed home or voted dem. But now the radical dems under Obama/Pelosi/Reid are clearly the greatest threat, and thus many libertarians are flocking to the Tea Party (many of whom are also skeptical of the Bush era repubs) and voting repub. The dems could win those voters back someday, but only if they completely renounce the special interest pandering, everybody with their handout, nanny state, cronyistic policies of Obama/Pelosi/Reid, and start embracing individual freedom, and the free market.
In my point of view, the low country style meals in the south does not give itself to a great training eating plan.
You can eat Low Country as in Paula Dean and yes it will make you fat IF you eat too much. You can eat Low Country as in real farmer food and it is surprisingly good for you. Meat and vegetables. Limited grain intake and sugar used sparingly was the diet of the early settlers in the south. Corn was for making liquor unless you ate it off the cob. Cows eat grass, not corn nor wheat. Chickens eat bugs and vegetables. Humans eat cows, chickens, goats, pigs, seafood and vegetables. Try it, you will like it.
I raise my own food and grow my own food. No need for the tofu shops. I love yoga and own a pick up truck. I do have faults of character and through the love of G-d I will overcome them someday.
Libertarian/conservatives live by the creed of live and let live as long as you don’t encroach upon my liberty. In which case I will feed you to the pigs and chickens both of whom are omnivores.
Copy that. I live in the Lowcountry myself, and would be in a great deal of health trouble if I didn’t live downtown and walk/bike virtually everywhere. But enough typing: there’s a bowl of shrimp & grits down the street with my name on it.
I always thought pilates was something you got at a pizza shop, with extra cheese and sausage. Being the beta male that I am, I’m not into meat that much and I haven’t met an exercise I like, let alone are anxious to do. My idea of a workout is going to the supermarket to get some cheesecake, but I digress. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, but anybody that messes with my cheesecake will be dropped where they stand. Oh, and as for other foods, well there’s that pork thing I’m really into, too. Pork chops, pork loins, and pork sausages (chicken sausages are for wimps). And let’s not even talk about pork RIBS or BACON! So, will you see me on the cover of any hip fashion magazines? Sure, when Obama converts to Judaism.
But I’m as conservative as they come, yet I don’t do a lot of the things conservatives are famous for. I don’t own a gun, I don’t drink beer, I don’t have a pickup truck (wish I had one, though), and I’m not fond of beef (pork, remember that). But when it comes to politics, I’m just to the right of Ronald Reagan. In fact, I don’t know why more high schools aren’t named after him? So I guess that makes me an oddity, and I’m fine with that. So long as I remain ultra conservative and nobody touches either my pork or my cheescake, life is good. Maybe that’s why liberals are such bitter people. Maybe all they need is a good pulled-pork sandwich?
Well, I’m a socially, culturally and fiscally conservative male who, like Libertyship46, considers myself to be a bit to the right of Ronald Reagan. I also have regularly participated in and taught step-aerobic classes, and now I’m often the only male who is in the spinning class at my local YMCA. If there was an adult soccer club in my locality I would likely participate in that. While I have no doubts about my heterosexuality, I’m not one of those macho types who loudly claim on conservative websites that a love of soccer indicates Socialist tendencies at best, and Flaming-Gay Socialist tendencies at worst. On the other hand, I can’t stand current players like David Beckham and the other degenerate primadonnas.
Oh, and I love old art movies, many PBS programs–especially the old Masterpiece Theater installments with Alistair Cooke, and several non-modern art museums. I think that Kenneth Clark’s “Civilisation” series was one of the greatest TV programs ever.
So stick that in your prejudiced outlooks, Left-Wing Hipsters!
aaahh— the Beckham is a conservative Catholic!!! His best friend/ teammate is now in Rome, studying for the priesthood!!
Have you seen his latest tattoo? catholic, suffering saint! For real! Why do you think they have four kids and raise them carefully? They’re Catholic! Devout!
( my friend and I have a game of finding smoking- hot Christian guys)( we want beautiful grandchildren. we want to know that there are good guys available for our babies)
Danny Wahlberg, Calvin Klein’s underwear man, goes to Mass daily. FYI.
and, no, we’re not being creepy, slutty game-things. We both married totally amazing, hot guys who turned Christian later- on their own. So, not shopping. Just guaranteeing pretty daughters have gorgeous guys to marry when they grow up.
I dislike the term, “Crunchy Conservative”. I am peace through strength Libertarian, which means Lefties I know call me a Fascist, while Soc Cons call me a Libertine. I consider both to be statist busy bodies who want to use the power of government to force everyone else to live their vision of the correct life.
I vote GOP because they are the lesser of two evils. The actual Libertarian party is too small and a vote for them is a vote for the Democrats whom I view as a bunch of Stalinist thugs.
The things I buy are bought because they are the best fit with my life. I drove Cadillacs for a long time because had a kid and they could carry a lot of kids and their equipment while handling and riding better than any SUV or minivan. I now have a little Honda because it is cheap to operate, is well made, and is perfect for retirees who mostly drive in the city. I wore Birkenstocks while driving both in Summer because they are quality sandals. There is no political statement in any of it.
Would I ever vote Democrat again?(The last time I voted for a Democrat was 1976.) If they became the party of JFK & Harry Trueman again, I’d consider it, but it all depends on which party is better on the sum of liberty, the economy, and national security.
I do wish Conservatives would stop being so insulting to people like me. They have to realize that Libertarians are their allies on most of their issues.
That is a 2 way street….and Social Cons outnumber you by wide margins.
I got into yoga through doing P90X and I love it. I don’t see anything in it that contradicts my conservatism, and a lot of yoga philosophy is surprisingly consistent with Christian teachings. Some things are just simply good for you, so don’t sweat it.
I also listen to heavy metal, the harder the better. I have an In Flames poster hanging in my cubicle at work. This January, I discussed voting in the Iowa Caucuses and that’s when my gay co-worker found out I’m Republican. He was astonished, because I’m a headbanger, and I’ve always been respectful to him. I told him that stereotypes are bad and asked him what he’s been told about conservatives. He didn’t answer, but I think he learned that I don’t fit into a nice little box.
Is that you Dave Mustaine?
Im a Grateful Dead fan. However I hate their politics.
I remember when the PETA people came up to me in the lot and asked me to join. What a conversation that was!
My lady, I fling my cape upon the mud before you. Avanti!
I remember a few years back on an online forum I used to contribute to there was a thread about what kind of music you listen to. One of the guys who was conservative wrote in about how much he liked Bob Marley and reggae in general. The liberals jumped all over him because that was somehow incompatable with their stereotype.
Funny, none of the conservatives I know ever raised an eyebrow because I go to the Bruce Springsteen concerts whenever they are in town.
Just a gun totin’, pot smokin’, right votin’, granola eatin’, commie beatin’, Dylan listenin’, flag wavin’ son of a gun!
“But one thing I have found is that my lifestyle is often similar to someone on the other side of the aisle and I often find it puzzling that lifestyle choices are often reflective of one’s politics because for me, they are not.”
From the public opinion polls I’ve seen,
there is only one lifestyle choice that is truly reflective of one’s politics–and that’s Christian religiosity.
The more frequently one attends a Christian church, the more likely that person is to vote Republican.
(And I’m including Mormons in there, because they insist that they’re Christians.)
LOL! Describes me too! I like “crunchy”
I’m a Birkenstock wearing (because they are comfortable after 22+ years wearing combat boots), long haired (because I can wear my hair DOWN after pinning up while in uniform), jeans wearing (again comfort) “old lady” volunteer, that shops at the farmers’ market, teaches people how to grow their own food in what ever containers they got, trains our pack of rescued dogs to be therapy dogs. I am also a patriotic, flag waving, USAF veteran, gun owning, Traditional roman Catholic, Conservative (fiscal and societal) that mostly votes Republican, Tea-Partier.
And dang proud of it!
We CONSERVE, we re-purpose, we recycle. We WANT clean air, clean water and healthy environments and nothing has ever proven that one political ideology has it better. I don’t want to SHUT-DOWN power plants, I want MORE of them that use what fuels effectively, and cleanly… I support sustainable efforts, hydro-electrical as well as wind, tidal AND nuclear power plants.
The BEST government governs the least, charity ought to be LOCAL, not federal and immigration a federal, not local matter.
Food is best fresh and local, and sustainable, but I am not against commerce or free markets.
I know what you mean about wanting to eat meat and yet follow the vegies’s tofo spirituality. How can I resolve such an existential conflict of cosmic demensions? Simple, eat the vegitarian, tofu and all! (Without salt.) Liberation!
This thread makes me happy. Rock on, stereotype-exploding right-wingers.
I’m a small-l-libertarian with some neocon-ish/ national security hawk tendencies (who self-identify as “conservative” for the purposes of present-day politics), but virtually everything about my lifestyle would fit the expected “liberal” category (Ivy League academic single woman atheist who wears hipster glasses, has flirted with bisexuality, listens to post-punk, reads Hegel and loves films by Godard, Fellini, Lynch).
I’m acquainted with real intolerance and bigotry and liberty-and-individuality-squashing statism, and in my own experience the worst of it nowadays comes from the left.
I have been eating natural foods since 1973. I go through vegetarian phases, then eating meat and other not so natural foods. Ate a lamb chop yesterday but tofu the day before. Vastly prefer organic brown rice to the white junk. If Asians are so smart how come they chug down that white stuff like there is no tomorrow? I even grow some of what I eat, with 20 fruit trees on my suburban property. I greatly respect Victor Davis Hansen as an agriculturist, chronicler, philosopher. He grows raisin grapes on his old family farm which grounds his perspective.
Three of the guys I know who run plant nurseries are right wing. They should be, they are in the private sector and todays Democrat party is the party of the public sector. Back in 1973 some of the largest composters were good old boys like Fletcher Sims in Texas. Acres USA is an organic newspaper and bookstore owned by conservatives. They organize eco-agriculture conferences
Just for fun– In 1973 organic brown rice sat in a bulk barrel priced at thirty cents a pound. Yesterday in Whole Foods it was three dollars a pound. I go through phases where I do Chi Gung intensively. I have done yoga and Zen meditation but not for a while. Yes. I am far right wing and have been for 20+ years. Mitt is moderate for me but of course I will vote for him because collectivist Obama is such a threat to our nation’s future