Several years ago observation provided an epiphany that testosterone may be a factor of political ideological persuasion; later Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger put forth his oversimplified hyperbolic “girly-men” comment about the California Legislature apparently coming to a similar hypothesis.

Anthropology is the study of humanity. It’s a subject of study that encompasses the range of human experience, its aims are to understand what people do or have done, and why. Every aspect of human beings from their DNA molecules to their beliefs about the supernatural from the beginnings of primate evolution to the present, pose anthropological questions. As I continue to ponder I figured that there had to be studies out there that had barked up this very same tree.

Applying the insights of sociobiology and evolutionary psychology to political leadership, University of Kentucky emeritus professor of psychiatry Arnold M. Ludwig in his book “King of the Mountain” came to this conclusion: “As it happens of all the fields of human endeavor, politics seems to be the one most rooted in primitive primate behavior. “The striving for political power seems fueled more by secretions from man’s nether parts ­ his gonads and adrenal glands” according to Ludwig’s 19 year study that culminated in his book “King of the Mountain”.

A theory that all politics has glandular roots begged comparison of Ph.D. John Grey’s book “Men are from Mars Women are from Venus” which explores the intrinsic differences between men and women, I found many of the comparisons analogous to the conservative/liberal dichotomy. Venus was the Roman goddess of love, Mars on the other the god of war. A natural conclusion would be conservatives are from Mars and liberals are from Venus, each has their own interpretation of history, their own personal constitution. Both sides assert they are right and that the other side twists facts to suit their agenda.

Analyzing this metaphor one could conclude that if we are hard wired to react to stimuli in a certain way, it’s not a wonder both sides are so unpersuasive in altruistic heartfelt arguments to sell their point of view to the other. We naturally become angry or frustrated with the opposite persuasion because we have forgotten this important truth. We expect the opposite persuasion to be more commonsensical like ourselves. We desire them to want what we want and feel the way we feel. Our respective proprietary common sense dictates this logic.

Each ideology’s values are inherently different, and nonsensical to the other, as if we were living in two separate, but parallel universes that exist on the same plane. It appears that Conservatives from Mars and the Liberals from Venus are operating from a completely different worldview, and not very likely to be persuaded by listening to the other’s "side of the story".

A Liberals nature reveals higher support for government safety net programs, they feel more deeply about poverty programs, and are more likely to support affirmative action. Liberals feel a need to support the role of big government’s nanny state because it just feels right, a general faith of government solutions to societal problems. When it comes to foreign affairs and war most liberals feel the need to appease and accommodate projecting a gross paucity of bravado. Quite like the Roman Goddess of Love!

Conservatives on the other hand believe that America’s safety net has become a hammock. They think that government social programs owe accountability of success. They believe the route to success is through achievement a belief that you offer a hand up instead of an escalator so once you get an individual up they will have the strength to stand. The conservative mind thinks if you project weakness, the weakness will be exploited, hence a value of bravado, possibly like the God of War.

On 11-08-2000 Mel Carnahan a certified dead man was elected junior senator of Missouri, political DNA apparently influences our political persuasion and is our political faith to vote our persuasion of preference, that's what we apparently do no matter the evidence. It's our political faith In spite of evidence of incompetence, corruption, malfeasance or death; ideological allegiance prevails over logic.

There is at least one big important difference. While Liberals and Conservatives are shouting past one another, and disagree vehemently on everything from foreign policy to how to greet one another at Christmas time, they both believe that their own ideologal persuasion is correct and the right thing for America.