My Republican profile

Your data is being carefully monitored:

Both parties gather data on registered voters through public records such as voting history, voting registration rolls, driver's and hunting licenses and responses to issue surveys. Consumer data, often gathered from supermarkets, liquor stores, online book vendors, drugstores and auto dealerships and used increasingly in marketing campaigns, also are finding their way into the voter files kept by both parties.

But the depth of the Republican files is greater — they have been around longer and include more information — increasing the data's predictive power. The Republicans also have more money to buy top-notch consumer data from, say, supermarket chains and other retailers.

Republican and Democratic strategists refuse to reveal much detail about the consumer information they collect. But strategists did offer some examples.

Bourbon drinkers are more likely to be Republicans; gin is a Democratic drink. Military history buffs are likely to be social conservatives. Volvos are preferred by Democrats; Ford and Chevy owners are more likely Republican. Phone customers who have call waiting lean heavily Republican.

This is troubling on so many levels. Is Amazon selling records of my purchases? Does Karl Rove know how much of my income has gone to bar tabs in the last three years? And most troubling of all is my profile: bourbon is good, whiskey is better--gin is undrinkable swill. I'm a military history buff who will never own a volvo but has bought one Ford and/or Chevy automobile in the past and would consider buying another. I also have call waiting. But I hardly ever use it--I swear. Am I a republican? Woe is Tricky.