Conservative vs. liberal

Mike Rowe, the host of "Dirty Jobs, " wishes the concept of work ethic wasn't so partisan. Good luck with that.

Rowe was responding to a fan (?) letter on Sunday about his "constant harping" and "right wing propaganda" on work ethic when he made the case that it shouldn't be political. His "harping" includes promoting a scholarship fund for technical schools and the S.W.E.A.T. Pledge, which stands for "Skill And Work Ethic Aren't Taboo."

"Everyday on the news, liberal pundits and politicians portray the wealthy as greedy, while conservative pundits and politicians portray the poor as lazy, " he wrote. "Democrats have become so good at denouncing greed, Republicans now defend it. And Republicans are so good at condemning laziness, Democrats are now denying it even exists. It's a never ending dance that gets more contorted by the day."

But as much as Rowe wishes otherwise, work ethic is political. Democrats are more likely to think people are either rich or poor because of circumstances out of their control, while Republicans are more likely to think it's because of how hard they work, according to a 2014 Pew poll.

The ways Americans feel about things like taxes and income inequality also depend largely on their political affiliation. Pew found Democrats and Republicans have almost polar-opposite opinions on solutions to poverty.

While Democrats overwhelmingly believe the poor need government aid to get a leg up, Republicans overwhelmingly believe such aide does more harm than good because it makes them too dependent on government - something that could less-charitably be called "lazy."

And though Rowe might see his S.W.E.A.T. pledge as something everyone can agree on, it's not hard to see why people see it as conservative-leaning. Here are a few examples:

2. I believe that I am entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Nothing more. I also understand that "happiness" and the "pursuit of happiness" are not the same thing.

5. I deplore debt, and do all I can to avoid it. I would rather live in a tent and eat beans than borrow money to pay for a lifestyle I can't afford.