# Are most Dopers liberal, conservative, or what? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 4, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585 "2003-10-04T20:05:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/1 "2003-10-04T20:05:15Z")
In the ongoing GD thread, “Joe Wilson Fingers Karl Rove for Outing His Wife” ([http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=213000&perpage=50&pagenumber=1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=213000&perpage=50&pagenumber=1)), **smiling bandit** made the following off-hand assertion: > [@](#): > > And the SMDB is more than slightly geared to a crowd that does not support 'Publicans. It got me to wondering. Does a conservative **really** view the SDMB community this way? It seems to me there are an awful lot of right-wingers on this board. (And an awful lot they are! [rimshot]) But I’ve never done a poll, or seen one. What do you think? Are there more left-wing or right-wing dopers posting in the Great Debates forum? (The other forums, obviously, are not as relevant to this question.) For that matter, how do we Dopers differ from the general population? Some characteristics are obvious: 1. Since the SDMB is conducted in English, all Dopers know how to read and write (or type) English. Unless they have some B]really\*\* good language-translation software. 2. All Dopers have access to an Internet-linked computer and know enough to use it to post on this board. 3. Dopers are self-selected for a certain level of interest in intellectual matters – that is, they are willing to devote a certain amount of their time and effort to discussing things on this board. (In this assertion I am using the phrase “intellectual matters” broadly enough to encompass a serious interest in Flintstones trivia, etc., or absolutely anything one might discuss in Cafe Society, General Questions, or MPSIMS.) 4. Most or all Dopers learned about this board through Cecil’s column, which is published mainly in alternative weekly tabloid newspapers in major urban areas. (However, a lot of Dopers do seem to post from rural areas.) Now, does all this add up to a community which is skewed toward the left? Toward the right? Toward some other direction? What do you all think? Are there more liberals or conservatives on this board? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/2 "2003-10-04T20:24:05Z")
I imagine most Dopers would not self identify. But short of a poll, I can’t imagine how we would resolve such a question. I know which side the _intelligent_ Dopers are on, but that’s a given. ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/3 "2003-10-04T20:54:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elucidator \* > \*\*I know which side the _intelligent_ Dopers are on, but that’s a given. \*\* That would be the ones that agree with you, right? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Daisy\_Cutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@Daisy\_Cutter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daisy_Cutter)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/4 "2003-10-04T21:00:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elucidator \* > \*\* I know which side the _intelligent_ Dopers are on, but that’s a given. \*\* Well, that’s debatable, but judging by your comments, I’d think it is fairly safe to conclude which side has the most arrogant, pompous sounding fools. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/5 "2003-10-04T21:45:38Z")
Boy, you guys really got me that time. Sure didn’t see that one coming, nosireebob. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/6 "2003-10-04T22:08:29Z")
I think there are probably more left leaning Dopers than right but it’s not like the right is not well represented. I also think that “left” and “right” are pretty iffy designations, especially when it comes to international Dopers in which those terms have a different political context. I also think that some opinions get characterized as being on one side or the other when a poster may not self-identify with that side. Opposing the invasion of Iraq, to cite an obvious example, does not automatically make someone a liberal and vice versa. A lot of anti-war sentiment on the board may therefore give the impression that the SDMB is more leftist than it really is. As to relative intelligence, I would say that I’ve noticed some posters who come off as quite intelligent, informed and articulate when talking about an area of personal expertise but who unaccountably go off the rails when it comes to politics. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/7 "2003-10-04T22:11:18Z")
You also have to remebr the international aspect of SDMB and why in general the world outside of the US looks disfavourably on Mr. Bush Jr. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/8 "2003-10-04T22:19:49Z")
Just to confuse matters, I’d like to point out that there is a _much_ greater percentage of self-identified libertarians on the SDMB than one tends to meet in real life. This isn’t reflective of a “bias”, of course, but it is a factor in the board’s political culture. People like **elucidator** would of course improperly identify libertarians broadly with the right wing. ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/9 "2003-10-04T22:20:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diogenes the Cynic \* > **I think there are probably more left leaning Dopers than right but it’s not like the right is not well represented.** Probably? ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/10 "2003-10-04T22:24:18Z")
I’ll go with, “or what.” As in, intelligent people banding together, regardless of political orientation, in order to fight ignorance. I remain ever-thankful we Americans live in a country where it can be agreed upon to disagree, without (too much) rancor. ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/11 "2003-10-04T22:24:59Z")
I think the side that the majority of SDMBers are on is generally defined “whatever you’re not”. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_In\_Anger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ab097/32.png) [@Not\_In\_Anger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_In_Anger)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/12 "2003-10-04T22:59:46Z")
From what I’ve seen, there’s way more right-wingers than left-wingers here. But there’s a pretty good complement of American liberals, which is what people in the U.S. call either left-wingers or centrists. And to inject my own opinion, perhaps (okay, certainly) inappropriately, those guys are 50 times smarter than the millions of Ann Coulter psychopaths who find it so amusing and lucrative to regurgitate their inane blather daily. Really, don’t those people ever bathe? ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/13 "2003-10-04T23:45:08Z")
_Delanda est Winnipeg_ - **Brutus the Handsome** Overall, I would think that the SDMB is skewed to the center, with exceptions in various areas. Fiscally conservative, socially liberal, _in general_, I would say. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/14 "2003-10-04T23:47:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Netbrian \* > \*\*I think the side that the majority of SDMBers are on is generally defined “whatever you’re not”. \*\* I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there. The vocal minority you disagree with is always more noticeable than the vocal minority you agree with. ---
**Author:** ![peacefulprotester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a8b319/32.png) [@peacefulprotester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peacefulprotester)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/15 "2003-10-04T23:52:00Z")
all I know is that I’m pretty much a liberal. I have gotten the impression from reading some of the posts that there are several libertarians on this forum. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_In\_Anger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ab097/32.png) [@Not\_In\_Anger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_In_Anger)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/16 "2003-10-04T23:53:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Brutus \* > \*\*_Delanda est Winnipeg_ - **Brutus the Handsome** > Overall, I would think that the SDMB is skewed to the center, with exceptions in various areas. Fiscally conservative, socially liberal, _in general_, I would say. \*\* I, cringing, agree. I’m fiscally conservative and socially liberal. I guess where we disagree is entirely in the realm of foreign policy. And domestic repression. ---
**Author:** ![peacefulprotester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a8b319/32.png) [@peacefulprotester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peacefulprotester)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/17 "2003-10-04T23:56:20Z")
I, cringing, agree. I’m fiscally conservative and socially liberal. yeah, I know people like that. ---
**Author:** ![MmmDonut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@MmmDonut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MmmDonut)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/18 "2003-10-04T23:59:18Z")
Well, the conservatives lose most of the debates in my mind. Does that make me a liberal? ---
**Author:** ![peacefulprotester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a8b319/32.png) [@peacefulprotester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peacefulprotester)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/19 "2003-10-05T00:00:08Z")
yeah, I think so. either that or you can spot bad arguments instantly. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_In\_Anger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ab097/32.png) [@Not\_In\_Anger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_In_Anger)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585/20 "2003-10-05T00:29:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by peacefulprotester \* > \*\*I, cringing, agree. I’m fiscally conservative and socially liberal. > > yeah, I know people like that. \*\* Any Canadian for instance. You didn’t bother to quote the second, and more important part of what I said. Straw man. We just came from where you guys are going : apparently hopeless deficit. Forgive me for pointing to the fallen limb you are about to trip over. I am not about to assume anything about your political beliefs, just based on your posting name. I’ll bet you 50/50, though, I marched under an anarchist black flag before you were born. Note: CDN = approx. .70 US. :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-most-dopers-liberal-conservative-or-what/205585.md?page=2)