# Based on these political positions, would you call me a conservative, a liberal, or something else? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 25, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676 "2011-04-25T16:50:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/21 "2011-04-25T20:42:46Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > Libertarian. That would be about the last term I’d apply. Skald’s beliefs need a fairly hefty government with a lot of power. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/22 "2011-04-26T11:15:45Z")
I consider you a liberal. Your views on gun rights don’t really contradict this for me. The required government service is unusual for that profile in the US, but many European countries (and Israel) still have required public service and I see nothing wrong with that as long as there’s some choice in what service one can perform, not just military. > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Which reminds me: I’d meant to encourage others to list political positions they find important so they too could be assessed. Well, I’m an anarchist, so my most important political position is the abolition of the hierarchical State. BUT I’m also a realist, so for practical purposes, I skew strongly liberal. These are things I find most important: No Death Penalty. Pretty much a dealbreaker. As an adult, I wouldn’t live in a country that had the DP. I have a hard time even justifying visiting one, as a tourist. I won’t be going to Japan, for instance, as fascinated as I am by the place. Abortion on demand for at least the first 6 months. Equal rights for women Equal rights for LGTB folks I’d have thought equal rights for all races went without saying, but with the state of the Dope lately, I’m not sure about that. I’m not a huge fan of affirmative action as currently practiced, personally, but then there _needs_ to be some other system to break wrongfully-established entrenched privilege, and I haven’t seen any viable alternatives offered. I can take or leave guns, but I don’t have a problem if others want them. Public ownership of the airwaves, that’s a biggy. Firmer environmental legislation, with more teeth. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/23 "2011-04-26T11:26:42Z")
I’m not sure where everyone is getting “libertarian” from. Skald’s stated positions seem to be pretty by-the-book liberal/Democrat with the single exception of gun control, and he’s certainly not alone among Democrats with that one. The only way I could see someone with that list of preferences voting for a Republican is if they were a single-issue voter on Second Amendment rights. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/24 "2011-04-26T11:46:19Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I think anyone who wants to teach creationism or intelligent design in the public schools is either a nitwit, a liar, or an ignoramus. No politics there, since you don’t say how government should respond to them, if at all. > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Seat-belt use should NOT be mandatory; nor should wearing a motorcycle helmet. So a small libertarian impulse, but an incomplete position; what should be done with these people when they wreck? Should public resources be used to try to save their lives? > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Single-payer universal health care is probably the best way to go. Evidently so. How much is covered? Does it not matter whether people have taken any steps to take care of themselves? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/25 "2011-04-26T11:54:38Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I’m not sure where everyone is getting “libertarian” from. Skald’s stated positions seem to be pretty by-the-book liberal/Democrat with the single exception of gun control… He also mentioned libertarian-inflected positions on abortion, marriage, seat belts, marijuana and prostitution. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/26 "2011-04-26T13:00:20Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > I’m not sure what you are either, but you’re very, _very_ similar to whatever I am. Same here. I’ll say “leaning liberal”. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/27 "2011-04-26T13:28:00Z")
I’ll add one more thing. You are absolutely not like a contemporary Republican. You are always creating poll threads and generally soliciting opinions. Considering other people’s opinions is not a Republican trait. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/28 "2011-04-26T14:32:39Z")
I’m not going to go through Skald’s list exhaustively but the thread illustrates something; most people who actually THINK about the issues simply don’t fall neatly onto a one-dimensional spectrum like liberal-conservative, Democrat-Republican, or in Canada, the range from Tory-Liberal-NDP. There is no party here in Canada I agree with, and if there was it’d basically be the Rick Party, with me as leader and the only member. A person’s opinions do not have to fall on the same place on the right-left scale, or be on the scale at all in some cases. Furthermore, your approach to a given problem can quite reasonably change over time even while your philosophical position remains the same, simply because the practicaliities of the matter change. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/29 "2011-04-26T16:29:57Z")
You’re a liberal. Regards, Another liberal ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/30 "2011-04-26T16:58:41Z")
I pretty much agree with you on everything, Skald. I like to consider myself a left leaning moderate, but in practice, I’m probably more of a Liberal than I realize. You left out your thoughts on the military. Increase or decrease? More or less money spent? Should we police the world or get out of other countries? Etc? Personally, I like living in the country that is the big brother instead of gets big brothered. That being said, I’d like the US to maintain our strength, but use our military funds more wisely. I just don’t know how to do that… ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/31 "2011-04-26T17:03:39Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > You’re a liberal. I suppose I should qualify this a bit. Everything you’re into is associated with liberal ideology, except that you don’t want to ban guns or wear a seatbelt. I do think the results might come up a bit differently if you talked about your fiscal positions, which **Daddypants** kind of alludes to. [QUOTE=spark240] He also mentioned libertarian-inflected positions on abortion, marriage, seat belts, marijuana and prostitution. [/QUOTE] No, he mentioned _liberal_ positions on those issues, which also happen to be the libertarian issues on those positions. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/32 "2011-04-26T21:19:14Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > No politics there, since you don’t say how government should respond to them, if at all. Creationists and their dishonest cousins in ID are trying to establish a state religion, and so should be smacked down. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/33 "2011-04-26T22:41:05Z")
You’re left-of-center with a libertarian streak on some issues. The only major departure from the Democratic Party’s positions is gun control, and there are certainly Democrats who agree with your values on gun control. However, a lot of your ideas involve relatively powerful government with lots of regulatory control; single-payer healthcare, an EPA with real teeth, and considerable public funding for schools, including great care with standards and testing, so you don’t fit a classical libertarian viewpoint. You really split yourself between a Blue Dog Democrat (minimal government control about guns, seat belts) and a very left-wing view (single-payer healthcare, a strong EPA). What does this mean: To what “franchise” do you refer? > [@Skald the Rhymer](#): > > A brief stint in government service should be required to obtain the franchise, at least in theory. In practice that may well not work, so I don’t insist. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/34 "2011-04-26T23:02:20Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > You’re left-of-center with a libertarian streak on some issues. The only major departure from the Democratic Party’s positions is gun control, and there are certainly Democrats who agree with your values on gun control. However, a lot of your ideas involve relatively powerful government with lots of regulatory control; single-payer healthcare, an EPA with real teeth, and considerable public funding for schools, including great care with standards and testing, so you don’t fit a classical libertarian viewpoint. You really split yourself between a Blue Dog Democrat (minimal government control about guns, seat belts) and a very left-wing view (single-payer healthcare, a strong EPA). > > What does this mean: To what “franchise” do you refer? From Merriam-Webster: **franchise** 1 : freedom or immunity from some burden or restriction vested in a person or group 2 a : a special privilege granted to an individual or group; especially : the right to be and exercise the powers of a corporation _b : a constitutional or statutory right or privilege; especially : the right to vote_ My back hurts, so I don’t feel up to mocking you right now. Please assume that I said something cruel and the hamsters ate it. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/35 "2011-04-27T01:15:51Z")
Yes, Skald, you are a progressive/liberal on most issues. But I noted a big hole in your list of beliefs: economic issues. Where do you stand on capitalism? Regulation of the stock market, etc.? Trickle-down? Taxes, progressive, flat tax, or nonexistent? Bandit bankers: should they be tortured to death to reveal where they are hiding the loot, or just shot? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/36 "2011-04-27T03:55:54Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I am against gun control. … I’m very tempted to say that every adult should be strongly encouraged to know how to use at least one sort of small arm safely. > > I am in favor of abortion rights, at least up to very late in the pregnancy, and at any point in the pregnancy if the mother’s life or health is at risk. > > Ideally I’d want the government to have no say whatsodamnever in who may marry whom solong as all parties are adults… Goddamn libertarian. > [@](#): > > I’d like there to be considerable federal involvement in education, both funding it and setting standards. I don’t want those standards tested only or even primarily by standardzied tests, though. And I think charter schools are often a stealth attempt to defund the public schools, which I don’t like; it’s in society’s interest to provide competent K-12 education for as many people as possible. Scratch that. Libertarian, short of “goddamn.” > [@](#): > > I think the death penalty is theoretically just but, practically speaking, impossible to administer justly and at a reasonable price, so I’d ban it. Yup, libertarian. > [@](#): > > I think anyone who wants to teach creationism or intelligent design in the public schools is either a nitwit, a liar, or an ignoramus. Self-righteous atheist libertarian. > [@](#): > > Vaccines for diseases like measles, chicken pox, and so forth should be mandatory. But sane. > [@](#): > > Seat-belt use should NOT be mandatory; nor should wearing a motorcycle helmet. Scratch that. > [@](#): > > Single-payer universal health care is probably the best way to go. > > While I concede the power to tax is the power to destroy, it’s silly to think that lowering taxes is always the correct response to an economic situation, and people who say so are either disingenuous or fooling themselves. And a tax code that allows General Electric to pay zip in taxes on billions of revenue is broken. Has a brain, avoids hardline TEA Party Reaganism. > [@](#): > > Medical marijuana should be legal in all states. In fact, marijuana should be legal; it’s no more dangerous than alcohol, and clearly of greater benefit that tobacco (which, incidentally, should nnot be banned.) > > Prostitution as it exists in the United States is almost always the result of very unpleasant exploitation, but it shouldn’t be outlawed so long as both parties are adults. It should be regulated to control STD spreads and to ensure that any prostitute is working of his or her own volition, supported by taxes on the exchange. Prostitutes should be licensed in teh same way insurance agents are. _Civil_ libertarian. > [@](#): > > The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is fine the way it is; the EPA should have more power; there should be more regulation of certain dangerous industries. Shows respect for science. > [@](#): > > No Xmas trees, menorahs, crosses, or Decalogue tablets in government buildings; no religious symbols at all. And remove “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance. Anti-establishmentarian. > [@](#): > > A brief stint in government service should be required to obtain the franchise, at least in theory. In practice that may well not work, so I don’t insist. Silly fascist, but we get to throw one idea out. > [@](#): > > My votes in presidental electiosn have been thus: Bush I, Dole, Gore, Kerry, Obama. Old-fashioned non-movement conservative? > [@](#): > > How would you classify me politically? You’re a (goshdarn) civil libertarian, with a respect for science and a contractarian respect for authority. In this country, you’re probably called an idiosyncratic centrist, but that’s meaningless. Since you said almost nothing about economics, I assume you are useless to me, merely another creature to be overcome. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/37 "2011-04-27T05:37:00Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > No, he mentioned _liberal_ positions on those issues, which also happen to be the libertarian issues on those positions. I’m not clear how you tell the difference between a liberal position which also happens to be a libertarian position, and the reverse. Also it is news to me if the Democratic Party has endorsed the legalization of prostitution and non-medical marijuana. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/38 "2011-04-27T17:05:47Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Self-righteous atheist libertarian Me? **Righteous**? You’ll pay for that. You and all your friends. > [@](#): > > Since you said almost nothing about economics, I assume you are useless to me, merely another creature to be overcome. My thoughts on economics don’t fit into sound-bites. Any politician who claims that economic matters are simple is lying or stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/39 "2011-04-27T17:45:10Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > Also it is news to me if the Democratic Party has endorsed the legalization of prostitution and non-medical marijuana. The Democratic Party isn’t liberal. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676/40 "2011-04-30T10:28:28Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I am … How would you classify me politically? I’ve not read the thread, but I’ll bet that if you were to meet a Republican in the street she’d call you a Republican, and that if you were to meet a Democrat in the street, she’d call you a Democrat. Both would then ask you for a donation. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/based-on-these-political-positions-would-you-call-me-a-conservative-a-liberal-or-something-else/579676.md?page=3)