# Conservative dopers -- why do you think the SDMB leans left? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 29, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218 "2016-09-29T16:57:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/1 "2016-09-29T16:57:31Z")
I assume ATMB is the right place for this question (since it’s about the board) – maybe it’s better suited for IMHO. I lean left and I think the SDMB leans left because fighting actual ignorance with facts and science and the like is more common and more welcome with left-leaning folks. But this well could be bias speaking. So conservative dopers, why do you think the Dope leans left? Are there any conservative-leaning boards on the internet that do as good a job of fighting actual ignorance as the Dope does? If not, why not? Or do you believe the Dope is no better than other boards at fighting ignorance, and it just happens to lean left for some other reason? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/2 "2016-09-29T17:24:34Z")
Previous threads of this sort have been in IMHO, so let’s send this over there. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/3 "2016-09-29T17:34:53Z")
Is the parent company politicized? ---
**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:** [September 29, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/4 "2016-09-29T17:35:24Z")
To paraphrase Dan Ackroyd, because we are ignorant sluts! ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/5 "2016-09-29T17:43:11Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I lean left and I think the SDMB leans left because fighting actual ignorance with facts and science and the like is more common and more welcome with left-leaning folks. I lean left myself, and I’m not sure this is an accurate assertion: there’s a lot of anti-scientific woo on the left side of the political spectrum, starting out with various dietary superstitions and devolving from there into all kinds of new age crap, alternative medicine and the like. In fact, I’m not sure that left and right-wing really differ in the amount of anti-science sentiment; it’s just that on the conservative side, it tends to originate with religion, while liberals seem more prone to esotericism (something probably inherited from the hippie and allied movements of the sixties). However, the other way around seems to work: according to the study cited in [this article](https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/04/27/study-finds-those-graduate-education-are-far-more-liberal-peers), there’s a correlation between the level of education and liberalism, in that those having achieved a higher level of education typically skew more liberal. Consequently, as this is a site broadly dedicated to education in one way or another, this might explain the political leanings of most members. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/6 "2016-09-29T17:54:05Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > I lean left myself, and I’m not sure this is an accurate assertion: there’s a lot of anti-scientific woo on the left side of the political spectrum, starting out with various dietary superstitions and devolving from there into all kinds of new age crap, alternative medicine and the like. In fact, I’m not sure that left and right-wing really differ in the amount of anti-science sentiment; it’s just that on the conservative side, it tends to originate with religion, while liberals seem more prone to esotericism (something probably inherited from the hippie and allied movements of the sixties). I’m not sure the differentiation means much: if someone believes in woo, it doesn’t matter whether it’s from religious influence or “superscience.” Chiropractic, anti-vax, food fads, dietary supplements - I’m pretty sure these straddle the political spectrum, and there are others. ---
**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:** [September 29, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/7 "2016-09-29T17:58:49Z")
I’m British not American, and voted Labour at our last General Election. That puts me well to the left of the US Democrats (granted I’m with the Republicans on gun rights), and yes, the SDMB is hugely biased towards the Democrats. Republicans are distinctly unwelcome here. So they go away. How members like **Bricker** and **adaher** put up with it, I do not know. Suffice it to say that I have an epic rant brewing if America is foolish enough to elect Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/8 "2016-09-29T18:08:25Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I’m British not American, and voted Labour at our last General Election. That puts me well to the left of the US Democrats (granted I’m with the Republicans on gun rights), and yes, the SDMB is hugely biased towards the Democrats. Republicans are distinctly unwelcome here. So they go away. How members like **Bricker** and **adaher** put up with it, I do not know. > > Suffice it to say that I have an epic rant brewing if America is foolish enough to elect Trump. I’m a Canadian, and I agree with this. Also, I do think the meaning of “conservative” is somewhat assumed here - the Board is based in the US and is largely American, so it can mean “followers of the current US Republican Party”. For a long time now, and particularly so under Trump, the position of such folks are far from what others in the world would usually consider “Conservative”. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/9 "2016-09-29T18:10:45Z")
The board leans left because it draws its readership/membership primarily from being syndicated in left-oriented alternative media publications, the _Chicago Reader_ primary among them. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/10 "2016-09-29T18:13:52Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > The board leans left because it draws its readership/membership primarily from being syndicated in left-oriented alternative media publications, the _Chicago Reader_ primary among them. I’m really sure that’s true any more. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/11 "2016-09-29T18:20:17Z")
If I thought your question was directed at me (conservative doper), I would say “because most dopers are left of me”. Which would be empirically true. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/12 "2016-09-29T18:26:23Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > I lean left myself, and I’m not sure this is an accurate assertion: there’s a lot of anti-scientific woo on the left side of the political spectrum, starting out with various dietary superstitions and devolving from there into all kinds of new age crap, alternative medicine and the like. In fact, I’m not sure that left and right-wing really differ in the amount of anti-science sentiment; it’s just that on the conservative side, it tends to originate with religion, while liberals seem more prone to esotericism (something probably inherited from the hippie and allied movements of the sixties). > > However, the other way around seems to work: according to the study cited in [this article](https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/04/27/study-finds-those-graduate-education-are-far-more-liberal-peers), there’s a correlation between the level of education and liberalism, in that those having achieved a higher level of education typically skew more liberal. Consequently, as this is a site broadly dedicated to education in one way or another, this might explain the political leanings of most members. I know there’s a lot of left-woo and similar evidence-free stuff, but it’s my opinion that these beliefs are more common on the right in general. But again, that might be my bias talking. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/13 "2016-09-29T18:27:32Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] … the SDMB is hugely biased towards the Democrats. Republicans are distinctly unwelcome here. So they go away. [/QUOTE] > [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > The board leans left because it draws its readership/membership primarily from being syndicated in left-oriented alternative media publications, the _Chicago Reader_ primary among them. ISTM that these two sum up why. The SDMB started out liberal, and due to the self-reinforcing nature of message boards, has become even more so. It wouldn’t be any different if it had started right and drifted further right over time. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/14 "2016-09-29T18:28:12Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > The board leans left because it draws its readership/membership primarily from being syndicated in left-oriented alternative media publications, the _Chicago Reader_ primary among them. Maybe at the beginning, but now? Most Dopers aren’t Chicagoans, I’m pretty sure, and most aren’t charter members. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/15 "2016-09-29T18:29:31Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > ISTM that these two sum up why. > > The SDMB started out liberal, and due to the self-reinforcing nature of message boards, has become even more so. It wouldn’t be any different if it had started right and drifted further right over time. > > Regards, > Shodan Are there any conservative leaning boards as good at separating facts from woo and other ignorance (for the factual discussions – not the political ones)? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/16 "2016-09-29T18:30:18Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’m really sure that’s true any more. _Any more_, no. But I agree with **Shodan** , very loosely anyway. I think that was substantially the genesis of this board and it very early on became a self-reinforcing meme. This board started out majority liberal ( by American standards ) and has become increasingly so through a winnowing process as frustrated conservatives have left. I don’t think anyone is to blame for that necessarily - board cultures go where board cultures go. I do think it is unfortunate we have lost some thoughtful, intelligent conservatives. Though on the other hand I don’t mourn the loss of certain idjits. But then I wouldn’t mind seeing a few left-leaning idjits flushed out as well. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/17 "2016-09-29T18:31:24Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’m really sure that’s true any more. Word of mouth originating from readers who come here from those publications plays a large part too, plus word of mouth from those readers, and word of mouth from those readers. It’s a ripple effect, but the board owes its genesis and its culture to the _Chicago Reader_ and similar left-oriented publications. ETA: And I see that as usual, **Shodan** hits the nail on the head. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/18 "2016-09-29T18:33:39Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > ISTM that these two sum up why. > > The SDMB started out liberal, and due to the **self-reinforcing nature of message boards,** has become even more so. It wouldn’t be any different if it had started right and drifted further right over time. > > Regards, > Shodan Bolding mine. This is it in a nutshell. For just one example, look at the threads about the recent Presidential debate. More than one poster admitted that they flat-out were not going to watch the debates, but were going to get their “information” about the debate from posts on this message board. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/19 "2016-09-29T18:34:41Z")
It’s seems natural to me that a board devoted to fighting ignorance would be at odds with those who deny reality. In modern U.S. political terms, the most notable elements that make a virtue of ignoring evidence are: (1) The large part of the political right in the U.S., that has obviously gone looney-tunes insane; overlapping to a large extent with fundamentalist Christianity that takes the truth-claims of the bible literally. (2) The powerful cultural relativist political movement within modern academia, strongly _left_-leaning, that has sometimes drifted equally far into bizarro-world, claiming that the hard sciences should be understood in the same terms - quite literally that (say) our understanding of subatomic physics or geology is a cultural construct without any objective reality. Strange bedfellows. It’s also notable that “left” and “right” in the current U.S. two-party system do not map to what those terms mean more broadly. At present, I think the average Democratic would be considered middle-of-the-road or even slightly right of center in a global context. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218/20 "2016-09-29T18:37:26Z")
You don’t have to name any, but are there any right-leaning boards of this nature that treat people of the opposite political beliefs more fairly? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-dopers-why-do-you-think-the-sdmb-leans-left/767218.md?page=2)