# Country is 36 % Conservative 26% Liberal **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 3, 2017, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230 "2017-01-03T14:58:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Donpeyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a4c791/32.png) [@Donpeyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donpeyote)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/1 "2017-01-03T14:58:55Z")
Per Gallup poll (Story on Drudge now) , my guess is this Forum/Boards political makeup is the reverse of that … ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/2 "2017-01-03T15:33:49Z")
> [@Donpeyote](#): > > Per Gallup poll (Story on Drudge now) , my guess is this Forum/Boards political makeup is the reverse of that … Very likely, yes- that tends to happen just about everywhere on the internet (aside from the various right-wing fora, of course). That same Gallup poll, by the way ([direct link here](http://www.gallup.com/poll/180452/liberals-record-trail-conservatives.aspx)) also shows that liberalism has been increasing fairly steadily over the years, while conservatism has stayed more or less steady. What do you say to that? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/3 "2017-01-03T15:36:17Z")
Here’s the gallup link if people don’t feel like searching out a Drudge story: > **[U.S. Conservatives Outnumber Liberals by Narrowing Margin](https://news.gallup.com/poll/201152/conservative-liberal-gap-continues-narrow-tuesday.aspx)** > > One in four Americans (25%) now call themselves liberal, reflecting steady gains since the 1990s. Conservatives remain the largest ideological group, at 36%. What’s the debate? I personally don’t put a lot of stock in the self applied labels. How people poll on a variety of issues would be more meaningful. The fact that the “liberal” numbers are rising, per that poll, may have more to do with the stigma fading from the word rather than a real change in attitudes. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/4 "2017-01-03T15:44:18Z")
The debate is, “If has liberalism gone up 50% in two and a half decades while conservatism remains stagnant, why do Republicans think that they are winning?” ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/5 "2017-01-03T15:48:56Z")
I guess controlling both Houses and winning the Presidency has lulled them into a false sense of victory? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/6 "2017-01-03T15:55:07Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > The debate is, “If has liberalism gone up 50% in two and a half decades while conservatism remains stagnant, why do Republicans think that they are winning?” Because voting from a place of anger and anxiety is a bigger motivator than complacent apathy. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/7 "2017-01-03T16:02:36Z")
I’m on the fence if this can morph into a debate or not. Is they’re a debate you’d like to present, **Donpeyote**? [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/8 "2017-01-03T16:04:19Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > I guess controlling both Houses and winning the Presidency has lulled them into a false sense of victory? Now they’ve got us right where we want us. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/9 "2017-01-03T16:10:23Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > I guess controlling both Houses and winning the Presidency has lulled them into a false sense of victory? Yes, the way that you all have controlled the White House for eight of the last twenty-four years has me quaking in my boots. Oh, no, that’s just my fear of whom Republicans thought was the most qualified person in America to be the _next_ President. My bad. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/10 "2017-01-03T16:19:49Z")
Republicans have spent decades turning “liberal” into a slur, so of course there are fewer people who self-identify as liberal. 38% of people are unaccounted for in your percentages and it’s very likely that a lot of them would otherwise identify as liberal. Anecdotally, I think liberals are also less comfortable with identifying themselves with a group and labelling themselves as conservatives are. If you want useful numbers, you need answers to specific questions. The vast majority of people support the ACA, and the ACA itself if you call it that, but most hate “Obamacare” - but if you asked them all about specific provisions under the ACA, they overwhelmingly support them. You get bad results from such general polls. If you want something interesting, you have to ask specific questions. I would suspect that on most issues that people consider issues that tend to identify you as a liberal there’s a lot more than 26% approval for them. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/11 "2017-01-03T16:21:14Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > The vast majority of people support the ACA, and the ACA itself if you call it that, but most hate “Obamacare” - but if you asked them all about specific provisions under the ACA, they overwhelmingly support them. Except for the mandate, right? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/12 "2017-01-03T16:23:12Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Yes, the way that you all have controlled the White House for eight of the last twenty-four years has me quaking in my boots. Ummm, yeah, the way that they controlled the white house from 2001 to 2009 does have me concerned. Not n the way that they took control, but in the way they ran it. I am _quite_ sure that trump will do better though. > [@shodan](#): > > Now they’ve got us right where we want us. If by “they”, you mean republicans, by “us”, you mean the american people, and by “where we want”, you mean in a position to enrich themselves and their friends at the expense of “us” then you are absolutely right. Good job! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/13 "2017-01-03T16:27:25Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > The vast majority of people support the ACA, and the ACA itself if you call it that, but most hate “Obamacare” - but if you asked them all about specific provisions under the ACA, they overwhelmingly support them. Can we stop with this nonsense. People like the free stuff, and they don’t like the mechanism that pays for it. I don’t know about you, but I find it utterly unremarkable that people are in favor of “free stuff”. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/14 "2017-01-03T16:31:22Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Yes, the way that you all have controlled the White House for eight of the last twenty-four years has me quaking in my boots. First off, I am not a Republican. I was just pointing out reality. Second, you aren’t making much of a point with your little “last 24 years” thing. In 2020, both parties will have 12/24. Oh but right now the Dems are totally pwning it with 16 to 8! There’s also the little matter of the Republicans controlling the legislature and executive in 25 states vs 5 for the Dems. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/15 "2017-01-03T16:39:03Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Can we stop with this nonsense. People like the free stuff, and they don’t like the mechanism that pays for it. I don’t know about you, but I find it utterly unremarkable that people are in favor of “free stuff”. Is that what the ACA is to you? “Free stuff”? It isn’t affordable insurance that improves the quality of many people’s lives. It isn’t something that even saves lives. It’s just free stuff. I see. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/16 "2017-01-03T16:52:24Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > That same Gallup poll, by the way ([direct link here](http://www.gallup.com/poll/180452/liberals-record-trail-conservatives.aspx)) also shows that liberalism has been increasing fairly steadily over the years, while conservatism has stayed more or less steady. What do you say to that? I would say, as a liberal, that liberalism needs to spend less time being master of its domain and spend a little more time winning elections. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/17 "2017-01-03T16:53:30Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Is that what the ACA is to you? “Free stuff”? > > It isn’t affordable insurance that improves the quality of many people’s lives. It isn’t something that even saves lives. > > It’s just free stuff. > > I see. I’m imagining this delivered in the tones one might hear directed at the tourist who declared that Rodin’s _Celle qui fut la belle heaulmiere_ was just some naked old lady. But… the thing is that Rodin was a great sculptor. The ACA is not a great work of art. It’s flawed, perhaps fatally so even without the maleficent Trump attention. “If you like your doctor, you can. . . maybe grow to like your new doctor, too,” would have been the more accurate thing to say. ---
**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:** [January 3, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/18 "2017-01-03T16:55:11Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > “If you like your doctor, you can. . . maybe grow to like your new doctor, too,” would have been the more accurate thing to say. If you’re just going by degrees of accuracy, what the President said was pretty damn accurate – for the vast majority of Americans, it was _true_ that “if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor”. ---
**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:** [January 3, 2017, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/19 "2017-01-03T16:56:20Z")
Yay…another thread hijacked into ACA-land. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230/20 "2017-01-03T16:57:43Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > First off, I am not a Republican. I seem to remember you as being generally conservative, which I think is the point since this poll and thread are about liberal/conservative identifications, not party IDs. If I have wrongly pegged you as a conservative, I apologize. It’s a terrible thing to call someone. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-is-36-conservative-26-liberal/776230.md?page=2)