# How would you categorize yourself on the U.S. political spectrum? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 23, 2018, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977 "2018-11-23T17:39:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stuntman\_Mike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stuntman_mike/32/334_2.png) [@Stuntman\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuntman_Mike)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/1 "2018-11-23T17:39:04Z")
After being here for a couple weeks, I’m starting to taste a little more wacky juice than I’m usually willing to tolerate. Truthfully, I’m unsure if I belong here. But rather than speculate, I figure why not just ask? If I can collect a sample size of at least 100 responses, that should give me a fairly clear idea about where I stand. Though, where I stand must remain a secret until the results are in. Don’t want to influence anyone. Commentary is welcome, but I’m more interested in the anonymous poll numbers. I’ve made the poll options reasonably granular… hopeful that everyone should be able to comfortably select one. Lastly, please be honest when selecting a poll option. Don’t let the existing results, or comments, influence your choice. And try not to fight. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/2 "2018-11-23T17:54:21Z")
> [@Stuntman\_Mike](#): > > And try not to fight. 😛 Then why include the “don’t give a shit” comment? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/3 "2018-11-23T18:04:10Z")
I voted middle left. I usually refer to myself as a bleeding-heart liberal who carries a gun. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/4 "2018-11-23T18:05:21Z")
You think where you stand is totally secret after that post? You describe the stuff you read here as “wacky juice,” and you wonder if you belong here. Why not simply post a poll with no, or minimal, commentary if you wanted something completely unbiased? ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/5 "2018-11-23T18:13:40Z")
Centrist seems to fit best. I’m a hair right of center and a Republican but “leans right” is less accurate. The emphasis is the center part of me being center-right. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/6 "2018-11-23T18:19:04Z")
I chose “Middle Right”, but if you’re just trying to to figure out which way the SDMB leans, there’s not much question: the majority here is solidly left-leaning ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/7 "2018-11-23T18:20:59Z")
> [@Stuntman\_Mike](#): > > Though, where I stand must remain a secret until the results are in. Where you stand is bleedingly obvious from the violent and sadistic posts that you have made so far. ---
**Author:** ![Stuntman\_Mike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stuntman_mike/32/334_2.png) [@Stuntman\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuntman_Mike)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/8 "2018-11-23T19:01:28Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Then why include the “don’t give a shit” comment? Some folks just aren’t inclined either way… maybe they’re uninformed, but real they just don’t give a shit. That’s different from a centrist, who actually does give a shit, but whose political values happen to lay in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![Stuntman\_Mike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stuntman_mike/32/334_2.png) [@Stuntman\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuntman_Mike)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/9 "2018-11-23T19:07:58Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > You think where you stand is totally secret after that post? You describe the stuff you read here as “wacky juice,” and you wonder if you belong here. Why not simply post a poll with no, or minimal, commentary if you wanted something completely unbiased? I was well aware of my “wacky juice” comment when I typed it, but how do you know whether I think the wackjobs are on the right, or on the left? You just assumed. And I chose to explain why I’m posting the poll so that folks don’t think I’m just some random survey taker looking to peek under the hood of Straight Dope. I have a legitimate curiousity. And when the results are in, if I feel I’m not among enough friends to hang around here, I’ll just quietly leave. I at least want a balance… otherwise where’s the enjoyment in staying where the majority doesn’t like me? ---
**Author:** ![Stuntman\_Mike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stuntman_mike/32/334_2.png) [@Stuntman\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuntman_Mike)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/10 "2018-11-23T19:09:15Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I chose “Middle Right”, but if you’re just trying to to figure out which way the SDMB leans, there’s not much question: > > the majority here is solidly left-leaning That may very well be, but let’s see the anonymous poll results to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/11 "2018-11-23T19:22:16Z")
Far left, Pelosi loving Soros supporting pinko lib. ---
**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:** [November 23, 2018, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/12 "2018-11-23T19:25:22Z")
I’d like at least a very loose definition of terms. Are you defining ‘Far Left’ as a doctrinaire Marxist or Hilary Clinton? Is ‘Far Right’ a doctrinaire Nazi or Mike Pence? Until I have a loose idea of your frame of reference, I can’t really assign myself a category. ETA: But very generally speaking this board leans socially very liberal, economically moderately liberal. There is a sprinkling of libertarians and a moderate number of what I would call “moderate Republicans”. True social conservatives are rare and always have been( libertarians and the moderately conservative non-libertarians were once more common, but are declining ). True Marxists have similarly always been rare. The board leans older, white and very heavily mainstream Democratic Party. ---
**Author:** ![Stuntman\_Mike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stuntman_mike/32/334_2.png) [@Stuntman\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuntman_Mike)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/13 "2018-11-23T19:34:09Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I’d like at least a very loose definition of terms. Are you defining ‘Far Left’ as a doctrinaire Marxist or Hilary Clinton? Is ‘Far Right’ a doctrinaire Nazi or Mike Pence? Until I have a loose idea of your frame of reference, I can’t really assign myself a category. Fair question, deserves a fair answer… let’s go with Marxist and Nazi for the far side bookends. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/14 "2018-11-23T20:04:40Z")
> [@Stuntman\_Mike](#): > > That may very well be, but let’s see the anonymous poll results to be sure. It’s not like you’re the first one to ask questions along these lines. For example, [this poll](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=856265) from earlier this year. Out of 175 respondents, 167 voted, and 134 of those were for Clinton, 18 for a third-party candidate, and 15 for President Trump. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/15 "2018-11-23T20:09:04Z")
I totally reject the OP’s classification, as I believe politics are multi-dimensional so that in one policy area one may believe massive government intervention the best approach and that in another one might believe a hands off government policy the best. So I support Medicare for all on one hand and privatizing the post office/eliminating the postal monopoly on the other. The first is a left wing proposal, while no one talks about the second except the far right. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/16 "2018-11-23T20:11:11Z")
I won’t vote, but I’ll remind folks who call themselves centrist: > [@Timothy Tyson](#): > > In politics, everyone regards themselves as a moderate, because they know some other sumbitch who’s twice as crazy as they are. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/17 "2018-11-23T20:43:46Z")
If you have a political position and can defend it with logic and numbers, then you’ll fit in here regardless of what position it is. If you can’t, then it’s not an issue that we don’t like your politics, it’s a matter that you’re talking poppycock. Leftist poppycock or rightist poppycock, if that’s what you’re giving us then someone will whoop your ass for it. ---
**Author:** ![Stuntman\_Mike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stuntman_mike/32/334_2.png) [@Stuntman\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuntman_Mike)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/18 "2018-11-23T20:47:00Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > It’s not like you’re the first one to ask questions along these lines. For example, [this poll](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=856265) from earlier this year. Out of 175 respondents, 167 voted, and 134 of those were for Clinton, 18 for a third-party candidate, and 15 for President Trump. Well, what do you know. As a newer member I hadn’t seen that poll. Thanks for linking. I still think my poll may add some value though, as it’s more granular. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/19 "2018-11-23T20:47:12Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I won’t vote, but I’ll remind folks who call themselves centrist: I score in the middle of the Political Compass and my Facebook posts asking people to chillax and compromise tend to annoy the Progressives and the Tea Partiers, and pass by unnoticed to everyone else. I’m not too worried that I’m fooling myself. ---
**Author:** ![Stuntman\_Mike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stuntman_mike/32/334_2.png) [@Stuntman\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuntman_Mike)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977/20 "2018-11-23T20:50:08Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > I totally reject the OP’s classification, as I believe politics are multi-dimensional so that in one policy area one may believe massive government intervention the best approach and that in another one might believe a hands off government policy the best. So I support Medicare for all on one hand and privatizing the post office/eliminating the postal monopoly on the other. The first is a left wing proposal, while no one talks about the second except the far right. You’re absolutely right. But, I couldn’t very well break it down by issue. My poll is intended as more of an overall thumb on the pulse of this board and it’s users. Clearly, nothing scientific. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-categorize-yourself-on-the-u-s-political-spectrum/824977.md?page=2)