# John Roberts...not an Ideologue?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-roberts-not-an-ideologue/332521>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [November 24, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-roberts-not-an-ideologue/332521 "2005-11-24T00:46:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-roberts-not-an-ideologue/332521/1 "2005-11-24T00:46:47Z")

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I saw part of [new U.S. Supreme Court Chief] John Roberts’ Senate hearing on the news. And I think like most people, I am a little confused. He seemed to be evading alot of the questions–even when he agreed to answer them. In particular, he claims he is _ **not** _ an ideologue. What exactly did he mean by this? From what I’ve heard of him, and from the position George W. Bush was in a desperate hurry to fill (i.e., Chief Justice), I think he is very ideologically conservative. But he claims he is not an ideologue. What exactly does he mean when he uses that word?

Thank you in advance to all who reply 🙂

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**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:** [November 24, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-roberts-not-an-ideologue/332521/2 "2005-11-24T01:07:00Z")

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I suspect he means something close to the dicitionary definition:

> [@](#):
>
> [idealogue](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=idealogue)
> 
> One given to fanciful ideas or theories; a theorist; a spectator

He means he doesn’t approach a given case with a preconceived agenda concerning the outcome, but is willing to listen to the arguments and make his ruling accordingly. Whether or not you believe that is a different issue, since he certainly has some very clear ideas about how the constution should be interpreted.

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**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-roberts-not-an-ideologue/332521/3 "2005-11-24T02:07:28Z")

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We really need to do something about the posting lag on these boards.