# Online political persuasions **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 9, 2004, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-political-persuasions/228337 "2004-02-09T22:01:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [February 9, 2004, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-political-persuasions/228337/1 "2004-02-09T22:01:33Z")
[This could equally belong in GQ or the Pit, but I think here’s a good place to start.] Many if not most of the members of the SDMB seem to have a decidedly socialist bent. Could this be because those of a capitalist bent are too busy succeeding to visit? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-political-persuasions/228337/2 "2004-02-09T22:28:27Z")
I don’t think that the SDMB has a particularly large socialist contingent. I’d say it’s definately more liberal than the population as a whole, and definately more socially liberal/social libertarian. And, I don’t think it’s for the reason you gave. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-political-persuasions/228337/3 "2004-02-10T00:46:02Z")
> [@qts](#): > > Many if not most of the members of the SDMB seem to have a decidedly socialist bent. Could this be because those of a capitalist bent are too busy succeeding to visit? No, it’s because folks who think “most folks have a decidedly socialist bent” are the same tinfoil-wearing folks who think “if you disagree with me, you must be a communist.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-political-persuasions/228337/4 "2004-02-10T09:26:01Z")
> [@](#): > > too busy **succeeding**?\*\* Or too busy _failing_, of course, such that they _cannot_ access the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Joachim\_Pieper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Joachim\_Pieper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joachim_Pieper)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-political-persuasions/228337/5 "2004-02-10T11:42:08Z")
I’m pretty much a total failure, and have no interest in politics to speak of. Do I get my own lifestyle tag? Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-political-persuasions/228337/6 "2004-02-10T11:53:40Z")
> [@qts](#): > > Many if not most of the members of the SDMB seem to have a decidedly socialist bent. Could this be because those of a capitalist bent are too busy succeeding to visit? You need to adjust your definition of Socialism. I think you could count the number of real socialists posting here on the fingers of one hand. Two maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-political-persuasions/228337/7 "2004-02-10T12:10:36Z")
The last real, prominent socialist I can remember here was **Chumpsky** , and he stopped posting about a year ago. Of course, **qts** ’s definition of “socialist” may mean “people who aren’t paid up members of the Illinois Nazis”, and so of course, most of the people in the world are socialists. ([I hate Illinois Nazis](http://bubba.org/bb/sounds/illnazis.wav)) ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-political-persuasions/228337/8 "2004-02-10T12:42:56Z")
> [@Desmostylus](#): > > ([I hate Illinois Nazis](http://bubba.org/bb/sounds/illnazis.wav)) It seems that the link is broken. Try this one instead: [I hate Illinois Nazis](http://161.58.5.90/blues/illnazis.wav) ---
**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:** [February 10, 2004, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-political-persuasions/228337/9 "2004-02-10T14:42:29Z")
A nice selection of personal attacks, chaps. Do try actually answering the question next time. Personally, I’m a libertarian, neither socialist nor capitalist. And I said ‘of socialist bent’, not ‘socialist’. I’m only aware of one true socialist here, Olentzero. And I’m British, not American. But there seem to be a lot more Americans who support the Democrats than those who support the Republicans, and more Brits who support Labour than Brits who support the Conservatives. ---
**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:** [February 10, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-political-persuasions/228337/10 "2004-02-10T16:00:35Z")
> [@](#): > > _qts said_ > And I said ‘of socialist bent’, not ‘socialist’.[snip] > But there seem to be a lot more Americans who support the Democrats than those who support the Republicans, If you think supporting the Dems shows a “socialist bent” then you are kind of delusional. And I’m Canadian since we’re saying.