# Partisan Derangement Syndrome -- A Proposed Diagnostic Exam **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 8, 2018, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654 "2018-10-08T14:32:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/21 "2018-10-08T18:16:02Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > I think your amendments are good, though not sure I would include Oliver among “Cable news shows like Tucker Carlson Tonight or The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.” Why not? As best I can tell Oliver’s staff does better research and has more credibility than Carlson’s or O’Donnell’s. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/22 "2018-10-08T18:21:18Z")
There are ideologues in politics? I would have never thought it. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/23 "2018-10-08T18:36:35Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Why not? As best I can tell Oliver’s staff does better research and has more credibility than Carlson’s or O’Donnell’s. I think we agree. I’m saying I wouldn’t put him in the same category. I don’t really think he does “cable news” as that term is commonly used. > [@WillFarnaby](#): > > Oh of course which is evident from literally nothing I’ve ever said. Nonetheless, I fit nicely into the stereotypes you have created just like the rest of the world’s humans, be not afraid. I don’t think you fit nicely into my stereotypes at all. I do think you have specific views on race and racism that fit well with the output of Mr. D’Souza. > [@Omar\_Little](#): > > There are ideologues in politics? I would have never thought it. Not quite following this. I am highly ideological. And on a lot of issues not anywhere close to the middle. But I think that is a totally conceptually distinct question from the kind of partisanship that these questions get at. Just IMO, of course! ---
**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:** [October 8, 2018, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/24 "2018-10-08T18:47:13Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > I wonder what your score is, **Will**. I think you style yourself a libertarian, but I suspect you love you some Dinesh D’Souza, right? Haven’t we seen the end of D’Souza yet? He’s history. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/25 "2018-10-08T18:50:42Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Haven’t we seen the end of D’Souza yet? He’s history. He’s pretty big on the right these days. [quote=[Why Is Dinesh D’Souza Embraced by Conservatives? - The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/08/dinesh-dsouza-is-making-a-comeback/567233/) ] Few have enjoyed quite so spectacular a comeback under President Donald Trump as the conservative polemicist and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza. . . . Now, as the saying goes, D’Souza is back—and bigger than ever. He has reinvented himself as something like the court intellectual of the age of Trump. Trump pardoned D’Souza on May 31, 2018. At the beginning of August, Donald Trump Jr. co-hosted the premiere of D’Souza’s latest movie, Death of a Nation. The movie compares Donald Trump to Abraham Lincoln, and his Democratic opponents to Nazis. [/quote] ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/26 "2018-10-08T18:57:29Z")
And Hope Hicks just got hired on as the head of PR at Fox. These shitkickers really do take care of their own, don’t they? ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/27 "2018-10-08T19:09:35Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > I don’t think you fit nicely into my stereotypes at all. I do think you have specific views on race and racism that fit well with the output of Mr. D’Souza. I literally have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve heard neither D’Souza’s views on race nor critiques of said views. But hey, whatever helps you get clicks for your fundraising newsletters. What specific views on race do you think Dinesh and I have? Edit: after reading another post from you about D’Souza, I see he is a Lincoln idolator. I can understand why you think he may have sordid racial views in that case. What I don’t understand is why you have linked him with me. I have launched many a broadside at Lincoln on this very issue. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/28 "2018-10-08T19:10:15Z")
I don’t think the authors of the _[Political Compass](https://www.politicalcompass.org/)_ have a lot to worry about from you, **Richard**. Regards, Shodan ---
**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:** [October 8, 2018, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/29 "2018-10-08T19:14:59Z")
I scored zero. Dang. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/30 "2018-10-08T19:15:08Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > \*Instructions: Determine whether you agree or disagree with the following ten statements. For each “agree,” give yourself one point. Sounds like you’d enjoy my patented “Dipshit Questionnaire”, which has one question: “When it comes to bad faith behavior, do you think there’s equal blame on both sides?” ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/31 "2018-10-08T19:26:18Z")
If you use the term “both sides” you immediately fail the partisan test in my book. You view politics as “us vs. them” and there is no potential for candor with you. You’re basically a more annoying shirtless drunk guy at a football game. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/32 "2018-10-08T19:56:35Z")
If you believe that most of the people on the other side of the aisle scored above a 4, then you should give yourself 1 point. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/33 "2018-10-08T20:00:34Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > What specific views on race do you think Dinesh and I have? Both of you have race politics that combine an extreme version of John Roberts’ fallacious maxim ("The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race”) with an inaccurate version of American history, especially the Civil War and Reconstruction, that makes it more compatible with libertarian ideas. Standard Ron Paul stuff you can pick up anywhere, but whose most prominent current defender is D’Souza. ETA: I realize you disagree about Lincoln, though to be fair the Lincoln of Dinesh’s imagining is nearly as fictional as yours. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/34 "2018-10-08T20:07:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Score: > > 1: You’re OK, but you’re showing some risk signs. You should probably sign out of your social media accounts for a few weeks. Maybe read a non-political book or two. > > 2-4: It is nearly certain that you are annoying at Thanksgiving. But you can still turn this around. You probably need to reformulate your media diet a bit and consider some light empathy exercises 20 minutes per day. > > 5-7: You have advanced stage PDS. But with modern drugs and therapeutic techniques, there is a chance you will make a full recovery. Consider falling in love with a Republican/Democrat. > > 8-10: I am afraid you have terminal PDS. It is best if your family creates a supportive and non-threatening environment for you while your brain wastes away. Totally unrelatedly, I have some supplements that make you smarter that the other side doesn’t want you to know about! Just send me $29.99… Mine went to 11. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/35 "2018-10-08T20:17:49Z")
I’ve created a one question test that does way more than diagnose PDS. Do you watch Fox news? Score: Yes: You’re unlikely to be intelligent, however you could be intelligent but selfish to the point of sociopathy. ``` No: Probably normal enough to have voting rights. ``` ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/36 "2018-10-08T20:21:57Z")
Tucker Carlson is a white supremacist fanboy. He covers things in order to distract from the actual news of the day, which they spin out of recognition when they get around to it. THe memes will be with us forever or at least until the republicans cancel the free press. O’Donnell is a politically experienced news and opinion host from the left. You say they are the same, and I’m the one who’s deranged? There are news networks and there is Fox. They are doing different things completely. How long did you think about this metric? ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/37 "2018-10-08T20:27:54Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Both of you have race politics that combine an extreme version of John Roberts’ fallacious maxim ("The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race”) with an inaccurate version of American history, especially the Civil War and Reconstruction, that makes it more compatible with libertarian ideas. Standard Ron Paul stuff you can pick up anywhere, but whose most prominent current defender is D’Souza. > > ETA: I realize you disagree about Lincoln, though to be fair the Lincoln of Dinesh’s imagining is nearly as fictional as yours. Yes if you reduce three humans’ ideas to a bumper sticker statement, they can be very similar. High level analysis from you as usual. Great specifics. ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/38 "2018-10-08T20:30:33Z")
> [@steatopygia](#): > > I’ve created a one question test that does way more than diagnose PDS. > > Do you watch Fox news? > > Score: > > Yes: You’re unlikely to be intelligent, however you could be intelligent but selfish to the point of sociopathy. > > ``` > No: Probably normal enough to have voting rights. > > ``` > [@drad\_dog](#): > > Tucker Carlson is a white supremacist fanboy. He covers things in order to distract from the actual news of the day, which they spin out of recognition when they get around to it. THe memes will be with us forever or at least until the republicans cancel the free press. > > O’Donnell is a politically experienced news and opinion host from the left. > > You say they are the same, and I’m the one who’s deranged? > > There are news networks and there is Fox. They are doing different things completely. How long did you think about this metric? The degree to which people will go to exult in their status as party hack will never surprise me. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/39 "2018-10-08T20:36:13Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > The degree to which people will go to exult in their status as party hack will never surprise me. Are you saying I’m a “party hack”? Why would you say that? There is no mention of party in my poll. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654/40 "2018-10-08T20:45:51Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Tucker Carlson is a white supremacist fanboy. He covers things in order to distract from the actual news of the day, which they spin out of recognition when they get around to it. THe memes will be with us forever or at least until the republicans cancel the free press. > > O’Donnell is a politically experienced news and opinion host from the left. > > You say they are the same, and I’m the one who’s deranged? > > There are news networks and there is Fox. They are doing different things completely. How long did you think about this metric? They are not the same. Tucker Carlson is far worse. Nevertheless, if you think watching The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (or any other cable news infotainment) is a good way to learn about what’s going on in the world, then you are marginally likelier to have Partisan Derangement Syndrome. I’m sorry, but this is just what the science tells us. This test has been exhaustively developed using double-blind randomized controlled trials on twins, and not just totally pulled from my ass on a lark. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partisan-derangement-syndrome-a-proposed-diagnostic-exam/822654.md?page=3)