# What Ideological Labels Do You Give Yourself In Politics **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 24, 2015, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826 "2015-03-24T00:52:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/1 "2015-03-24T00:52:15Z")
Inspired by another forum. Old-School Social Democrat (In the tradition of Hansson, Erlander, Gaitskell, Schmidt, Drees etc. as well as SDUSA, my only reservation in this regards is that I generally prefer the German model of health-care over single-payer) American Paleoliberal (The best descriptor in an American context, indicating the mainstream current of New Deal liberalism from 1932 to the 1970s as represented by FDR, Truman, Humphrey, Scoop Jackson, and the like. Not to be confused with Third Way social liberalism of Clinton and Obama or the Progressivism of Bernie Sanders and the activsts, both of which I have significant disagreements with although they are certainly vastly preferable to the American brands of “conservatism”) Left-wing Christian Democrat (Again a largely extinct brand of politics, although I’m far more unhesitant about the social market economic model than full social democracy. Best represented by the German CDU/CSU of 1949 to the early 1970s) Issues: Republican (In the small “r” sense although I’m not very dogmatic about this) Neo-Keynesian (On economics) Liberal Internationalist (On foreign policy) Labour Zionist Anthropocentric Environmentalist (The main goal of environmentalism should be the interests of humanity not of some random species of salmon due to which we cannot build hydroelectric dams or whatever) Culturally Traditionalist (Doesn’t mean I support crude state-based “solutions” to victimless crimes like pornography, fornication, divorce etc. but the Western tradition is something worth upholding and assimilating our immigrants to. Multiculturalism is obvious folly) Liberal Feminist (Focus on the big issues such as sexual assault, spousal abuse, female genital mutilation at home and abroad etc. not on “sexism in video games” or whatever, also pro-life) ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/2 "2015-03-24T01:59:00Z")
I am an old-fashioned Hubert Humphrey liberal. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/3 "2015-03-24T02:07:23Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > I am an old-fashioned Hubert Humphrey liberal. The more I read about HHH, the more am I impressed by the sheer decency and sincerity of the man who called for the politics of joy, not of fear as well as my more or less complete agreement with him on the issues. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/4 "2015-03-24T02:15:30Z")
I refer to myself as “Christian Socialist” on Facebook, though market-based Social Democrat (the NEP of the early Soviet Union always fascinated me, even when I was a moderate Republican) works as well. Although in US politics, I’m far more of a pragmatic Democrat (ie, Hillary Clinton for President because she can win and folks like Warren or O’Malley should be effecting change in Congress where they can do more good, esp if the Congress is GOP led). ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/5 "2015-03-24T03:36:46Z")
On the rare occasion when someone asks, I tell them I’m a Trotskyite Communist. I’m not; I just like the sound of it, and the expression on the other person’s face. Bleeding-heart Liberal probably comes closest. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/6 "2015-03-24T04:13:22Z")
Since the U.S. has no tradition of social democracy, I’m not as familiar with the ideas behind it as a European would be. But from what I’ve read - which of course may be inaccurate - that sounds like the label that best describes me. In practical politics, I’m a staunch Democrat, of the Russ Feingold/Elizabeth Warren progressive wing. (Although I totes agree with **ISiddiqui** that Warren needs to stay in the Senate for a couple of terms and fight the good fight there.) ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/7 "2015-03-24T04:27:34Z")
I’m a liberal and a feminist, labels I proudly own. I’m also a Democrat, but that’s more out of necessity than conviction. Over time I have been a registered Republican and a registered Independent, and in issues polls I come out most closely allied to the Green Party. I would support whatever party most closely aligned with my political positions, and at the moment, that’s the Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/8 "2015-03-24T04:39:17Z")
Conservative, but nowadays the neutral position is often conservative, on some issues. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/9 "2015-03-24T07:57:42Z")
I’m an evolving libertarian who votes Democratic, and doesn’t need a label. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/10 "2015-03-24T09:05:40Z")
I’m Far Left. ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/11 "2015-03-24T09:08:21Z")
Slightly Silly Party, which would be the Green Party. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/12 "2015-03-24T13:35:37Z")
Social Democrat. However I don’t know how I’d describe my foreign policy views. ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/13 "2015-03-24T16:39:02Z")
Leftie. Also, in my mind both Republicans and Democrats are slightly different flavours of rightwing. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/14 "2015-03-24T17:53:54Z")
Religious Right, neo-liberal, unenthusiastic Republican. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/15 "2015-03-24T19:01:40Z")
Mostly Anti-Traditionalist. Sometimes I’m for change even if it’s not for the better. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/16 "2015-03-24T19:14:38Z")
classical liberalism ---
**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:** [March 24, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/17 "2015-03-24T19:34:51Z")
Neutral neutral ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/18 "2015-03-24T20:18:40Z")
Liberal democrat ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/19 "2015-03-24T20:29:24Z")
Social liberal. Not in the way that “socially liberal” is used to mean “supports gay marriage, pro-choice, etc.” - although I am also socially liberal in that sense. Rather in the sense that, to paraphrase [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_liberalism), I believe in a market economy and in civil and political liberty, but also that the government has a role to play in issues like poverty, health care and education. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826/20 "2015-03-24T20:43:49Z")
I’m progressive on social issues; moderate, more to the libertarian side, on fiscal ones. Until the Republicans get rid of the nutjob wing of their party, I can’t see myself voting anything but Democratic in elections. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ideological-labels-do-you-give-yourself-in-politics/715826.md?page=2)