# Where Do you fall on the Acid Lamp political alignment? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 23, 2011, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-fall-on-the-acid-lamp-political-alignment/600529 "2011-10-23T12:37:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-fall-on-the-acid-lamp-political-alignment/600529/21 "2011-10-24T05:54:03Z")
I agree. I think the left needs to get better at appealing to the emotions. I think the left has by far the better moral position, but I base that on the fact that data show that left-leaning policies lead to better social outcomes. (Not all of them, of course, but my support for the policies of any political party or orientation maps as closely as I can manage to the degree to which the data suggest positive outcomes for society.) ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-fall-on-the-acid-lamp-political-alignment/600529/22 "2011-10-24T11:41:08Z")
Let me address a couple of posts about the choices I provided. _Why isn’t there a centrist position?_ Three reasons; Firstly, the actual number of true, third-party voting centrists is quite small and thus unlikely to make it in a serious bid to dominate US politics. Secondly, For everyone else, if you vote, you will eventually choose a candidate from from the larger parties. I am interested in the primary driving factor for your choice. Lastly, If I offered a centrist position, a great of dopers would happily place themselves there without providing any meaningful feedback on their actual _voting choices_. _This poll is too vague, I need more detail_. Not really. I’m asking you where you _usually_ vote and why. I’m aware that most of us are a combination of categories, and influences. I am asking you to choose a primary drive. _I’m independent! I don’t want to associate myself with either party!_ You aren’t so don’t worry. If you refrain from voting or always vote third party, this poll isn’t for you. For everyone else, If you end up supporting a major party candidate, just choose whichever side you vote for MORE. It does not mean you support the party platform, all of their goals or projects, or ethics/ ideals. ---
**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:** [October 24, 2011, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-fall-on-the-acid-lamp-political-alignment/600529/23 "2011-10-24T12:42:44Z")
I voted “Emotional Left” over “Intellectual Left” _not_ because I _haven’t_ studied issues or am unable to make arguments for being Left (and I’m _extremely_ Left) but because my belief in the morality of the principles of the Left Wing is pretty much foundational. So I believe in co-operation, mutualism, egalitarianism, Internationalism, anti-capitalism, identity politics, class struggle, social progressivism, all the good stuff. But the reason I _started_ being a leftist wasn’t from reading Marx or Proudhon. It was from the observation that the way the common weal is divided is inherently unfair, has been for ever, and doesn’t have to be like that. And that’s a moral argument. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-fall-on-the-acid-lamp-political-alignment/600529/24 "2011-10-24T12:44:07Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I voted “Emotional Left” over “Intellectual Left” _not_ because I _haven’t_ studied issues or am unable to make arguments for being Left (and I’m _extremely_ Left) but because my belief in the morality of the principles of the Left Wing is pretty much foundational. So I believe in co-operation, mutualism, egalitarianism, Internationalism, anti-capitalism, identity politics, class struggle, social progressivism, all the good stuff. > > But the reason I _started_ being a leftist wasn’t from reading Marx or Proudhon. It was from the observation that the way the common weal is divided is inherently unfair, has been for ever, and doesn’t have to be like that. And that’s a moral argument. Excellent point. The choices are by no means exclusive. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-fall-on-the-acid-lamp-political-alignment/600529/25 "2011-10-25T03:43:53Z")
[QUOTE] > [@MrDibble](#): > > identity politics, Why not just work togehter as one humanity rather than as blacks, Hispanics, workers, homosexuals whatnot? > [@](#): > > class struggle, More division. > [@](#): > > But the reason I _started_ being a leftist wasn’t from reading Marx or Proudhon. It was from the observation that the way the common weal is divided is inherently unfair, has been for ever, and doesn’t have to be like that. And that’s a moral argument. I think the idea that the most intelligent and diligent should be better off than those who are not is hardly unfair and indeed is the paragon of justice. I voted intellectual because capitalism and liberalism (in the classical sense) is what works. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-fall-on-the-acid-lamp-political-alignment/600529/26 "2011-10-25T04:09:03Z")
There’s an obvious reason no one has picked “Emotional Right.” We on the right don’t _have_ emotions 😛 ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-fall-on-the-acid-lamp-political-alignment/600529/27 "2011-10-25T07:30:47Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Why not just work togehter as one humanity rather than as blacks, Hispanics, workers, homosexuals whatnot? You don’t get identity politics at all. The point is that Blacks (why no capital?), Hispanics, gays, women etc. are _currently_ marginalized. Identity politics, for me, is about getting them the political power they lack, so that we can _then_ move forward to working together as one. Identity politics, like socialism, is a step in a process, not the end goal (that would be the International Anarchist Utopia :D) > [@](#): > > More division. Class exists. To acknowledge this is not to _create_ division, it is to acknowledge reality. And the goal of class struggle, for me, is to abolish class. So you’re pointing out what we want to eradicate, not perpetrate. > [@](#): > > I think the idea that the most intelligent and diligent should be better off than those who are not is hardly unfair and indeed is the paragon of justice. Only if you accept the reality of property rights and other trappings of capitalism, which I don’t. And if you believe that it’s hard work and intelligence that distinguishes the capitalist classes, rather than a history of theft and exploitation. > [@](#): > > I voted intellectual because capitalism and liberalism (in the classical sense) is what works. Doesn’t work for the proles. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-fall-on-the-acid-lamp-political-alignment/600529/28 "2011-10-25T08:04:07Z")
And what is your right and left, uh? I’m a rightie by **Red Fury** ’s definitions, but a leftie from the POV of most Americans. And I do like polls. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-fall-on-the-acid-lamp-political-alignment/600529/29 "2011-10-25T09:48:36Z")
I picked “emotional left”. I can make logical arguments, and I’m not uneducated, but in the end, that’s ex poct facto rationalizations for what I think is “right/correct” and “wrong/mistaken”. I also suspect that it’s true for most people. People interested in politics are rarely devoid of emotions when these issues are discussed. (More generally, I believe the intellect is more or less at the service of the emotionnal part of our brain). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-fall-on-the-acid-lamp-political-alignment/600529.md?page=1)