# Why do conservatives post here? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 3, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservatives-post-here/527526 "2010-02-03T15:40:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservatives-post-here/527526/101 "2010-02-06T04:12:19Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Conservatives post here because deep in their hearts they know they are weak, selfish and wrong. They come here for the beating that they know they deserve. It gives them some measure of release, like a confession. **Little Nemo** is correct here, **gonzo** , If you had paid attention to many of the posters here you would realize that many of the ones posting here do not have bad ideas. So even if I’m not a conservative, I do appreciate and take into account evidence that conservative posters wring to discussions. For example, it was thanks to good evidence that I modified my views with the gun control issue. So, no, they are not weak, selfish and wrong by default. One has to see first where they are coming from, if it is just reheated un-sourced points from right wing sources, one then knows what to do. However, I have seen many conservative posters here that are not like the ones that reside at the crazy right wing sites. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservatives-post-here/527526/102 "2010-02-06T04:16:50Z")
[QUOTE=Revenant Threshold] Huh? I mentioned several. You quoted them, just there; gay marriage and adoption, gun ownership, drug use/ownership, the rights of the state over the person. I mentioned higher taxes, universal health care, and government support in an earlier post, too. Are these not examples of criteria? [/QUOTE] Ok, my bad. If those are the criteria though, I only see one where there MIGHT be something like parity on this board wrt the posters…that being the gun ownership debate. Other than that, I think that a clear majority of posters would be pretty much in line with your own stance. So…that one issue makes the board ‘conservative’? > [@](#): > > No, i’m saying that on some of those issues there is a considerable lack of debate, especially compared with America, and where there is debate it’s generally shifted leftward. Take gay marriage; over yonder, in a minority of cases you allow gay partnerships of some kind, and the majority don’t. Whereas here, civil unions are now the norm, and while there’s still debate, it’s less "Why should we have it at all? and more “To what extent should we have it?”. And even then it’s not an election-hinging argument. And, of course, I disagree that the SDMB is in line with those standards. But you seem to be equating the attitudes of most Americans with the majority of posters here on the SDMB. Surly you realize that this board does NOT reflect the mainstream views of Americans…right? Again, I’m responding to the assertion that THIS MESSAGE board is, in general, to the ‘right’ or ‘conservative’ compared to your own (and other non-American 'dopers) viewpoints. That would mean that you feel that you are in the minority on this board, that your views on this board are noticeably more ‘left’ leaning or ‘liberal’ compared to the majority of the other posters…and, frankly, even on the gun control question I’d say that it’s a pretty even split, which would mean that ON THIS ONE ISSUE you are either in the slight minority or perhaps the slight majority (I’m not sure on this issue, to be honest). > [@](#): > > Saying there is less debate on certain issues doesn’t, shockingly enough, mean there is no debate at all. I purport no sheep-like docility, but that you seem to be willing enough to read “no debate at all on anything” so readily doesn’t speak particularly well of your opinion of either me or of British people in general. I hope it’s me. No…I was making a joke. I’ve been to England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, and I have a number of friends in Southern England, so I KNOW that those in the UK aren’t sheep-like at all in their attitudes, or opinions. I also know that many of those debates are far from settled in your country, and that there are issues where you guys would be considered much more ‘conservative’ than folks on this message board, or even by a majority of Americans. > [@](#): > > Given that you have already agreed with one example of how it leans that way (gun ownership), i’m not entirely sure how you can say this. And, of course, I have given many criteria - that you do not agree with them does not mean that I don’t agree with them, and since your accusation relies on me not believing them, me not having thought about them, you are essentially calling me here a liar. I can only assure you that I am convinced that I have given you those criteria and thought about the issue; it is one thing to disagree with that, but it is quite another to declare that even from my own perspective I have done nothing of the kind. No, I’m not calling you a liar…I apologize for the confusion. I didn’t realize that those were what you were asserting as your criteria for this board being ‘right’ leaning or ‘conservative’, by your standards. Again, though, and with one (possible) exception, it seems to me that your assertion that this board is ‘conservative’ or leans to the ‘right’ is in error. Unless you feel that on one issue where there is POSSIBLY a slim majority of posters who disagree with you is significant, and outweighs all the others? (I also want to apologize for my hostile tone earlier. I didn’t mean to be hostile, but when I’m drinking I tend to lose touch sometimes with what I’m saying or how I come across) -XT ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservatives-post-here/527526/103 "2010-02-06T04:32:34Z")
Baaaaa? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservatives-post-here/527526/104 "2010-02-06T04:48:24Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > To me, as a left of centre Canadian, I find the SDMB to be a conservative board. Well you are talking to people who think CNN is lefty. There is a huge gap there. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservatives-post-here/527526/105 "2010-02-06T21:03:35Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Ok, my bad. If those are the criteria though, I only see one where there MIGHT be something like parity on this board wrt the posters…that being the gun ownership debate. Other than that, I think that a clear majority of posters would be pretty much in line with your own stance. So…that one issue makes the board ‘conservative’? No, were that the only issue, then it would not make the board conservative. I disagree with you that a majority of posters would be in line with the general UK stance, nor do I agree that that majority takes the same form or is of the same amount. Please see the difference between my claims being based on what I believe and my claims being based on what you believe. You’re assuming that I agree with you, and that my claims are based on being in accord with your own views - they aren’t. It’s the equivalent of me saying that your claim is that the vast differences between the board and the UK mean that they are incredibly similar; to say that I would be assuming my own views onto you and then applying your conclusion to it. It’s silly. > [@](#): > > But you seem to be equating the attitudes of most Americans with the majority of posters here on the SDMB. Surly you realize that this board does NOT reflect the mainstream views of Americans…right? Certainly, I realise that. I apologise for giving you that impression. Let me be clearer; Most Americans, in general, are to the considerable right of the UK (or the UK is to the considerable left of America, whichever you prefer). My claim is that the SDMB is not in line with the UK - but that it’s also not in line with the US. Those aren’t the only two options; that i’m saying it’s not like the UK doesn’t mean i’m therefore claiming equality with the US. I’d say it’s somewhere in between. > [@](#): > > Again, I’m responding to the assertion that THIS MESSAGE board is, in general, to the ‘right’ or ‘conservative’ compared to your own (and other non-American 'dopers) viewpoints. That would mean that you feel that you are in the minority on this board, that your views on this board are noticeably more ‘left’ leaning or ‘liberal’ compared to the majority of the other posters…and, frankly, even on the gun control question I’d say that it’s a pretty even split, which would mean that ON THIS ONE ISSUE you are either in the slight minority or perhaps the slight majority (I’m not sure on this issue, to be honest). Yes, i’d say that that would be a fair position; I do feel that, in general on those issues, I am noticeably more “left” leaning or “liberal” compared to the majority of the other posters. I’d also claim that, even when I am seemingly in concordance with the majority, oftentimes I am more to a left extreme even within that majority, and that as compared to the UK, that majority is a smaller one than you might expect, and focused on debating different issues on a subject, and more to the right along the line of an issue. > [@](#): > > No…I was making a joke. I’ve been to England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, and I have a number of friends in Southern England, so I KNOW that those in the UK aren’t sheep-like at all in their attitudes, or opinions. I also know that many of those debates are far from settled in your country, and that there are issues where you guys would be considered much more ‘conservative’ than folks on this message board, or even by a majority of Americans. Certainly. Off the top of my head, we don’t have seperation of church and state; the monarch (oh, yeah, we have a monarch, of course ;)) is the Defender of the Faith and all, and that tends not to be a huge election-making subject. I stand by my position, though. Where those debates exist, they’re still to the left of their equivalents in the U.S. and these boards, and their support/against rates are likewise different. Essentially, I suppose if this is what you’re basing part of your objection on, then it’s your word against mine, so I don’t really have any interest in trying to persuade you to take mine over yours. > [@](#): > > No, I’m not calling you a liar…I apologize for the confusion. I didn’t realize that those were what you were asserting as your criteria for this board being ‘right’ leaning or ‘conservative’, by your standards. Again, though, and with one (possible) exception, it seems to me that your assertion that this board is ‘conservative’ or leans to the ‘right’ is in error. Unless you feel that on one issue where there is POSSIBLY a slim majority of posters who disagree with you is significant, and outweighs all the others? Nope. What I feel is what i’ve described already. > [@](#): > > (I also want to apologize for my hostile tone earlier. I didn’t mean to be hostile, but when I’m drinking I tend to lose touch sometimes with what I’m saying or how I come across) No problem, and i’m sorry for being snarky back! ---
**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:** [February 6, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservatives-post-here/527526/106 "2010-02-06T21:17:13Z")
> [@Rafe\_Hollister](#): > > When I joined the SDMB 4 or 5 weeks ago I thought the political discussions would be fun. Instead, I was confronted with complete hatred and disrespect. My posts were dismissed out-of-hand and I was berated for being/supporting racist ideology, not to mention being a blooming idiot, though I had only a dozen or so posts at the time. While I enjoy most of the discussion on here, I just learned quickly that there is no point in bringing up much of an opposing viewpoint, as it will not be respected anyway. The poll should have had another option: #5 Pretending that one is part of a persecuted political minority is a good way to score debate points when one lacks forceful ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservatives-post-here/527526/107 "2010-02-06T22:20:56Z")
> [@Mr\_Smashy](#): > > To get a look at the other team’s playbook Me too. I have to deal with a lot of opinionated and pushy liberals in real life. Some are family and they know I’m conservative. Some contribute very nicely to my standard of living, and most of them have no idea. This board is extremely helpful as a tune-up to what could be some ugly get togethers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservatives-post-here/527526.md?page=5)