# Why does this board lean Democrat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 24, 2013, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626 "2013-04-24T23:00:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/321 "2013-05-01T15:05:04Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > For one thing, not say stuff like “…I just think the Republicans are bullies and liars and I’d like to spit in their eye.” Does that happen with any frequency here? ---
**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:** [May 1, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/322 "2013-05-01T15:07:08Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Does that happen with any frequency here? Do a search on posts from Der Trihs to get an idea. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/323 "2013-05-01T15:11:59Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > So they have thick skins AND whine and complain? > > Got it. Just because someone is tough, it doesn’t mean that they won’t bitch and moan. Hell, Napoleon’s Old Guard soldiers were nicknamed “grognards”, which means grumbler, meaning that they bitched and whined a lot. But, when the chips were down, they’d stand their ground and fight. Having a thick skin in the context of this board doesn’t at all mean they won’t whine and complain about it, but rather that they’ll keep coming back. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/324 "2013-05-01T15:17:03Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > It isn’t - you just made that up. My post didn’t declare victory, or anything like it. > [@Shodan](#): > > He’s trying to change the subject because he sees that the discussion is not trending in the direction he likes. **Bricker** , how do you interpret the latter quote? Is it a suggestion that a particular poster is not winning in the discussion, or is **Shodan** describing the exchange accurately? ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/325 "2013-05-01T15:18:46Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > So what is a board that is leaning to the left supposed to do? Not lean? Give an equal voice to an unequal number of posters? Censor the boards so that once a certain number of conservatives have given their opinion on a subject, only that number on the left can reply? > What is a possible solution to this perceived problem that would be acceptable to conservatives if the situation was reversed? Yes it should. Stand up for the minorities! Help the down-trodden! Give the oppressed an equal voice in all matters! Provide equal representation, maybe in the form of quotas! Isn’t that what liberals/Democrats aspire to? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/326 "2013-05-01T15:18:46Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Do a search on posts from Der Trihs to get an idea. 😉 Maybe you should have done a search first. One original hit(others quoting it and variations of it)..and it doesn’t look like it came from **Der Trihs**. By the way, coming up with singular quotes to prove an overall board viewpoint is silly, because I could just as easily come up with something equally vapid from a right winger talking about the left, and that’s just a rabbit hole not worth falling into. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/327 "2013-05-01T15:23:28Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > So what is a board that is leaning to the left supposed to do? Not lean? Give an equal voice to an unequal number of posters? Censor the boards so that once a certain number of conservatives have given their opinion on a subject, only that number on the left can reply? > What is a possible solution to this perceived problem that would be acceptable to conservatives if the situation was reversed? Good questions. One small an easy change would be for majority posters to stoop being pussies and employing the “we” vs “you” argument. It doesn’t change one iota what one can argue, just the tone. And voices from the majority side can call their compatriots on it. Again, the only thing lost in chickenshitness and a pack mentality. Another thing that can be done for the moderation to acknowledge the bias and not be a part of it. I can see how it might be tough to do, when their personal beliefs are being represented by the majority. But it can be done. I think **Miller** , for instance, does a very good job of this. We disagree about a ton, including a subject or two that he’s very passionate about. But I can only recall a time or two that I felt that his personal opinion colored his moderation. Like I said, I think that is a human failing and I point out the exceedingly small number of times I think he fell short as a genuine compliment. I mean, we’re all still people. **Tomndebb** has done an admiral job of this most of the time, as well. Others, not so much. Certainly, a mod joining a pile-on in the pit doesn’t reflect well on the so-called fairness of the boards. If I owned The Dope, mods would not be allowed to do that. Not so much because it demonstrates bias, but because it says that the Moderation _is_ part of the pack. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/328 "2013-05-01T15:23:30Z")
> [@Slypork](#): > > Yes it should. Stand up for the minorities! Help the down-trodden! Give the oppressed an equal voice in all matters! Provide equal representation, maybe in the form of quotas! Isn’t that what liberals/Democrats aspire to? How _very_ clever and witty of you! Just the thing to show us that conservatives want to be taken seriously on this board and not be dismissed with stereotypes. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/329 "2013-05-01T15:24:01Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Does that happen with any frequency here? To repeat myself - you should read the thread before commenting on it. Regards, Shodan ---
**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:** [May 1, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/330 "2013-05-01T15:26:38Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Maybe you should have done a search first. One original hit(others quoting it and variations of it)..and it doesn’t look like it came from **Der Trihs**. > By the way, coming up with singular quotes to prove an overall board viewpoint is silly, because I could just as easily come up with something equally vapid from a right winger talking about the left, and that’s just a rabbit hole not worth falling into. What did you do, a direct quote? You missed the ‘stuff like’ aspect. Der didn’t say he thinks all Republicans are bullies and liars and wants to spit in their eye, he’s said ‘stuff like’ that. Many, many times. And it’s shocking to me that you would need to do a pedantic search on this, and then came back with the tidbit that Der didn’t in fact say exactly that…and that this proves something. Or other. Of COURSE you could find something equally vapid coming from a right winger on this board. The difference, as has been pointed out numerous times in this thread, is the subsequent pile on. Slithy says something left leaning and vapid…no pile on. In fact, as far as I could tell, no left leaning poster even commented. That wouldn’t happen if a right leaning poster said ‘Democrats are bullies and liars and I want to spit in his eye’. You’d get a ton of people piling on that comment, either to make a joke out of it and the person who wrote it, plus a bunch of people proving it was wrong and stupid to say, and really that should only apply to Republicans. Seriously, I don’t know why this is so hard to grasp, or why you are dragging this out in this way. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/331 "2013-05-01T15:27:18Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > He’s trying to change the subject because he sees that the discussion is not trending in the direction he likes. If you two want to talk about other messageboards, start another thread. This one is about this messageboard. > > Regards, > Shodan I don’t doubt he’s happier to see the discussion move to those new grounds. But at the same time, I don’t agree he started the change. I did, by raising the issue of objectively fair treatment. He’s certainly entitled to explore that by asking, in effect, if any other community that’s composed of a majority and minority would react differently. If the answer is ‘no,’ then it’s hardly equitable to inveigh against majority leftists here – they’re only doing what majorities everywhere would do. Or so might go the argument. Point is… this topic is a natural outgrowth of the original one. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/332 "2013-05-01T15:27:41Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Does that happen with any frequency here? Oy, can’t anybody ever just say “you’re right, that was uncalled for”? You asked for what I’d like to see changed and I gave you an example. You’re correct that you could dig up some conservative nonsense as well and that would be equally uncalled for. I’m guilty as well. I passed over [puddleglum’s post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16230887&postcount=43) without comment. These kinds of posts really don’t help. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/333 "2013-05-01T15:28:29Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Good questions. One small an easy change would be for majority posters to stoop being pussies and employing the “we” vs “you” argument. It doesn’t change one iota what one can argue, just the tone. And voices from the majority side can call their compatriots on it. Again, the only thing lost in chickenshitness and a pack mentality. > > Another thing that can be done for the moderation to acknowledge the bias and not be a part of it. I can see how it might be tough to do, when their personal beliefs are being represented by the majority. But it can be done. I think **Miller** , for instance, does a very good job of this. We disagree about a ton, including a subject or two that he’s very passionate about. But I can only recall a time or two that I felt that his personal opinion colored his moderation. Like I said, I think that is a human failing and I point out the exceedingly small number of times I think he fell short as a genuine compliment. I mean, we’re all still people. **Tomndebb** has done an admiral job of this most of the time, as well. Others, not so much. Certainly, a mod joining a pile-on in the pit doesn’t reflect well on the so-called fairness of the boards. If I owned The Dope, mods would not be allowed to do that. Not so much because it demonstrates bias, but because it says that the Moderation _is_ part of the pack. I think I’m with you…right up to part about Moderators being restricted from any of the forums. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/334 "2013-05-01T15:31:08Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > **Bricker** , how do you interpret the latter quote? Is it a suggestion that a particular poster is not winning in the discussion, or is **Shodan** describing the exchange accurately? As I said in my last post, I think you’re pleased to have the topic move in this direction because it places you on firmer ground. That’s not quite the same as “not winning.” But I also think you didn’t create the subject change; you responded to an implication I made. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/335 "2013-05-01T15:32:59Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I think I’m with you…right up to part about Moderators being restricted from any of the forums. Not restricted from any forum, but from posting as one of the pack. They can still post in the pit, just not snarl and pile on. Now, YOU MUST AGREE WITH ME 100% OR YOU ARE, OF COURSE, A HORRIBLE AND DISGUSTING HUMAN BEING. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/336 "2013-05-01T15:41:27Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Not restricted from any forum, but from posting as one of the pack. They can still post in the pit, just not snarl and pile on. > > Now, YOU MUST AGREE WITH ME 100% OR YOU ARE, OF COURSE, A HORRIBLE AND DISGUSTING HUMAN BEING. > > 😉 Sometimes a pile-on happens while you’re in the middle of it, which I’m sure happens to a lot of people(and not just the Moderators) when a thread runs fast. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/337 "2013-05-01T15:47:40Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Good questions. One small an easy change would be for majority posters to stoop being pussies and employing the “we” vs “you” argument. It doesn’t change one iota what one can argue, just the tone. And voices from the majority side can call their compatriots on it. Again, the only thing lost in chickenshitness and a pack mentality. You refer to this as one small and easy change, but your suggestion is that the majority posters to all change how they post. Do you think its easy to get a large group of people to all change their behavior at once? I actually think that’s incredibly hard, if not impossible. In my experience, if you have a problem with a large group of people, and your solution to that problem is that everyone in that large group needs to change, then you will be waiting a very long time for your problem to be solved. The only one who’s behavior you can change is your own. Many times in my life I’ve thought something along the lines of ‘If only everyone else would just stop doing this thing, I’d be happy’. However, I’ve learned that if I’m waiting for everyone else to do something different for me to be satisfied, then I’ll never ever be satisfied. The board is what it is, as this is what is has organically become over time based on who has been participating. Expecting this organic system of individuals to all of a sudden go through an across the board change to make certain other individuals feel better about their perceived treatment is not a realistic expectation , and will certainly lead to disappointment when this change inevitably fails to materialize. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kearsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/338 "2013-05-01T16:00:10Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > You refer to this as one small and easy change, but your suggestion is that the majority posters to all change how they post. Do you think its easy to get a large group of people to all change their behavior at once? I actually think that’s incredibly hard, if not impossible. > > In my experience, if you have a problem with a large group of people, and your solution to that problem is that everyone in that large group needs to change, then you will be waiting a very long time for your problem to be solved. > > The only one who’s behavior you can change is your own. Many times in my life I’ve thought something along the lines of ‘If only everyone else would just stop doing this thing, I’d be happy’. However, I’ve learned that if I’m waiting for everyone else to do something different for me to be satisfied, then I’ll never ever be satisfied. > > The board is what it is, as this is what is has organically become over time based on who has been participating. Expecting this organic system of individuals to all of a sudden go through an across the board change to make certain other individuals feel better about their perceived treatment is not a realistic expectation , and will certainly lead to disappointment when this change inevitably fails to materialize. You are right, of course. The change would have to be directed by the moderation and enforced. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/339 "2013-05-01T16:00:38Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Take issues like SSM, Global Warming, Bush’s going into Iraq, etc., it’s not enough to agree 99%, one must become a convert. I chose those three examples because I’ve experienced it there repeatedly. It’s not enough to want gay couples to have identical access to the same legal benefits and privileges, it’s not enough to accept climate change and agree that some portion of it is due to humans and that we should take steps to stop it, it’s not enough to say Bush made an error. No, one must embrace gay couples the way we embrace motherhood and apple pie; one must buy into every claim from climate alarmists the way people buy into religion; one must believe that Bush lied and intentionally went into what he knew was going to be a very fucked up situation, intentionally killing thousands of innocent civilians, as if that was part of his goal. Like I said before many times, if you have nuanced views that should not be a problem, but the reality is that the usual result is for you to ignore how inadequate the sources you rely on are and you end up defending them, [that should not really happen once it is found how debunked the sources of information the right relies on are](http://www.skepticalscience.com/skeptic_Roy_Spencer.htm), when one takes a closer look one finds that the nuances you are referring to are something that does not exist in their universe, ignoring that does indeed makes many to realize that the religion part you are referring to is there alright coming from the Republicans a lot, but is not in reality part of the left leaning (in this case) evidence. BTW Roy Spencer, the scientist in the link is also a creationist, indeed religion is one of the main things that keeps him going in his FUD efforts. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/340 "2013-05-01T16:05:17Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > You refer to this as one small and easy change, but your suggestion is that the majority posters to all change how they post. Do you think its easy to get a large group of people to all change their behavior at once? I actually think that’s incredibly hard, if not impossible. > > In my experience, if you have a problem with a large group of people, and your solution to that problem is that everyone in that large group needs to change, then you will be waiting a very long time for your problem to be solved. > > The only one who’s behavior you can change is your own. Many times in my life I’ve thought something along the lines of ‘If only everyone else would just stop doing this thing, I’d be happy’. However, I’ve learned that if I’m waiting for everyone else to do something different for me to be satisfied, then I’ll never ever be satisfied. > > The board is what it is, as this is what is has organically become over time based on who has been participating. Expecting this organic system of individuals to all of a sudden go through an across the board change to make certain other individuals feel better about their perceived treatment is not a realistic expectation , and will certainly lead to disappointment when this change inevitably fails to materialize. I’m not expecting everyone to change. But I think it is much easier for a sea change to occur than you think. An individual has to change, one at a time. And truth be told, there is a cast of usual suspects. Even even half of them changed their behavior the board would change substantially. Also, I called upon the more reasonable posers of the majority to help police the chickenshit posts of others. That could go a very long way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626.md?page=18)