# 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:** 21
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/401 "2013-05-02T14:27:57Z")
From a current thread, a great example of helpful behavior (and, by extension, an indirect example of the kind of behavior complained about): > [@CMU parade controversy over naked woman, dressed as pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cmu-parade-controversy-over-naked-woman-dressed-as-pope/657134/78): > > You know, **Slypork** has said, repeatedly, that he would not criminalize or stop this protest. He just finds it classless. I disagree, but it’s a valid opinion to have. I think this is verging on a pile on, and it would be nice if we backed up a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/402 "2013-05-02T14:45:38Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > The point here is that someone is not paying attention. I already pointed at creationists that are mostly Republicans and to disparage anti nukes and anti GMO people that are mostly liberal. It is not accurate at all to say (not you) that Climate science is the main item here. Here’s the issue: while you, personally, have been pretty vocal about all these things, and have gone after the anti-GM-food people with just as much energy as you have the anti-warming folks, I can’t say the same is true for the tone of the board as a whole. In [this thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=669576) for example, you don’t weigh in (not a criticism; it’s not feasible to expect you to find every instance of anti-science garbage posted). But others do, and despite being generally refuted, they are not reviled or piled upon. And indeed, they continue to post in other places, their credibility intact. And I regard you as an especially valuable resource for missions like this. When I dispute their claims, undoubtedly at least some reaction is, “Well, Bricker is conservative; of COURSE he’s standing up for Monsanto.” When you post, that rationale is denied to them. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kearsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/403 "2013-05-02T14:53:20Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Then I don’t see a reason for them to pretend to be someone else just to have the same rights as any other poster. I explained why it would be beneficial, if you refuse to see it, then oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kearsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/404 "2013-05-02T15:00:39Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > If you have complaints about the rules or the moderation, **Condescending Robot** , make them in the ATMB forum. Ha! This entire thread is about rule enforcement, the lack thereof or the bias inherent in the board. Can we move the whole thread? ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/405 "2013-05-02T15:15:20Z")
> [@Kearsen](#): > > I explained why it would be beneficial, if you refuse to see it, then oh well. This is another thing that happens quite a bit around here, particularly with a minority opinion. Posters confuse “reasons” with “reasons they agree with”. If they don’t agree with it, “that’s not a reason!” ---
**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 2, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/406 "2013-05-02T15:21:25Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > This is another thing that happens quite a bit around here, particularly with a minority opinion. Posters confuse “reasons” with “reasons they agree with”. If they don’t agree with it, “that’s not a reason!” Then let me rephrase it: I did not agree that his reason was a valid one. ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/407 "2013-05-02T15:27:56Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > You believe that being anti-religion is a liberal belief? Not. Not not not. Many liberals are religious, many religious individuals have strong secularist beliefs. Fundamentalism may be a conservative core value right now (was not always so), but the converse is not true. Agreed. My son is a conservative/libertarian atheist. However, there appears IMHO that the preponderance of atheists on this board are of a more liberal leaning, hence the association. It would be interesting to see how the members on this board split on the theist/agnostic/atheist + liberal/conservative/libertarian spread. It would especially nice if mods were included. > [@DSeid](#): > > What you have documented is the obvious: there are jerks here and their jerkiness is expressed in many subject matters. Most of us ignore the jerks and do not feed the trolls. Sometimes if the jerkiness is expressing an idea that we feel the need to comment on we will engage, but often we do not. Mods here enforce the do not be a jerk and no trolling rules better than many other places but there is still some leeway given. To all. I’d partially agree about the “do not be a jerk” ruling but, again IMHO, the more liberal posters, especially the “usual suspects” are given a wink and a nod. > [@DSeid](#): > > The claim that “conservative” or fundamentalist poster jerkiness/trolling is moderated more strictly than “liberal” or hard atheist poster jerkiness is a baseless conclusion mostly emergent of confirmation bias. ( **Slypork** ’s list of “obviously” offensive to conservative threads was a great illustration of how that bias plays out.) IF there are more jerky liberal posters here because there are more liberal posters, but there are not more liberal posters because there are more liberal jerks. On a per poster basis my experience has been that conservatives here are much more likely to behave in a jerky fashion than liberals are. That is as obvious to me as the opposite is obvious to you, the epitome of YMMV. If anything, IMHO, there are more liberal posters here because there is some moderation against jerkiness here. Again, those with intellectual bents (not equal to college educated or high IQ) are more often liberal minded, and people with such a bent tend to appreciate a board that limits (or at least _mainly_ contains it to one forum) jerky behaviors to a level that does not interfere with actual debate and discussion of divergent POVs. Few other MBs IME do that as well as this one does, hence more with an intellectual bent are attracted here, hence more liberals, atheists, and secularists are. The traits currently co-vary. > > More intellectuals used to be conservatives and the overwhelming liberal bias among that particular sub-group (one highly over-represented here, especially in GD) not as big in days past but the current conservative movement has been unfriendly to them and hard for them to defend. Do any of you even dispute that? I just wonder if the conservative “jerks” stand out because their views are so different from what is considered “normal” or “acceptable” by the liberal members and mods? A few grey hairs in the middle of a head of black hair really stands out. ---
**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 2, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/408 "2013-05-02T15:28:45Z")
> [@Kearsen](#): > > Ha! This entire thread is about rule enforcement, the lack thereof or the bias inherent in the board. > > Can we move the whole thread? No its not. Its supposed to be about why the board leans leftward. The topics you listed are all tangents within the thread, but are not what the thread is supposed to be about, and are really just about working the refs honestly. Working the refs does belong in ATMB, not in GD afaik. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/409 "2013-05-02T15:45:27Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Which ten percent did you decide to ignore the vast majority of climate scientists on Earth about again? > > Are ice cores a liberal plot? What about the Yamal series and the most important tree in the world? Are you aware of the Yamal series and why there may be an issue with that series? Did you know that there are issues with station sitting and that a U.S. GAO audit showed 42% of climate stations did not meet one or more of the station sitting standards? Do you know what that means? How about the sloppy data handling and questionable statistical methods? These are issues that should be questioned. That is how science works. Unless you are on the 'Dope where unquestioning acceptance to the party line is the only acceptable stance. And that is the problem This board has turned into a liberal echo chamber where real dissenting views are shouted down. There are some trivial arguments about the details of issues, but if you question the underlyng idea the pile on begins. “How dare you question the climate scientists? For it is a given that all the data collection, proxy creation techniques, mathmatical methods, data manipulation and models are perfect. The climate scientists are as pure as driven snow and if you question anything you are a heartless conservative who wants to kill the poor.” Or something like that. But this board won’t change. A few conservatives will hang around and serve as a target for the hate. Slee ---
**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 2, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/410 "2013-05-02T16:58:43Z")
> [@sleestak](#): > > What about the Yamal series and the most important tree in the world? Are you aware of the Yamal series and why there may be an issue with that series? Did you know that there are issues with station sitting and that a U.S. GAO audit showed 42% of climate stations did not meet one or more of the station sitting standards? Do you know what that means? How about the sloppy data handling and questionable statistical methods? > > These are issues that should be questioned. That is how science works. Unless you are on the 'Dope where unquestioning acceptance to the party line is the only acceptable stance. > > And that is the problem This board has turned into a liberal echo chamber where real dissenting views are shouted down. There are some trivial arguments about the details of issues, but if you question the underlyng idea the pile on begins. > > “How dare you question the climate scientists? For it is a given that all the data collection, proxy creation techniques, mathmatical methods, data manipulation and models are perfect. The climate scientists are as pure as driven snow and if you question anything you are a heartless conservative who wants to kill the poor.” Or something like that. > > But this board won’t change. A few conservatives will hang around and serve as a target for the hate. > > Slee A very important teachable moment is here. \*\*You are not even aware that it was questioned and the most recent tests, by skeptical scientists no less, found that the scientists that the GAO reported about did an excellent job of noticing the problems and adjusting them. \*\* (This bit of the scientists adjusting for the known problems is usually an item that the poisoned sources do not mention to the ones looking at them) > **[Former Global Warming Skeptic Makes a 'Total Turnaround'](https://www.livescience.com/21980-global-warming-skeptic-turnaround.html)** > > Richard Muller says his new study shows global warming is almost entirely caused by greenhouse gas emissions by humans. > [@](#): > > Their analysis indicated that global warming is real — that the average global land temperature has risen by 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit (1.4 degrees Celsius) since 1750, including 1.5 degrees F (0.9 degrees Celsius) in the past 50 years. **The numbers closely agree with the findings of past studies by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA and others; but finally, they were rigorous enough to satisfy Muller.** > > Now, in a brand new study that probed the causes of that warming, the BEST team says it has cleared from blame the natural variations in Earth’s climate that so often get implicated by skeptics. Muller and his colleagues implicate carbon dioxide emissions by humans as essentially the sole cause of global warming. > > “The carbon dioxide curve gives a better match than anything else we’ve tried,” he wrote Saturday (July 28) in a New York Times editorial. “Its magnitude is consistent with the calculated greenhouse effect — extra warming from trapped heat radiation. These facts don’t prove causality and they shouldn’t end skepticism, but they raise the bar: To be considered seriously, an alternative explanation must match the data at least as well as carbon dioxide does.” What it is clear is that outfits like Watts up with that, discredited scientists and bloglessors are still taking you and many others for a ride and you are not aware of it. The only reason why at this late date you are repeating an item that was already investigated and checked by skeptics shows that the FUD producers (that are fake skeptics) are still fooling many Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/411 "2013-05-02T17:38:14Z")
> [@sleestak](#): > > “How dare you question the climate scientists? For it is a given that all the data collection, proxy creation techniques, mathmatical methods, data manipulation and models are perfect. The climate scientists are as pure as driven snow and if you question anything you are a heartless conservative who wants to kill the poor.” Or something like that. It is unfortunate that the tenacity of some posters leads others to retreat to whiny bullshit like this. On behalf of the “liberal” members of the board, I apologize for persecuting you. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/412 "2013-05-02T18:22:36Z")
I’m a bit less generous, and only extend an apology to the reasonable conservatives on the Board, and hope both of them are well and happy. ---
**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:** [May 2, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/413 "2013-05-02T18:30:17Z")
I apologize for nothing, because I see nothing to apologize for. ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/414 "2013-05-02T18:40:52Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > I’m a bit less generous, and only extend an apology to the reasonable conservatives on the Board, and hope both of them are well and happy. Thank you. Apology accepted. Liberals are in majority because they are best characterized as a form of mindless herd animal that seek to have their views reflected by a choir of the likeminded, and if a place has first gotten a few extra of them others of the same race will start to migrate to the same location. ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/415 "2013-05-02T18:46:53Z")
> [@For You](#): > > It is unfortunate that the tenacity of some posters leads others to retreat to whiny bullshit like this. On behalf of the “liberal” members of the board, I apologize for persecuting you. THIS! Thank you for saying this and on behalf of the “conservative” members I would like to apologize for the members who insist on playing gotcha and get snarky. It is out of line and not productive. Unfortunately, you and the other “liberal” members like you are not the ones who should apologize just as myself and the more civil “conservatives” shouldn’t really have to apologize for the dorks. If we were all sitting in a bar discussing any of the subjects on this board we (most likely) won’t sink to the level of animosity and ill-will that we frequently see here although I can think of one or two members who would be throwing drinks and fists. The anonymity available only gives some people the impression they have free-reign to ignore the basic tenets of polite discourse. I have a friend who is very far to the left of me: vegetarian to avoid animal cruelty, participated in an Occupy protest, anti-gun, pro-abortion for any reason, atheist, etc. We can still get together and shoot the shit and even debate these topics and others without it coming to blows. The only thing I can’t forgive him for is that he’s a Cub’s fan.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/416 "2013-05-02T18:48:56Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > Thank you. Apology accepted. > > Liberals are in majority because they are best characterized as a form of mindless herd animal that seek to have their views reflected by a choir of the likeminded, and if a place has first gotten a few extra of them others of the same race will start to migrate to the same location. Well, this helps. eta: Dammit, can we not at least TRY to learn from each other? The “apology” posts above are just as bad. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kearsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/417 "2013-05-02T18:58:17Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Then let me rephrase it: I did not agree that his reason was a valid one. That was his exact point, so thanks? The fact that you don’t agree that the people affected do feel the change would help is foreign to you. What makes you the arbiter of such a subjective thing? ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kearsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/418 "2013-05-02T19:00:10Z")
> [@Slypork](#): > > THIS! Thank you for saying this and on behalf of the “conservative” members I would like to apologize for the members who insist on playing gotcha and get snarky. It is out of line and not productive. Unfortunately, you and the other “liberal” members like you are not the ones who should apologize just as myself and the more civil “conservatives” shouldn’t really have to apologize for the dorks. If we were all sitting in a bar discussing any of the subjects on this board we (most likely) won’t sink to the level of animosity and ill-will that we frequently see here although I can think of one or two members who would be throwing drinks and fists. The anonymity available only gives some people the impression they have free-reign to ignore the basic tenets of polite discourse. > > I have a friend who is very far to the left of me: vegetarian to avoid animal cruelty, participated in an Occupy protest, anti-gun, pro-abortion for any reason, atheist, etc. We can still get together and shoot the shit and even debate these topics and others without it coming to blows. The only thing I can’t forgive him for is that he’s a Cub’s fan.:smack: You do realize that he was being sarcastic in his apology (which is why he followed it up with “…leads others to retreat to whiny bullshit…”), right? We are really getting somewhere! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/419 "2013-05-02T19:13:05Z")
> [@Kearsen](#): > > You do realize that he was being sarcastic in his apology (which is why he followed it up with “…leads others to retreat to whiny bullshit…”), right? > > We are really getting somewhere! :rolleyes: Mother pus-bucket! That’s the second time in the past couple days I missed it. Usually I’m good at reading it. In the name of God’s greasy gonads we really need a freaking sarcasm font. I was hoping that just this once there was a little sincerity on this board. I saw what looked like a gentle flower of hope, slipping through the cracks in the unyielding sidewalk of cynicism and scorn, only to watch it crushed under the hob-nailed boot of partiality and partisanship. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/420 "2013-05-02T19:17:29Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > Liberals are in majority because they are best characterized as a form of mindless herd animal that seek to have their views reflected by a choir of the likeminded, and if a place has first gotten a few extra of them others of the same race will start to migrate to the same location. Clearly false, because if that was true we would all have fled to Democratic Underground or some other such explicitly/exclusively liberal message board. Certainly, if I had a choice between the SDMB and a board that was in all ways equivalent except that it was evenly split, politically, I would switch in a heartbeat. (A more interesting question would be a choice between the SDMB and a board that was in all ways equivalent except with the ration of liberal-to-conservatives switched.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626.md?page=22)