# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/121 "2013-04-27T15:37:43Z")
Not hard to find peer-reviewed cites that claim that IQ is linked to liberalism. > **[Liberals and atheists smarter? Intelligent people have values novel in human...](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224132655.htm)** > > Higher intelligence is associated with liberal political ideology, atheism, and men's (but not women's) preference for sexual exclusivity. More intelligent people are statistically more likely to exhibit social values and religious and political... If the participants of this message board are overwhelmingly liberal, it’s entirely likely that the comments of conservatives would be moderated more frequently without the any bias on the part of the moderators who write the warnings and notes. Moderators have stated that they don’t read all the threads and that they rely on user reports. If I disagree with someone’s politics, I’d be more likely to report their transgressions. I imagine that’s so for other people. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/122 "2013-04-27T16:33:34Z")
Could it be because most conservatives are too busy working for a living to support their families, rather than wasting time on message boards? ---
**Author:** ![Among\_Liberals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Among\_Liberals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Among_Liberals)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/123 "2013-04-27T16:54:54Z")
IQ is endowment size. You can find correlations but you it would be unfair to make conclusions. ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/124 "2013-04-27T16:54:58Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Could it be because most conservatives are too busy working for a living to support their families, rather than wasting time on message boards? See response #19 ---
**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:** [April 27, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/125 "2013-04-27T16:56:34Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Could it be because most conservatives are too busy working for a living to support their families, rather than wasting time on message boards? Oh, wow :smack: thank you for that bit of insight. I mean it is so obvious, we all know that conservatives are honest, hardworking, salt-of-the-earth folk, while liberals are all lazy, layabout leeches bent on destroying America. The scales have fallen from my eyes, praise be. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/126 "2013-04-27T17:13:40Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Could it be because most conservatives are too busy working for a living to support their families, rather than wasting time on message boards? Exactly. Who’s ever heard of conservatives bitching and moaning on internet [message](http://www.teapartynation.com/forum) [boards](http://www.the912project.us/)?!? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/127 "2013-04-27T17:29:05Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Exactly. Who’s ever heard of conservatives bitching and moaning on internet [message](http://www.teapartynation.com/forum) [boards](http://www.the912project.us/)?!? Hence the word “most.” ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/128 "2013-04-27T19:06:22Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Could it be because most conservatives are too busy working for a living to support their families, rather than wasting time on message boards? Could it be that most conservatives are technological Luddites who are afraid computers will steal their souls? ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/129 "2013-04-27T19:19:55Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Not only that, but all of the mods are shamelessly liberal, and moderate according to that bias. **Rand Rover** got suspended over a group “insult” that liberals never get sanctioned for, as the most recent example. In the Boston Marathon thread, Tea Partiers were smeared on the first page, with no mod sanction, but as soon as someone took a shot at liberals, all of a sudden here come the jackboots and mods are all over it. That sort of clear favoritism is routine here, and the mods deny it happens. It’s pretty clear the mods wish all conservatives would leave this board, and they’ll do whatever they can to make things unpleasant for us here. Personally, I would not want you to leave here. I respect your opinion even when it diverges from mine. Much as I said to Bricker. This place wouldn’t be the same without you. Rationality is supposed to win here over emotionality. I genuinely wish people here could converse more civilly. Because words are all we have here. But, I am at a loss as to how to affect such a change. But always remember, this ‘here’ is a shared illusion. We make the rules jointly as a group or as a mob. Should we care for each other? Or not? I choose ‘care for each other’, and I, Gagundathar the Inexplicable, will do so. As I always have. I dare some of you to do so as well. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/130 "2013-04-27T19:52:11Z")
Conservatives are put off by a website with “dope” in the title. ---
**Author:** ![huck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@huck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/huck)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/131 "2013-04-27T20:13:22Z")
I don’t have a vast knowledge of message boards but it does seem that most tend to have at least a majority of like-minded people. As someone who is generally left in my political views, but on one issue disagree with most of my liberal brothers and sisters, I can tell you that it gets old being told that I really hate women, am an idiot for thinking that unborn children have rights, etc. That makes me less likely to post or answer polls on boards where that sort of comment is common. I really think the explanation is mostly that people tend to join and stay on message boards where their views are, if not accepted, at least not demonized by most other posters. ---
**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:** [April 27, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/132 "2013-04-27T20:17:27Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Exactly. Who’s ever heard of conservatives bitching and moaning on internet [message](http://www.teapartynation.com/forum) [boards](http://www.the912project.us/)?!? I don’t think this message board is to the left as much as those boards are to the right. Do they they treat posters that lean left worse or better than we treat those on the right? ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/133 "2013-04-27T20:39:30Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > Not hard to find peer-reviewed cites that claim that IQ is linked to liberalism. > > [Liberals and atheists smarter? Intelligent people have values novel in human evolutionary history, study finds | ScienceDaily](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224132655.htm) > > If the participants of this message board are overwhelmingly liberal, it’s entirely likely that the comments of conservatives would be moderated more frequently without the any bias on the part of the moderators who write the warnings and notes. Moderators have stated that they don’t read all the threads and that they rely on user reports. If I disagree with someone’s politics, I’d be more likely to report their transgressions. I imagine that’s so for other people. AKKK! “[The great idiot of social science](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=687905)” strikes! 😃 You wouldn’t happen to have a non-Kanazawa cite? This is a guy who recently preached that [“correlation certainly does imply causation](http://bigthink.com/neurobonkers/the-bad-science-of-satoshi-kanazawa)”. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/134 "2013-04-27T21:06:46Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Could it be that most conservatives are technological Luddites who are afraid computers will steal their souls? I wonder the same thing. Now I’m not _saying_ that they’re all demon-seeing Luddites, I’m just asking. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/135 "2013-04-27T22:50:10Z")
> [@orcenio](#): > > AKKK! “[The great idiot of social science](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=687905)” strikes! 😃 You wouldn’t happen to have a non-Kanazawa cite? This is a guy who recently preached that [“correlation certainly does imply causation](http://bigthink.com/neurobonkers/the-bad-science-of-satoshi-kanazawa)”. [http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/01/04/0956797611421206.abstract](http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/01/04/0956797611421206.abstract) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/136 "2013-04-28T01:34:30Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > Not hard to find peer-reviewed cites that claim that IQ is linked to liberalism. Don’t libertarians typically score well on IQ tests? ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/137 "2013-04-28T02:30:15Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Don’t libertarians typically score well on IQ tests? I don’t know. I found blogs and such saying things like “it’s well known that libertarians score the highest on IQ tests” but no abstracts or such in the first pages of results. Some of the references appeared to be based on Kanazawa’s article. Both politics and IQ are contentious subjects. Any article combining the two is of dubious value IMO, and will be disputed regardless of merit or conclusions. I should mention that the second cite I gave didn’t connect liberalism and IQ. It claimed low childhood IQ is correlated becoming a racist and the acceptance of right-wing ideology. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/138 "2013-04-28T02:54:56Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Fine, **Bricker**. You are correct, I am wrong, and my entire life has been a hollow mockery up to this moment. > > Have a nice life - I have no desire to discuss this or anything else with you. And this is a point no one seems to notice. The conservatives here are just as unwelcoming to liberals as we are to them. It’s just that there are more of us and we can thus feed off each other. On an individual level, the hostility pretty much matches up. Look at every conservative in this thread. Not a single one is not trying to make everyone else feel guilty. Not a single one isn’t reacting in anger. It’s only a few liberals that are choosing to act in a more compassionate way. (And that’s most likely because of probability, not liberal superiority.) Like it or not, American politics has become very polarized and very hostile. It’s pretty much inevitable that one side will beat out the other on in any given community. No one really wants a bipartisan community. Well, no one but those places that ban political conversations. And you’re definitely barking up the wrong tree if you think this board will ever stop celebrating hostility. The best you can do is try to redirect that hostility towards more worthy targets. I think we’re all agreed that the Tea Party ideology is bad, right? Let’s go with them! ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/139 "2013-04-28T03:28:31Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > But occasionally, a topic comes along that’s a slam dunk for one side or the other. For example, I regard global warming as a slam-dunk for the left. We might reasonably debate the cost-benefit breaks of particular remediation efforts, but the overall theses: that global temperature is rising; that climate change will ensue as a result; that some significant portion of this is tied to human activity – these are all solidly established. > > But when a topic arises that’s a slam-dunk for the right, do we see the liberal masses here acknowledging error and withdrawing? What happens is that a thread comes along that’ something like “what position held by your ‘side’ to you least agree with” and lots and lots of SDMB liberals say that they support Nuclear power much more than typical for the American left. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626/140 "2013-04-28T04:05:46Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > … As far as education goes people who go to college some or have a bachelors degree are more likely to vote republican while those with a high school diploma or less and post grad degrees are more likely to vote democrat. > [cite](http://reflectionsofarationalrepublican.com/2012/01/14/are-liberals-more-educated-than-conservatives/) … Assuming the premise (a hardly scientific one) some very good answers were given on the first page (see **Tamerlane** ’s for example), but the impact of this factoid is being underappreciated. This board attracts a crowd that considers itself intellectually curious. If it does not have an above average number of individuals with post-graduate degrees and even more so, those with academic leanings, I would be shocked. Please note: such does not imply anything about IQ or any other raw intelligence measure. Intellectual curiosity is a habit of mind that correlates with above college level education and an academic career, but, in my estimation at least, less so with IQ. College level education is not as much a marker for that curiosity for its own sake in today’s America. College level education is what those who come from the middle class and higher (some with very high IQs) achieve as the price of admission to the job pool. For many (again, including very high IQ individuals) college is just that means to the end, nothing more; for the intellectually curious (including many with pretty average IQs) it is a first course. (Personally I more admire the merely smart who are intellectually curious, than the brilliant who are not, but YMMV.) Academics (and I suspect those with academic leanings) [tend to lean left](http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/10/24/survey-finds-professors-already-liberal-have-moved-further-left) much more than the general population. Oversample that group, as I am sure we do, and there you go. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-this-board-lean-democrat/656626.md?page=8)