# You poor lonely conservative in the SDMB sea of liberals **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 29, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745 "2004-09-29T22:47:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/61 "2004-09-30T04:59:16Z")
> [@Lockz](#): > > Perhaps the reason conservatives here argue that they are “few” or “a handful” is because compared to the liberals, they are! If you can call 100 out of the almost 50,000 registered members here conservatives, that IS a few, or a handful. Say there are ten times the amount that you cited. 1 out of 50 … that’s a small number. > > P.S. Add me to the list! I’m afraid you can’t volunteer, but I will consider it if the gauntlet is laid down and I need to come up with the other 50 on the quick. I was able to come up with 35 without any searching, and did a self-test and was able to come up with 63 that I consider liberal without searching. I honestly believe the number probably skews even a bit more than that to the liberal side, but that’s all I could do without performing a search. As for what the overall percentage is out of the 50,000, I’ll leave that as an exercise for you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/62 "2004-09-30T04:59:38Z")
I believe this is the first thread ever where someone’s recognized something (anything) about me. Thank you so much. Of course, being recognized in a hot hunks thread will be nice one day, but you gotta start somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/63 "2004-09-30T05:01:29Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > That’s okay, I can work to get better at it. But you’ll _always_ be a dumbass! > > (See? I can be funny if I really try!) > > 😃 Mph. Still Avis, though. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/64 "2004-09-30T05:02:29Z")
> [@Bruce\_Daddy](#): > > I am honored. Really, no kidding. > > 18-82 still. You know, if we could only agree on which parts of this big-assed government to cut, both you and I would likely be fiscally conservative, as I want a smaller government myself. I just want the smaller budget amount to be spent differently than a typical conservative, so I have to remain in the pink T-shirt. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/65 "2004-09-30T05:03:28Z")
While I don’t like to feed in to conservative victimization, I would point out that in the current Presidential election straw poll the results are 64 votes for Kerry, 9 votes for Bush, and 5 votes for Badnarik. I would agree there is evidence that conservatives are a minority here (which is not to say liberals are a majority - there are other flavors). ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/66 "2004-09-30T05:05:06Z")
> [@Yeticus Rex](#): > > At the time I posted this, there are 48,491 registered Dopers. > > That’s a big can of worms you opened up there, **DMC**. Then you define “a handful”, “four”, “one of the last”, etc. for me. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/67 "2004-09-30T05:09:16Z")
> [@PaulFitzroy](#): > > I didn’t advocate genocide and will stand firm to this. It never happened. If I said that a whole people should be eliminated, that would be genocide. If I said that a whole country should be destroyed, that would be genocide. Really? > [@](#): > > It’s not about the people in the Middle East hating us or not hating us. They will hate us as long as they subscribe to a religion, Islam, that declares that the whole world must be ‘Dar Al Islam,’ and that non-Muslims must be forcibly converted or killed. They will hate us no matter what. What we need to do is eliminate the funding for Muslim terrorism. Where does that come from? It comes from Saudi Arabia. It comes from buying Arab oil. We need to end our dependence on Arab oil. If Saudi Arabia were wiped off the map tomorrow, most of the funding for terrorism would disappear. What would the Arabs do without us paying them for their oil (which we discovered there in the first place?) Nothing. They don’t create. They don’t advance culture. They just suck up our money and stab us in the back And > [@](#): > > Screw all this Mafia baloney. What a waste of time. “War on terrorism” is a joke anyway. The Paul Fitzroy Solution: drop a nice neutron bomb on Iran, followed by one on Saudi Arabia. Bulldoze every stinkin’ hovel in Gaza and the West Bank; destroy Hamas and Hezbollah. We’ve just eliminated a whole fifth column of world society which contributes nothing and sucks in the money of everyone else, funding jealous acts of terror against the superior West. No more terror. You want to wipe Saudi Arabia off the map, and bulldoze “every stinkin’ hovel in Gaza in the West Bank”, and that’s NOT genocide? Fuck you, you oozing cocksore. You are advocating genocide-at least have the balls to admit it. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/68 "2004-09-30T05:16:09Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#): > > I’m a fiscally conservative gal who supports states rights, smaller government and lower taxes. It pains me to see so-called conservatives who want to limit personal freedoms by via a Constitutional amendment. > > While it doesn’t bother me, I do feel this board has more liberal members than conservative ones. Why is that observation such a problem, though? It’s not at all, at least in my opinion. If I ever claimed somewhere that there was an exact 50/50 split between the groups of thought on this board, or even that there was a surefire way to figure out in which group every single member fit best, I lied. The point wasn’t about which leaning is the majority on this board, it was about those who claim the numbers of conservatives here is so small that they feel all alone. I was actually hoping to provide them a service, but they don’t seem to want to take advantage of it. So, for the record, I hereby state unequivocally that I am of the opinion that there are more “left-leaning” members of the SDMB than “right-leaning” members, no matter how you slice it. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/69 "2004-09-30T05:17:51Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > Mph. Still Avis, though. I know, I know. It was a cheap shot and probably seems like an overreaction. But that buttpipe has a habit of coming from out of nowhere and sniping at me so I thought I’d give him a little back. Regards. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/70 "2004-09-30T05:24:32Z")
> [@Bill H.](#): > > I believe this is the first thread ever where someone’s recognized something (anything) about me. Thank you so much. > > Of course, being recognized in a hot hunks thread will be nice one day, but you gotta start somewhere. Perhaps the next SDMB calendar (yes, I have ventured outside of GD, GQ, and the Pit, even if I’m rarely seen) will be “Hot Hunks of the SDMB Right” and include you. Of course, if we do such a calendar, I’m not sure what we’ll do about the May-December pages, but I’m betting we can find some filler. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/71 "2004-09-30T06:18:26Z")
[This chart](http://www.amschwartz.net/jillandthomas/SDMBPoliticalGuage) from [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=272103&page=4&pp=50&highlight=compass) tallied the results of those who took the Political Gauge Test. I think it encompassed a pretty comprehensive list of regular GD posters. The results were: On Non-Fiscal Issues: 45 Strong Liberals 28 Moderate Liberals 16 Centrists 7 Moderate Conservatives 4 Strong Conservatives On Fiscal Issues: 19 Strong Liberals 32 Moderate Liberals 18 Centrists 17 Moderate Conservatives 14 Strong Conservatives Which backs up my claim earlier that on fiscal issues things are pretty balanced around here whereas on non-fiscal issues there is a strong liberal slant. ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/72 "2004-09-30T06:26:02Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > I know, I know. It was a cheap shot and probably seems like an overreaction. But that buttpipe has a habit of coming from out of nowhere and sniping at me so I thought I’d give him a little back. > > Regards. 😉 Can you please link me to the posts that lead you to believe I’m a “buttpipe” and/or where I’m “sniping at” you? I presume there’s a difference in your mind between simple disagreement and “sniping”? Or is your definition of sniping buttpipe somebody who disagrees with you? Alternatively, grow a thicker skin. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/73 "2004-09-30T06:27:36Z")
And there are always a few of us who don’t take test like that. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/74 "2004-09-30T06:31:25Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > While I don’t like to feed in to conservative victimization, I would point out that in the current Presidential election straw poll the results are 64 votes for Kerry, 9 votes for Bush, and 5 votes for Badnarik. I would agree there is evidence that conservatives are a minority here Or it could simply mean that only stupid people would vote for Bush. 😉 How do we know we’d get similar results if the matchup was between (say) Kerry and Howard Dean, f’r instance? ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/75 "2004-09-30T06:35:40Z")
[QUOTE=John MaceWhich backs up my claim earlier that on fiscal issues things are pretty balanced around here whereas on non-fiscal issues there is a strong liberal slant.[/QUOTE] That’s the same impression I get from reading the debate threads. Having a proportionately large number of libertarians here helps push the social scale even further to the left, while fiscally, the debates are pretty well challenged on both sides. Actually, apologies to myself for hijacking my own thread, I also get the impression that a lot of our Libertarians vote based more on their fiscal leanings than their social, at least when there is no Libertarian candidate to choose from (and sometimes when there is). Is this “weighting” fairly common among Libertarians, is it just this board, or are my impressions wrong? ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/76 "2004-09-30T06:37:22Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > While I don’t like to feed in to conservative victimization, I would point out that in the current Presidential election straw poll the results are 64 votes for Kerry, 9 votes for Bush, and 5 votes for Badnarik. I would agree there is evidence that conservatives are a minority here (which is not to say liberals are a majority - there are other flavors). Keep in mind that there are a lot of conservatives on this board who are rather pissed at Bush for one reason or another, and don’t plan on voting for him, but would likely vote Republican if the party fielded a different candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/77 "2004-09-30T06:38:44Z")
> [@](#): > > **John Mace** …Which backs up my claim earlier that on fiscal issues things are pretty balanced around here… Well, they are more balanced, but 51 take liberal positions and 31 take conservative. That’s still quite a gap. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/78 "2004-09-30T06:45:54Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > Not the only one… > > abortion? Check. > legalized drugs? Check. > gay marriage? Check. > euthenasia? Check. > elimination of 'under God" from the pledge? Check. > legalized prostitution? Check. > _checks OP’s list for my name_ > YAY! I’m a conservative! And you’re also a reactionary imbecile who shoots his mouth off in a flurry of righteous indignationk never questioning that you’re GENERALLY FUCKING WRONG. _Shine on you crazy diamond._ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/79 "2004-09-30T06:51:25Z")
> [@DMC](#): > > Yes, you are. Coming out can be tough, but celebrate it my friend. Why? Every issue I quoted from Mace’s post is one I passionately believe in, and they are all on the “liberal” side of the fence. At the same time I have traditionally “conservative” views on things like gun control, the war in Iraq, national soverignty, fiscal responsiility AND personal responsibility, as well as funding for the military and much smaller government. If you want to labelb me a conservative, go ahead, but I’m more of a small “l” liberitarian, and what I resent most is not being labled “conservative” or not, it’s the entire concept of lables themselves. When the Right was having their orgies of idiocy over Clinton getting a BJ, I was disgusted. Since I have never voted for a Republican in my life (except for Ehrlich for Md. Governor), I kind of took pride that Democrats (my party) weren’t so petty and partisan. Then Bush got elected and the Left proceded to make the Republican Clinton witch hunt look like a Sunday good-ta-meetcha picnic. I have watched the most partisan Democrats here and in general (what I call the “looney left”) completely marginalize themselves over the last few years, patting themselves on the back while they are doing so and being totaly oblivious to the fact that they were getting further and further out of touch with reality while congratulating themselves for doing so. Madness! Bob Dole lost in '96 because he ran depending on the fact that he wasn’t Clinton to carry the day. He lost. Eight years later Kerry is doing the same thing and sure as shit stinks, he’s gonna lose too. Meanwhile, both parties have become so partisan that the cornerstone of a Democratic Republic, compromise between the two sides, is nothing more than a forgotten dream. It seems now that if one doesn’t unabashdly embrace every single component of the liberal ( or conservative, it’s no different over there ) group think that one is labled a moron or a Goddamn ignorant Pubby/Dumocrat, depending on the side doing the labeling. So, I ask again, Why? Why do you feel the need to label me a conservative? Sure, I am conservatrive on some issues, but I am also very liberal on others. What purpose does it serve other than to nurture the “If you’re not with us 100% than you’re against us 100%” attitude that is tearing this country apart? What happened to dealing with each issue on it’s own merits and meeting somewhere in the middle for a final resolution that is not what either side initially wanted, but is a resolution that both sides can live with? To steal from Ben Franklin, If we don’t all hang together (eventually, in the end), surely we will all hang seperately. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/80 "2004-09-30T07:00:38Z")
> [@Mockingbird](#): > > And you’re also a reactionary imbecile who shoots his mouth off in a flurry of righteous indignationk never questioning that you’re GENERALLY FUCKING WRONG. > > _Shine on you crazy diamond._ > > 😃 Oh, I am slain! You’re just still mad that I called you a hothead who does more harm to your causes than good. Unfortunately for you, more people agree with me on that issue than thing you are the soul of reasoned debate. _Keep coming back, it works if you work it._ 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745.md?page=5)