# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/101 "2004-09-30T10:35:32Z")
Bastard. 😃 _Rqual rights for ugly fat womyn!_ Yes, I’ going to hell now. Thanks for asking. ---
**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, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/102 "2004-09-30T10:37:25Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > It’s the SDMB mate. Tell 'em you had a crap this morning, and they’ll be yelling “CITE?” 😃😃😃😃😃 How frickin’ true! Great comment! ---
**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, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/103 "2004-09-30T10:51:19Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > **SA:** \* I am serious when I say conservatives are vastly outnumbered here. I have no “serious, factual take” on the ratio\* > > If you don’t have any quantitative idea of what you mean when you use words with quantitative implications like “overwhelmingly outnumbered” or “vastly outnumbered”, then you are simply pulling such terms out of your ass. > > As **TheLoadedDog** points out, when people make factual assertions around here, we like to see them justified by factual evidence. You say “pulling them out of your ass;” I say they are a common sense observation of reality. Cites are for facts; observations are for reality. Things are what they are in terms of reality. Once upon a time the Earth was thought to be flat. All sorts of “facts” were cited to prove this was so. But common sense observation of reality eventually told the true tale. Same here. Surely as a good liberal, you subscribe to the idea that it is up to oneself to choose how they spend their time. I simply choose not to spend my time trying to rally “facts” (and as this very thread has shown, facts that can not be accurately determined anyway because of the many variables involved in the various identifiers) to prove to you something that would be obvious to a three year old (I can hear the calls now: "Cite! Cite! Prove a three year old would understand…[or, by implication]…“Anything to keep from having to actually address the issue at hand…or to try to make you look like you don’t know what you’re talking about when you really do!”). You want to come up with “facts” to prove the board isn’t overwhelmingly liberal? Go right ahead. But don’t expect me to waste my time scurrying for facts to prove the obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/104 "2004-09-30T10:53:13Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > Because the truth is anathema to most liberals? 😃 **Starving Artist** , old pal, let me explain something to you. On the Political Compass scale someone else linked to, I’m -0.88 on the economic conservative scale, or just a hair left of center (it runs from -10 to +10) and -3.33 on the Libertarian/Authoritarian scale. In other words, I’m almost dead center economically and near center socially. On the other hand, it’s remarks like that which make me want to stay planted firmly on the liberal side of things. I _know_ it was a joke. So was the comment made by a coworker once who said he figured I’d be like a moped – fun to ride, but no one would want to admit it. It may be funny, but it’s a bit insulting, too. As a firm centerist, I’m tired of sniping and whining from both sides. Right now, I’m more fed up with the Republicans, but they’re the ones in power right now. Hopefully in a year, I’ll be more fed up with the Democrats. I have little regard for Kerry or Bush, and several years ago, I stood outside the state legislature in Hawaii holding up a sign saying “Throw the rascals out!” or words to that effect. My city’s government, which is dominated by Democracts, has gotten themselves in a rather horrendous fiscal mess caused by their own stupidity, as far as I’m concerned. My country’s government, dominated by Republicans, has the country in an economic mess which leaves me facing a retirement without social security and ridiculously high health insurance premiums thanks to Bush’s running up the deficit (that is _strictly_ my frustrated opinion, and should not be read as anything else). Look, when Bush won four years ago, I hoped what I saw as the conservative whining would stop. It hasn’t. One reason I don’t have kids is I hate whining! May I suggest liberal and conservative, Christian and Atheist, take a bit of advice from _Godspell_ (Jesus singing, if I remember right)? > [@](#): > > You must never be distressed; > All your wrongs will be redressed! > **_Someone’s_ got to be oppressed!** > :Harmony with Jesus and Peter: Yes, it’s All For the Best! Whichever party’s out of power feels hard done to by whichever party’s in power. It’s been that way since politics was invented. There’s also the corollary about whichever party’s outnumbered feels oppressed by the party outnumbering them. I felt outnumbered and oppressed at a Christian message board; some of their members have felt oppressed and outnumbered here. Deal with it or move on. It’s your choice. As for me, my choice is breakfast! CJ ---
**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, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/105 "2004-09-30T11:05:34Z")
> [@Siege](#): > > **Starving Artist** , old pal… Why, thank you. It’s good to know I’ve apparently made another friend among the opposition. 🙂 > [@Siege](#): > > So was the comment made by a coworker once who said he figured I’d be like a moped – fun to ride, but no one would want to admit it. It may be funny, but it’s a bit insulting, too. A _bit_ insulting! I know your religious beliefs would preclude it, but that schmuck deserves a 2x4 upside the head! > [@Siege](#): > > Deal with it or move on. It’s your choice. I was with you up till here. I’d prefer to think I _was_ dealing with it. 😃 > [@Siege](#): > > As for me, my choice is breakfast! > CJ Good idea! Regards. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/106 "2004-09-30T11:06:23Z")
Me conservative?! I guess that’s a word with a different meaning where you’re at. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/107 "2004-09-30T11:11:07Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > A _bit_ insulting! I know your religious beliefs would preclude it, but that schmuck deserves a 2x4 upside the head! Actually, technically speaking, my religious beliefs don’t preclude it – they just leave it up to God to deliver the blow. After all, He’s done it to me often enough, including within the past week! :rolleyes: Now to put the kettle on! CJ ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/108 "2004-09-30T11:17:20Z")
> [@PaulFitzroy](#): > > Tell me how I am uninformed, and what I ought to know. This is an honest question and I want no name-calling or mockery in reply. What information should I be in posession of to qualify, at least, as an informed hater? You are uninformed because you have taken the actions of a small number of people who happen to share a belief system and have generalized their beliefs and actions to every person who follows the same larger tradition. When people point out your errors regarding Islam _in general_, you fall back on stereotypes and individual cases of events to which you object and steadfastly refuse to recognize that those cases do not represent all of Islam. If you are sincere regarding a desire to be informed, go back to your own old threads and _read_ the posts by people who actually know what they are talking about who have actually presented facts to counter your overbroad generalizations. Learn to distinguish between isolated events and general trends. Learn to take the time to read what has been posted rather than simply dismissing everyone who dos not share your world view because it might upset your comfortable ignorance. ---
**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, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/109 "2004-09-30T11:31:13Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > I think what the problem is with these boards, and the lefties therein, is that they all have to post “me too” posts to display their liberal/leftie credentials. > > They simply can’t leave it to someone else. > > So what you get is a leftie pile-on on any Conservative who shows his head above the parapet. You are most astute in your observations. > [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > Frankly this doesn’t bother me – I can look after myself (and it’s always the usual suspects – the offenderati) > > I do wonder though: if I were a little more of a shrinking violet and had just discovered these boards if I would bother to pony up for the privilege of being piled on. Yep, it takes serious cajones to speak out conservatively around here. Look what a simple observation of the overwhelming liberal postership around here has wrought. You’d think it would be obvious, number one; and that no one would really care, number two. But nooooo…even something as relatively benign as that has already resulted in a thread running three pages, and the day shift hasn’t even arrived yet. ---
**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, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/110 "2004-09-30T11:32:55Z")
> [@Siege](#): > > Actually, technically speaking, my religious beliefs don’t preclude it – they just leave it up to God to deliver the blow. After all, He’s done it to me often enough, including within the past week! :rolleyes: > > Now to put the kettle on! > CJ Well said. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/111 "2004-09-30T11:34:44Z")
Testify! **starving artist** Testify! ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/112 "2004-09-30T12:58:28Z")
> [@DMC](#): > > 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. Fair enough. It’s not like the (R)s are really all that fiscally conservative these days anyway. Actually don’t tell the partisan hacks here the two major US parties aren’t that dissimilar. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/113 "2004-09-30T13:05:59Z")
It isn’t so much liberal vs. conservative. In those terms, the boards splits pretty much as has been described - on fiscal issues, fairly strongly liberal, on non-fiscal issues, overwhelmingly so. It’s mostly pro-Bush vs. anti-Bush. As (I think) **Bill H.** points out, there the Bush-haters outnumber us reasonable people 🙂 by something like four to one. A lot depends on your point of view. To many Dopers, we are balanced because we have conservatives who hate Bush, centrists who hate Bush, and liberals who hate Bush. To a few of us, and in a country where Bush supporters outnumber the Bush-haters by either a little or a lot, depending on the polls you use, “balanced” means something else. Considering that **Rune** and **stpauler** both immediately denied their label as “conservatives”, maybe in a few instances, your ( **DMC** ’s) perceptions of who is conservative vs. who is liberal might be off by a bit. It’s a liberal board. Some people spend a lot of time trying to deny it, but it’s a hell of a stretch. Thanks for the list. Most of us recognize some pretty smart Dopers there, and it is an honor in to be in the company. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/114 "2004-09-30T13:16:27Z")
**SA:** _Cites are for facts; observations are for reality. Things are what they are in terms of reality. […] But don’t expect me to waste my time scurrying for facts to prove the obvious._ In other words, you’re talking out of your ass and you’re too lazy to back it up with evidence. Fine, but don’t complain when people don’t take your assertions seriously. Don’t mistake me: I’m not arguing that this board **doesn’t** trend liberal. In fact, as I noted before, I have a pretty good quantitative idea of how liberal it **does** trend: about 7 to 1 on non-fiscal issues and 5 to 3 on fiscal ones. If that’s what you want to call “overwhelmingly liberal” or liberals “vastly outnumbering” conservatives, that’s up to you. Just be prepared to get called on it by more factual-minded posters who notice that your rhetoric doesn’t actually match the numbers very well. ---
**Author:** ![Lockz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Lockz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lockz)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/115 "2004-09-30T13:16:54Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > I’d put good money on the fact that I’m the only poster on the SDMB who could put his hand in his pocket, get out his wallet and pull out a card - properly printed and everything that has my name on it and the word “conservative” on it, with a membership number as well… > > Ladies and Gentlemen - I am a card carrying Conservative and I’m proud! > > (Do I win a prize?). We get prizes for having membership cards? Hmm, maybe that’s what that number is for … they’ll draw a number and notify us through the Secret Conservative Network. Yeah, that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/116 "2004-09-30T13:19:22Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > It’s a liberal board. Some people spend a lot of time trying to deny it, but it’s a hell of a stretch. Ain’t many people who deny it, as far as I can tell. Plenty of people who whine about it, though. > [@Shodan](#): > > Thanks for the list. Most of us recognize some pretty smart Dopers there, and it is an honor in to be in the company. If you’re trying to put yoursefl in the “pretty smart” company, that’s a stretch. Stupid weasel. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/117 "2004-09-30T13:32:03Z")
Another conservative (from the OP’s list) checking in. I also agree with **John Mace’s** list. I am in favor of/have no problem with: > [@John Mace](#): > > abortion > legalized drugs > gay marriage (controlled by states) > euthenasia > elimination of 'under God" from the pledge > legalized prostitution ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/118 "2004-09-30T13:36:36Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Well, of course you are. > > Because when a “conservative” advocates gun control, (s)he’s generally perceived or painted as an \*authoritarian \* - taking the right away from a god-fearing (or not, depending on whether you’re ‘under God’) American to protect his/her family and preserve the integrity of the Union. > > Or, as an ignorant furriner… The ignorant furriner thing works. I think we Americans are superhumanly polite in humoring foreigners’ over-willingness to share their countless unsolicited opinions about our lives, society, and government, especially when we’re not so quick to return the “favor” (and we get ridculed for it - “Stupid Americans don’t know anything about what’s going on in the world”). It’s by definition presumptious to think you know what’s better for a distant people than the people themselves just because of what you saw on CNN UK or whatever. And I 'm sure it’s just politeness; I know I’m not the only one who, while smiling and nodding and pretending to take in the viewpoint of an international, is really thinking “Shut up, you ignorant foreigner, who the _hell_ asked you _anything_!” > [@The Loaded Dog](#): > > I loathe political correctness, paternalism, and the nanny state. These things are suffocating us IMHO. Still, the main thing is that no left-handed blind Nepalese trapeze artists get offended, eh? Are liberal citizens pushing for government laws preventing people from being offended, or are private companies walking on eggshells so that they can make more money than they would if they were sloppier? Nobody wants to be offended - its just that these days, its not just whites who expect not to be offended while being entertained, or informed, or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/119 "2004-09-30T13:47:07Z")
As others have already said: This is a liberal message board on all fiscal, even more so with social issues. It’s very anti-Bush and anti-Iraq war. There is also an over-representation of libertarians and athiests. I don’t try and whine about these facts. However, often times it seems prudent to point it out. Sometimes posters seem to be celebrating that _everyone_ hates Bush, or _everyone_ feels a certain way about an issue. In these cases, I think it’s reasonable to point out that _everyone_ that is in agreement are all posters on a message board dominated by liberals. Many times there simply isn’t anyone around to respond. That doesn’t make the mob right in it’s assumptions. For example, in my quote from the OP, I was defending **Sam Stone** who was being unjustly compared to **december**. The only thing these two posters have in common was they are conservative (by SDMB standards, anyway) and I was pointing this out. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745/120 "2004-09-30T14:07:25Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > … or _everyone_ feels a certain way about an issue. In these cases, I think it’s reasonable to point out that everyone that is in agreement are all posters on a message board dominated by liberals Yep, no-one ever argues here. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-poor-lonely-conservative-in-the-sdmb-sea-of-liberals/266745.md?page=7)