mml

With all the talk about a dominance of "left" leaning TFPers, I thought it would be interesting to see how we see ourselves.

I, none too surprisingly, would classify myself as "left leaning, frequent poster"

How about you?

Redlemon

This is my second total post in Politics. After my first post in Politics, I was referred to as "the most delusional, misguided poster". Now, I simply read and watch the mud being slung.

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I can't read your signature. Sorry.

Lebell

And that's exactly why we don't like name calling.

*sigh*

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"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." – C. S. Lewis

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Bill O'Rights

Hmmm...3 posters...and 3 votes. I can guess by his comments which way redlemon voted. Hold on a minute! Lebell!! I know you didn't vote "Left Leaning". You've got...what...one or two liberal positions? C'mon, man. "To thine own self be true."

I'm pretty moderate, overall. But, since that's not a choice...I'll go with left leaning. Only because I find it more entertaining to annoy Conservatives than Liberals.

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matthew330

I think the poll should have been done a week ago. Hindsight is 20/20 i suppose.
and to be perfectly honest, there's no "leaning" abut it, I'm full on right wing.

absorbentishe

Not revealing my leanings, but I just don't post in the political section. Maybe I should...

Mojo_PeiPei

I am a right leaning person, haven't been posting as frequently as in the past.

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drawerfixer

I'm left leaning, and check the Politics board almost twice a day. However, with so many fanatics and outright rude people on both sides, it's not worth my time or mental health to express political opinions.

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JBX

Lean and dress to the right. I post when no views address my outlook or I need to vent.

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sailor

Im pretty left-leaning. I do have several pretty conservative/right views, but most of the things I would post about on here are pretty well to the left.

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Tophat665

I consider myself a centrist who has been abandoned by the center. Since I think the center has slid toward the conservatives, and since I am adamantly opposed to the current leadership not only for their policies, but also for their methods and lack of legitimacy, and that leadership presents itelf as conservative, that means that lately I sound pretty liberal. I would lean more conservative myself if the excesses I outraging me were liberal ones, but that's only the case in Montgomery County Maryland (that I am aware of on a daily basis) these days. It's not the direction of the excess that matters to me, it's the excessiveness of it.

So I really wish there had been a set of centrist choices up there.

As for frequency of posting, it comes in spurts. When I find myself getting too worked up, I don't post. There's a fairly long string of uncomplimetary words I like to use to describe the current head of state, but, that's not debate; it's just invective (cathartic, but not persuasive), and when I feel like I am mixing too much of that in, I lay off the board for a while.

So since I felt I had to err on the side of liberal in politics, I erred on the side of infrequency in posting.

Honestly, I would call myself a centrist, erratic poster.

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splck

I'm a centrist that leans to the left on US issues while leaning right in regards to my own country.

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nice line eh?

lordjeebus

I used to be a die-hard libertarian but somehow I wandered so far right that I ended up somewhere in the left.

That having been said, I am still sympathetic to conservative views on some issues, provided they are logical and informed. Unfortunately much debate is diluted by illogical and uninformed arguments on both sides.

MSD

Aren't the left/right notations reversed when describing politics in Europe? This can get confusing.

Lebell

I am mostly libertarian in my philosophy, which means I am at serious odds with the left on some issues, and with the right on others.

I want my poll option, dammit!

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"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." – C. S. Lewis

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Boo

I lean a bit to the right. I post in politics a bit.

Usually, I read the comments and shake my head. IMnotsoHO - Yes, there are many more way left liberals that post here than populate my world. OH! and lets not forget "SF" our dedicated socialist contributer. Sometimes it does get to be a little much.

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Back button again, I must be getting old.

HarmlessRabbit

Maybe a "social" column and an "economic" column?

I'm a social liberal but an economic conservative (usually).

smooth

I'm a communist (and so is SF, Boo; not a socialist).

I believe in a communist economic system with a democratic political system. I'm going to present an example so Lebell can see how close his libertarian view is to my communist view on this issue:

My wife explained that she is discovering herself moving to the left (she grew up Christian Right [literally--daughter of a pastor in an ultra-conservative denomination] along with her entire family). She explained that she was starting to agree with "same sex civil unions--even marriage, maybe." This was evidence of her liberalized views.

I explained that a radical leftist, like me, doesn't even conceive of how marriage is an issue to the government. There shouldn't be civil unions, except in the context of everyone going through a bureaucratic process of registering as a pair of citizens (that's what we do now--even if one gets married in a church). If churches want to marry people, go ahead--any church can do what it wants in terms of marrying people. Marriage is a religious institution--that's why it shouldn't be an issue with the federal government.

I just thought Lebell would likely agree with that perspective. I wouldn't have gone off on a tangent otherwise (or if I wasn't stoned).

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Lebell

Wow,

I almost completely agree with that...and I'm not even stoned

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"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." – C. S. Lewis

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JohnnyRock

I have been an infrequent poster until recently. I don't plan to be a regular as I am not well-versed enough in politics to always make a rational, relevant point. But when issues grab my attention [most recently censorship issues] I will post my two-cents and read the aftermath fromthe shadows.

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Not only do I not know the answer...I don't even know what the question is!!!

Stare At The Sun

I can't really say I lean either way. I have views on both sides.

I fully support the second ammendment. If you want an ak-47 or a .50 cal machine gun, i think you should be able to have it.

I also fully support gay marrage and civil rights of everyone. I think everyone should be EQUAL and therefore, do not support affirmitive action, race and PC bullshit as well.

Economically, i think tickle down is a load of bull, however, i think big government is bad, and that our borders should be closed. Immigration is killing this country.

If i had to choose 1 party to support, it would be the Libertarians. because they mean change, even though i don't agree with everything they say, like the open border, i'd still rather see a 3 party system working for change in washington.

FoolThemAll

Economically conservative, socially moderate. Moderate because I'm left on stuff like gay 'rights', maijuana (though never a user), the death penalty, and right on stuff like abortion, gun control, and affirmative action. All in all, I'm right-leaning. Infrequent poster in politics, but mostly because I'm lazy.

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hiredgun

Neither. I lean backwards. Then, sometimes, I fall down.

kutulu

I'm mostly central, but have been leaning much farther to the left every day.

I support the 2nd Amendment, but I do think there should be limitations. The limitations should consider the self defense purposes and weigh the potential collateral damage that can result from the use of the weapon.

What about shoulder fired rocket launchers?

So should Bill Gates be able to plop down a Patriot missle system in his back yard? You never know when he might need to eliminate a threat to his life from hundreds of miles away.

Would you mind if I built a conventional warhead ICBM in my backyard?

samremy

I am what is called a "yellow dog democrat"...meaning I would vote for a yellow dog if it were on the democratic ticket. Not out of ignorance, but because, I've never known a Republican politician, past or present, whose policies or beliefs I could respect or even fathom.

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funbob

Leaning a bit to the right, I post but not on a regular basis. I do spend a lot of time reading the political posts, it gives me a sense of where the "REAL" Americans are. Yes, you TFP'ers are what I consider to be real Americans. I may not agree with you 100% of the time, but I do support your right to disagree and express your opinions. Keep on Keeping on no matter which way you lean.

spook75

I am far to the right, and this is been my first post in the political thread so it is safe to say that I am an infrequent poster. You could say that I am the polar opposite of samremy as I would vote for the same dog rather than vote for a Democrat for the exact same reasons.

mattevil

I lean left. I post all around not to much in this section but maybe more as the election gets closer.
I have no problems with the right leaners on the board as long as they can back their positions up sufficiently and/or are open to compromise.

cj22009

I don't even know were to start here. I guess you could say I'm a libertarian. I don't think that the gov't should get involved in religious issues, gay marrige, abortion and so on. I don't think that they should take money forcefully from one person and give it to another. (ie rich to poor.) I believe there should be a fair tax policy in effect, like a nationwide sales tax. That way everybody pays their fair share like illegal immagrants. I know here in GA illegals can get welfare, and food stamps along with other help and they don't pay a dime in taxes. I also think there should be no goverment healthcare I do understand there a people out there that need help from time to time, but the system is abused way too much the way it is. I also think that we should do away with social security. We should just be required to take the money and put in our own investment programs, IRA's, 401k's ect. If you want to own a gun you should be able to. I think they should legalize drugs, the goverment shouldn't be able to tell you what you can put in your own body. And, if you hurt somebody you should have to suffer the cosenquences.

Dostoevsky

I lean right and posted frequently for a little while. Fighting the battle got tiring though. Out of curiousity, why do we debate politics with strangers over the internet anyway? I can't figure out why I do it.

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Strange Famous

Maybe just a little to the left?

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fuzyfuzer

i do it because i think it is fun to argue with people

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losthellhound

I think we need a centrist option

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archer2371

I'm a right leaning kind of guy, I post whenever I can, but not as much as I used to, I calculate out now what I can add to the post, if I see that I can't really add anything, I just don't post. However, I think my one liberal issue is the gay marriage stance, just have civil unions for EVERYONE, make it fair as far as the state is concerned. However, a church shouldn't be forced to marry a gay couple if it doesn't want to, leave up to their own prerogatives. Sorry, got off track there... *bows humbly* I now stop my hijacking and you are now able to return to your usual programming.

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dy156

My first thought at seeing this thread, and the reason I didn't post on it earlier, is that I really dislike left/right-liberal/conservative labelling. Here's why:
1. I can't think of an issue on which I would describe my position as moderate. I feel very strongly one way or another on almost all of them. However, those positions left or right might "average" out to make me a considered by some a moderate, but I'm not moderate in any of my viewpoints on the issues.
2. I think a healthy respect for civil liberties and wanting the government to keep it's hands out of people's business in both economic and social issues is not only more philosophically honest, but more truly conservative than the stance taken by "right leaning conservatives."

However, it seems to me that most of the right leaning people here are more libertarian in philosophy, (i.e...socially liberal and economically conservative) and that's probably a natural result of this forum. (You wouldn't find many socially conservative people getting drawn to forum originally because it had Titties.) Maybe the political makeup of those on the left and right here more accurately reflects my philosophically idealistic notions of liberal and conservative, and so in here, this poll might just be valid!
So I clicked on right leaning.

Mephisto2

Hahaha!

That was me redlemon. I feel guilty about that now...


Mr Mephisto