Where does DU fit on the political spectrum?

[Screaming Lord Byron]

I'm going to say from slightly right of centre to solidly socialist / green. As to where the median lies, I'm guessing the average is moderate liberal. Obviously there are a couple of exceptions (the trolls, of course, a couple of communists), but I think the board covers the moderate left spectrum.
What about you lot? Where is DU, is it changing? does it do a good job of representing Liberal and Left-wing viewpoints?

[SmileyBoy]

1. Personally, I'm at the left 30-35 percent point.

I've seen people here at the exact centre, and also people here who want communist revolution.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

2. I'm a socialist / social democrat.

I'd call myself a moderate, but in the current political climate, I'm a dangerous radical :evilgrin:

[SmileyBoy]

3. I have some fiscally libertarian tendencies.

But socially, I'm very left. I'm like a Canadian NDP'er.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

5. Yeah, it is a shame we have to boil it all down to one or two word titles.

but there you go.

[Padraig18]

4. DU is decidely 'left'. n/t

[AntiCoup2K4]

6. DU was ONCE predominately left - to - center

..But in the last several months, it's taken a hard right detour :(

(Which oddly enough happenned around the same time that Mush Limpdick started his free advertising of this site)

[Catholic Sensation]

9. huh?

what mush limpdick?

[Spider Jerusalem]

7. Well...

one has to take into account the fact that the American political spectrum is rather skewed to the right. That said, I'd say a majority fall to right of centre, if only slightly (but then so do Bill Clinton, John Kerry, John Edwards, Howard Dean, et al). There's a decided minority who are left, but the bulk are moderate economic rightists and social liberals. (Note that I think economic left/right is a more important indicator than social left/right for making this determination, the Greens and socialists being in the minority who fall to left of centre by this standard.)

[Screaming Lord Byron]

8. Of course, as a Canadian, I am aware that the US spectrum

is different to Canada's, so it is often difficult for me to judge with regards to where the centre is.

[mvd]

10. Based on the polls I've seen..

I'd say the average is slightly to the left of Kerry. There's more in the way of wanting to change the system and not wanting to compromise with Bush than extreme left.

Personally, I'm pretty far left economically (want the richest to pay at least 50% in total taxes and want under $100,000 to have a significant cut, for single payer health care,) and left socially (completely pro-choice with some moral reservations, for gun control because of our culture, for gays to be treated equally under the law with no separate terms for unions, and for some degree of affirmative action.)

[TreasonousBastard]

11. Seems to be sorta leftie...

but don't forget that just a few big mouths or a great flamefest can affect the impressions.

Most people here don't seem to post at all, so we don't know what they think.

[Mass_Liberal]

12. I'm a social democrat

socially liberal, fiscally liberal.

[WilliamPitt]

13. <------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Catholic Sensation]

14. you're 13 on the political spectrum?

[Zinfandel]

15. I will ALWAYS be a very liberal, FDR progressive social Democrat!

Count on It!!

[Heyo]

16. DU is far left....

Lets just face reality.

Any place where MIHOP and LIHOP are as popular is they are here is way far left....and that's not the only reason.

It's just the truth. DU is the far left.

Heyo

[tigereye]

18. there seem to be many variations of left

I never knew there were so many and I used to live in a house full of people who argued about Trotsky, Maoists, etc. I know Quakers and vegans and people who have left the city to live on farms. But many of these folks have to work for some entity, pay bills, have cars, mortgages, etc.

Is it more a function of how "entrenched" one is in (the social norms of) "society", or how you believe the government should be run that puts you in a certain place on the political spectrum? I think that some people become somewhat less "left" as they age and have more obligations, but I'm sure there are people for whom this is not the case. Is it how much you challenge the current political line of thinking, or what politician you support?

Really complex question....

[LastKnight]

17. im a pinko communist hippie bastard...

...the fundies say so, so it must be true.

-LK

[Droopy]

19. I think DU is more centrist than it used to be, but

It's still left wing. I agree with you, moderate liberal is a good label.

I think DU turned more towards the center when the presidential candidates announced their candidacies with most of them being centrists. For a long time Dean was a favorite candidate on this board and he is a solid centrist. I don't know if existing members changed their views or if it was due to an influx of new DUers, but, collectively, we're further to the right than we used to be.