Political compass for DU.

[Blarch]

In the context of the Democratic Party.

DU is a ....

[Deja Q]

1. I misread; voted in terms of what I am - not my perception of DU.

I'm sure someone will vote that one anyway.

[BlooInBloo]

2. I would guess that a lot of the leftier-than-thous like to whine in a forum...

But actually live their lives according to more center-left precepts.

Just a guess.

[Recursion]

3. Mu

Sites like FR and DU exist because the "left-right" frame we've inherited from the 1960's don't really work anymore. The two parties as handed down through the media to the public don't represent the real fault lines. Witness that both DU and FR were about 85% against the wall street bailout.

[Blarch]

6. They are both against the bailout...

for different reasons.

The bailout represents Socialism to the right wing, but if it must happen, give the money to their cronies first.

The bailout represents another looting by the Bush administration to the Left wing.


The views couldn't be farther apart, only the ending result is the same.

[Recursion]

8. I call it the "Paul/Kucinich convergence"

Paul and Kucinich are against the War in Iraq for opposite reasons, too, but the result is the same.

National parties are always compromise coalitions, particularly in countries with a de facto two-party system. The GOP was composed of groups that wanted similar things for opposite reasons; those coalitions are cracking up before our eyes. Lieberman may be the tip of the iceberg as regards our own shakeup with the DLC.

[GarbagemanLB]

4. It is a left forum, and Obama is center-left...hence the wringing of hands with his appointments.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

5. Voted 'Left Forum'

because I've been to sites further up the rapids and the tamer ones downriver. I voted left because we seem to encompass a wide range (at least in what I've seen of opinions given) of views, but we're all tolerant (although at times in disagreement) of others' views.

[BuyingThyme]

7. Center left.

[leftstreet]

9. A Wal-Mart Gift Card to the first person who can define "Center"

Carry on.

[Blarch]

11. Perhaps...

Center of the party.

[BuyingThyme]

12. Median.

[patrice]

13. Center is the halfway-point that remains after you Exclude the True Left

[BuyingThyme]

14. Hey, that's pretty good.

[EFerrari]

16. Ha!

:applause:

[superduperfarleft]

18. Excellent!

:rofl:

From what I've seen 99% of DU is firmly center-right compared to rest of the world. But that fact gets in the way of everyone clamoring over themselves to say OMG I'M SO LIBERAL EVEN MY POO IS LIBERAL!!!!11

[patrice]

20. I am personally acquainted with a WIDE spectrum of people. I ranked DU as you said: Center Right. nt

[Blarch]

55. Completly agree.

I voted center right.

[leftstreet]

22. Not bad!

[patrice]

23. Make that: "... after you run away from the True Left." nt

[HughMoran]

10. I answered "radical right forum"

I figured if we're going to engage in ridiculous exercises that emphasis should be placed appropriately on the "ridiculous".

[EFerrari]

15. I think DU polls further to the left than it posts. n/t

[patrice]

17. Wouldn't it be more revealing to ask who supports Single-Payer Health Care, Withdrawal

from Iraq AND Afghanistan, Free Education pre-K to 16, and taxing Churches?

[Phoonzang]

19. Seriously? People think DU is center-left?

Come on. Next thing I'll be hearing that Daily Kos is a moderate website.

[polichick]

24. How do you see it?

[Phoonzang]

28. I'd see it as solidly left. Or "progessive".

It's a big tent, but most people here (me included) tend to not be in the center. I think there's more far left and socialist members than centrists.

[polichick]

30. I WISH! :)

imo there are a lot of DLC Dems, making it more center-left.

[Phoonzang]

31. I don't know...maybe it's in the eye of the beholder. Maybe I

tend to notice the far left types more than the DLCers. :shrug:

[polichick]

32. I think you're right - it's what we notice.

[Fluffdaddy]

40. And thank god for that.

Run with the Blu-Dawz

[polichick]

43. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll take true blue liberals any day!

[muriel_volestrangler]

34. It does say "in the context of the Democratic party"

not "in the context of the US".

There's a fairly wide spread (that's why DU can always be guaranteed to argue with itself, on anything to do with economics, anyway), but if anyone wants to try to answer the question, I suppose you're looking at what an 'average' DUer is like. With that, I think 'centre left' in the Democratic party is justifiable.

[Fearless]

21. The only true object of comparison I have is my own beliefs...

The DU is as a whole pretty far to the right of that, particularly in at least two areas of discussion which will remain nameless.

[Jennicut]

25. Its left. Sometimes I feel left, sometimes I feel center left

Depends on the issue. I like Obama better then Hillary but I don't dislike Hillary, thought Bill was a good president for his time but we can do better as Dems, Bush and Cheney bear the brunt of my anger not Dems. I have Repubs for parents so they think I am a left nut but when I come hear I feel more to the center.

[rock]

26. Left

A position that not only do I approve of but I feel is not biased, just sensible.

[Crunchy Frog]

27. Large and diverse forum?

:shrug:

[H2O Man]

29. other

[Maru Kitteh]

33. Left to radical left.

[MadBadger]

35. I think Obama is Center Left of the Party, and most here are more liberal than he is.

But I wouldnt go as far as the radical left, so Left is nice.

[Zavulon]

36. Center left.

I've said several times on this site that I'm very much pro-gun, I have no problem with the death penalty in certain cases and that I'm much more center than left fiscally, and I get almost no grief for it. That alone makes DU center-left.

There are people who are as far left as possible here, and there are centrists. That alone seems to answer the question.

[eridani]

37. It's a libertarian (small "l") left forum

Except for the judgmental stuff about WalMart shoppers, etc. That would be authoritarian left.

[Mass]

38. It becomes difficult to say. Too many people here care about personalities and not enough about

ideas.

If their guy supports it, it is a good idea whatever it is. Idea debates threads are rare and sink fast.

[Fluffdaddy]

39. I wish DU was a "more" Center Left forum then it is

Run with the Blu-Dawz

[alwysdrunk]

41. Center Left is the future. The rest are just flapping thier lips.

The most hilarious thing to me is the ones who say that because they are not out and out socialist\communist, that they cannot be considered far left.

I guess it is in peoples nature to assume that they are part of some "underrepresented" majority. People on the left and the right do it all the time. A lot of people here remind me of Rush Limbaugh in that regard.

[Fluffdaddy]

42. I believe this is a Center Left "barely" Nation. Obama is the right DEM at the right time

[nomaco-10]

44. It leans left, not radical left, just plain ole left with.....

a definite shift going towards the center left. I've been around here off and on for many years, around 2002 there was a rather large number of posters that were definitely far left leaning and a struggle ensued with the left for dominance. At the time I recollect very few if any posters that would be considered center anything. The left won out and the far left, well they mostly left.

Around 2004, the left were not so much in a fight for dominance here as they resented and even bitterly opposed those from within the left that wanted to go center left temporarily to win the election. Many never came back from center left, though they probably would never admit it.

Now there are definitely many here from the center left, I'd venture a guess that's it just about evenly divided at 50/50 at this point.

[onehandle]

45. The Party itself views DU as "Radical Left" and as a left version of FR. nt

[EFerrari]

46. The party who? Mr. Conyers? Elizabeth Edwards?

Barbara Boxer?

[Catchawave]

51. I've heard that too.

It's too bad. :cry:

[alwysdrunk]

54. That's because of all of the tinfoil hat stuff

That seems to have calmed down a LOT since I used to just lurk back in the day.

[camera obscura]

47. Who the heck voted center-right?

[LeftofU]

48. Voted Radical Left...

[ecstatic]

49. center left, like me (for the most part)

Sometimes you can't tell by reading the OPs, but the polls reveal the truth.

[slackmaster]

50. It looks mostly left to me, but some centrist and even conservative views are tolerated

:hi:

[Cults4Bush]

52. Chaotic Centrist

Due to big tentism. Right now it is trying very hard to be as centrist as possible. 6 months ago not many here would have cheered Gates and Jones. It will be an interesting next 6 months to say the least. All that being said I think the labels have really run their course and I dont mean in an "we're all Dems now" kind of sense more along the lines of nuance and constantly changing individual attitudes and viewpoints. I will say that as far as the "appointment wars" go, vitriolic individuals on all sides (note the "all" as their is waaaaay more than two sides) have left me quite cold and cynical feeling about the party as a whole.

[RoadRage]

53. Left Forum.. with the Center Left and Radical Left duking it out day in & day out! NT

[kath]

56. OP said "IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY"

once again, sadly, reading comprehension is at quite a low level here.
:banghead: