How Representative of American Public Opinion is USMB?

[Epsilon Delta]

A lot of time when I'm browsing through the posts here I tend to wonder just how representative the board is of the US population as a whole, in terms of political views mostly. Overall I feel there's a pretty good geographical representation, there's people from a lot of different places in the US, as well as some urban, some suburban, and some rural posters. There's also a lot of posters (I mean, almost 10,000, but probably how many are active? About 10%? 5%? Not a great sample size, but meh), but then there's also a lot of things that would skew it... ONLY people with internet, and ONLY people who have some interest in discussing their political views (then again, that could be positive, since we're talking about political views, probably there's a higher ratio of voters/politically active members here than in the population as a whole).

It does feel like the board has a pretty solid 'conservative' leaning, but I don't know if that is because just America as a whole has a conservative leaning (or maybe because I'm a far-left pinko radical)... Though most public opinion polls don't seem to really support that (i.e. majority support for abortion, health care, stem cell research, defense spending, etc).

So.... uh, what's your insight on it?

 

[WillowTree]

If you listen/watch Washington Journal on c-span you would see it's true. true snapshot.

 

[auditor0007]

Overall, Conservatives tend to be more politically active and informed. For the same reason that conservative talk radio is so successful compared to liberal talk radio, you will see more conservatives on this board. Well informed Liberals pale in comparison to well informed Conservatives. In other words, many who vote to the left do so because they are just voting what sounds good without placing much thought behind who and what they actually support.

However, trying to draw any conclusions as to how it relates to the general population is difficult, because so many people fall in the middle. While the majority support things like abortion, stem cell research, global warming, and many other liberal type programs or ideas, the silent majority still don't trust government to do everything for us and feel that government is much too big. That is why this country is still fairly evenly divided. Despite the Dems having control currently, Obama did not win by a large margin. Had 4% of voters gone the other way, McCain would have won despite an extreme backlash against Republicans.

So while you will see more Conservatives posting on boards such as USMB, the actual numbers are closer to being even, yet many of those who fall into the liberal category are there because they are too easily influenced by outside factors. This is why younger people tend to be much more liberal as they are indoctrinated by liberal teachers from high school through college. Younger people tend to have positive aspirtations and like the idea of utopian societies, and that is what liberalism preaches. Once these people wake up to reality and understand that it just doesn't work that way, then they tend to become more conservative.

 

[ItsFairmont]

Overall, Conservatives tend to be more politically active and informed. For the same reason that conservative talk radio is so successful compared to liberal talk radio, you will see more conservatives on this board. Well informed Liberals pale in comparison to well informed Conservatives. In other words, many who vote to the left do so because they are just voting what sounds good without placing much thought behind who and what they actually support.

However, trying to draw any conclusions as to how it relates to the general population is difficult, because so many people fall in the middle. While the majority support things like abortion, stem cell research, global warming, and many other liberal type programs or ideas, the silent majority still don't trust government to do everything for us and feel that government is much too big. That is why this country is still fairly evenly divided. Despite the Dems having control currently, Obama did not win by a large margin. Had 4% of voters gone the other way, McCain would have won despite an extreme backlash against Republicans.

So while you will see more Conservatives posting on boards such as USMB, the actual numbers are closer to being even, yet many of those who fall into the liberal category are there because they are too easily influenced by outside factors. This is why younger people tend to be much more liberal as they are indoctrinated by liberal teachers from high school through college. Younger people tend to have positive aspirtations and like the idea of utopian societies, and that is what liberalism preaches. Once these people wake up to reality and understand that it just doesn't work that way, then they tend to become more conservative.

Funny, I was going to say the exact same thing you did, but replace the word "conservtive" with "liberal."


Red states are predominantly conservative, and yet are the biggest recipients of welfare AND have the highest divorce rates AND the highest teen pregnancy rates. Plus, they don't pay in as much in taxes as they receive.

Listen, the day the red states pull their own weight is the day I'll take any of them seriously.

 

[Life_Long_Dem!]

this board is HEAVILY conservative and NOT representative how how diverse America is.

 

[manu1959]

Overall, Conservatives tend to be more politically active and informed. For the same reason that conservative talk radio is so successful compared to liberal talk radio, you will see more conservatives on this board. Well informed Liberals pale in comparison to well informed Conservatives. In other words, many who vote to the left do so because they are just voting what sounds good without placing much thought behind who and what they actually support.

However, trying to draw any conclusions as to how it relates to the general population is difficult, because so many people fall in the middle. While the majority support things like abortion, stem cell research, global warming, and many other liberal type programs or ideas, the silent majority still don't trust government to do everything for us and feel that government is much too big. That is why this country is still fairly evenly divided. Despite the Dems having control currently, Obama did not win by a large margin. Had 4% of voters gone the other way, McCain would have won despite an extreme backlash against Republicans.

So while you will see more Conservatives posting on boards such as USMB, the actual numbers are closer to being even, yet many of those who fall into the liberal category are there because they are too easily influenced by outside factors. This is why younger people tend to be much more liberal as they are indoctrinated by liberal teachers from high school through college. Younger people tend to have positive aspirtations and like the idea of utopian societies, and that is what liberalism preaches. Once these people wake up to reality and understand that it just doesn't work that way, then they tend to become more conservative.

Funny, I was going to say the exact same thing you did, but replace the word "conservtive" with "liberal."


Red states are predominantly conservative, and yet are the biggest recipients of welfare AND have the highest divorce rates AND the highest teen pregnancy rates. Plus, they don't pay in as much in taxes as they receive.

Listen, the day the red states pull their own weight is the day I'll take any of them seriously.

the only reason blue sates are blue is because of the large population in the cites......they also seem to be in quite a bit of financial trouble......

btw...i thought you all were going to unite americans not divide them.....

after all you did vote for change.....

 

[jillian]

the only reason blue sates are blue is because of the large population in the cites......they also seem to be in quite a bit of financial trouble......

btw...i thought you all were going to unite americans not divide them.....

after all you did vote for change.....

more financial trouble than the red states with their high poverty level?

but you can't unite people who give you the finger. would be nice... but not likely, eh?

 

[amrchaos]

This board has a strong conservative leaning. It looks about even too me.

Of course, the actually number of far left and Far right is really small.

Just alot of people that tend to favor one political perspective over another, but has a great potential of switching(or blaming) if things do not work out the way they think it should.

 

[manu1959]

the only reason blue sates are blue is because of the large population in the cites......they also seem to be in quite a bit of financial trouble......

btw...i thought you all were going to unite americans not divide them.....

after all you did vote for change.....

more financial trouble than the red states with their high poverty level?

but you can't unite people who give you the finger. would be nice... but not likely, eh?

california is more in debt than any state and has the highest unemployment rate....

kinda funny....all you all bitched at bush for 8 years saying he wouldn't unite america while you all called him hitler, chimpy, moron and shrub and gave him the finger.....

you all should really come clean and just admit that you think nothing is your fault.....

 

[Agnapostate]

Overall, American public opinion is not liberal, conservative, libertarian, nor populist, but apathetic. That some are sufficiently politically informed and interested to post on USMB already implies a major divergence from the general American public.

 

[amrchaos]

Overall, American public opinion is not liberal, conservative, libertarian, nor populist, but apathetic. That some are sufficiently politically informed and interested to post on USMB already implies a major divergence from the general American public.

I do not think it is apathy that describe the American Public. More like a lack of ability to organize and and speak out at the national level.

We only looked muted, but everyone of us has some serious with the behavior nd direction of this nation.

A good book to look up is "Rules for Radicals" by Saul Alinsky. Yes--he was a union organizer, but how he presents the material is appicable for anyone despite their political leanings.

From far left "Let Government control me" commies to Far Right "I Live by my will alone" Anarchists. It covers the basis for gaining power.

 

[Agnapostate]

From far left "Let Government control me" commies to Far Right "I Live by my will alone" Anarchists. It covers the basis for gaining power.

Extremist capitalists aren't traditionally considered "anarchists" by conventional anarchists, which marks the most relevant point between a Kropotkin and a Rothbard.

 

[auditor0007]

Overall, Conservatives tend to be more politically active and informed. For the same reason that conservative talk radio is so successful compared to liberal talk radio, you will see more conservatives on this board. Well informed Liberals pale in comparison to well informed Conservatives. In other words, many who vote to the left do so because they are just voting what sounds good without placing much thought behind who and what they actually support.

However, trying to draw any conclusions as to how it relates to the general population is difficult, because so many people fall in the middle. While the majority support things like abortion, stem cell research, global warming, and many other liberal type programs or ideas, the silent majority still don't trust government to do everything for us and feel that government is much too big. That is why this country is still fairly evenly divided. Despite the Dems having control currently, Obama did not win by a large margin. Had 4% of voters gone the other way, McCain would have won despite an extreme backlash against Republicans.

So while you will see more Conservatives posting on boards such as USMB, the actual numbers are closer to being even, yet many of those who fall into the liberal category are there because they are too easily influenced by outside factors. This is why younger people tend to be much more liberal as they are indoctrinated by liberal teachers from high school through college. Younger people tend to have positive aspirtations and like the idea of utopian societies, and that is what liberalism preaches. Once these people wake up to reality and understand that it just doesn't work that way, then they tend to become more conservative.

Funny, I was going to say the exact same thing you did, but replace the word "conservtive" with "liberal."


Red states are predominantly conservative, and yet are the biggest recipients of welfare AND have the highest divorce rates AND the highest teen pregnancy rates. Plus, they don't pay in as much in taxes as they receive.

Listen, the day the red states pull their own weight is the day I'll take any of them seriously.

It's wonderful when numbers can be manipulated to make a point, don't you think? Let's look at divorce rates between red states and blue states as an example. Red states have a higher divorce rate per 1000 people. However, red states also have a much higher marriage rate per 1000. So guess what? The more marriages, the more opportunity for divorce. Go figure, eh?

Welfare spending, I love this one. Do you know what is included in this so called welfare spending? For one, Social Security and Medicare payments for retirees. And guess where a lot of people like to retire to? You got it, red states that are warmer and where the cost of living is cheaper. Oh yea, those would mostly be red states. But is Social Security and Mediare really welfare? I mean we're all going to collect those benefits, but you want to call it welfare. Maybe all you blue staters should reject your SS and Medicare benefits since you don't believe in welfare and don't need any welfare.

Oh yea, and those retirees don't pay much in taxes either, because they're done working, which skews the numbers even more, but I'm sure that makes no difference in your evaluation of things, so long as the numbers support your argument.

Sorry, but you can pull the wool over the eyes of the sheep as it has been pulled over your own, but I'm not falling for it.

 

[auditor0007]

the only reason blue sates are blue is because of the large population in the cites......they also seem to be in quite a bit of financial trouble......

btw...i thought you all were going to unite americans not divide them.....

after all you did vote for change.....

more financial trouble than the red states with their high poverty level?

but you can't unite people who give you the finger. would be nice... but not likely, eh?

california is more in debt than any state and has the highest unemployment rate....

kinda funny....all you all bitched at bush for 8 years saying he wouldn't unite america while you all called him hitler, chimpy, moron and shrub and gave him the finger.....

you all should really come clean and just admit that you think nothing is your fault.....

Amazing, isn't it?

 

[RodISHI]

california is more in debt than any state and has the highest unemployment rate....

you all should really come clean and just admit that you think nothing is your fault.....

California has been on a down hill slide for years. The rest of the country is now catching up.

The energy wars out there took the state down even farther. I was born there. My children were born in California and we moved when they were babes.

It used to be a wonderful place to live but just like all of America big money paid for what big money wanted and screwed the little guy right outta his shorts.

 

[KittenKoder]

USMB is pretty close to a perfect snapshot, thanks to our liberal handling of posters and conservative handling of infractions ....

... jokes aside, it's no less accurate a portrayal of our country here than any online poll, I would venture to say it's actually better than most polls due to the very wide spectrum of posters and their ideas.

 

[Bfgrn]

Overall, Conservatives tend to be more politically active and informed. For the same reason that conservative talk radio is so successful compared to liberal talk radio, you will see more conservatives on this board. Well informed Liberals pale in comparison to well informed Conservatives. In other words, many who vote to the left do so because they are just voting what sounds good without placing much thought behind who and what they actually support.

However, trying to draw any conclusions as to how it relates to the general population is difficult, because so many people fall in the middle. While the majority support things like abortion, stem cell research, global warming, and many other liberal type programs or ideas, the silent majority still don't trust government to do everything for us and feel that government is much too big. That is why this country is still fairly evenly divided. Despite the Dems having control currently, Obama did not win by a large margin. Had 4% of voters gone the other way, McCain would have won despite an extreme backlash against Republicans.

So while you will see more Conservatives posting on boards such as USMB, the actual numbers are closer to being even, yet many of those who fall into the liberal category are there because they are too easily influenced by outside factors. This is why younger people tend to be much more liberal as they are indoctrinated by liberal teachers from high school through college. Younger people tend to have positive aspirtations and like the idea of utopian societies, and that is what liberalism preaches. Once these people wake up to reality and understand that it just doesn't work that way, then they tend to become more conservative.

Right wingers are more active because they are driven by FEAR and dogma. It causes them to be more aggressive...but they are not informed...just the opposite...because they are driven by FEAR and dogma...instead of seeking the truth, they seek out articles and stories that feed that FEAR and dogma...

"Eighty percent of Republicans are just Democrats that don't know what's going on"
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

 

[Xenophon]

Right wingers are more active because they are driven by FEAR and dogma.

You are such a partsian douchebag.

People like you are why the country is heavily devided.

The real laugh is you think you are informed.

 

[MaggieMae]

Overall, Conservatives tend to be more politically active and informed. For the same reason that conservative talk radio is so successful compared to liberal talk radio, you will see more conservatives on this board. Well informed Liberals pale in comparison to well informed Conservatives. In other words, many who vote to the left do so because they are just voting what sounds good without placing much thought behind who and what they actually support.

However, trying to draw any conclusions as to how it relates to the general population is difficult, because so many people fall in the middle. While the majority support things like abortion, stem cell research, global warming, and many other liberal type programs or ideas, the silent majority still don't trust government to do everything for us and feel that government is much too big. That is why this country is still fairly evenly divided. Despite the Dems having control currently, Obama did not win by a large margin. Had 4% of voters gone the other way, McCain would have won despite an extreme backlash against Republicans.

So while you will see more Conservatives posting on boards such as USMB, the actual numbers are closer to being even, yet many of those who fall into the liberal category are there because they are too easily influenced by outside factors. This is why younger people tend to be much more liberal as they are indoctrinated by liberal teachers from high school through college. Younger people tend to have positive aspirtations and like the idea of utopian societies, and that is what liberalism preaches. Once these people wake up to reality and understand that it just doesn't work that way, then they tend to become more conservative.

Funny, I was going to say the exact same thing you did, but replace the word "conservtive" with "liberal."


Red states are predominantly conservative, and yet are the biggest recipients of welfare AND have the highest divorce rates AND the highest teen pregnancy rates. Plus, they don't pay in as much in taxes as they receive.

Listen, the day the red states pull their own weight is the day I'll take any of them seriously.

Yeah, me too. The major difference between conservatives (especially today's conservatives) and liberals is that cons like to govern by ideology alone (a "what if" mindset), whereas liberals (nay, all others) recognize the reality on the ground and see what needs to be done because of it and try to correct it. Examples:

What if global warming is just a hoax?
But the science says it is not.

What if the banks were allowed to fail?
If they do, credit to the private sector will cause business failures in the private sector and rising unemployment.

What if the auto manufacturers were allowed to fail?
So would the myriad small industries that support the auto industry and even more unemployment.

What if every person continues to be responsible for his/her medical problems?
Health costs for rich and poor will continue to rise to offset those with no insurance.

What if we drill for more oil here and forget about alternative energy?
We continue to rely on foreign sources for the bulk of our oil supply where oil reserves are KNOWN, not hoped for.

What if [fill in blank]
Because [fill in blank]

 

[MaggieMae]

Overall, Conservatives tend to be more politically active and informed. For the same reason that conservative talk radio is so successful compared to liberal talk radio, you will see more conservatives on this board. Well informed Liberals pale in comparison to well informed Conservatives. In other words, many who vote to the left do so because they are just voting what sounds good without placing much thought behind who and what they actually support.

However, trying to draw any conclusions as to how it relates to the general population is difficult, because so many people fall in the middle. While the majority support things like abortion, stem cell research, global warming, and many other liberal type programs or ideas, the silent majority still don't trust government to do everything for us and feel that government is much too big. That is why this country is still fairly evenly divided. Despite the Dems having control currently, Obama did not win by a large margin. Had 4% of voters gone the other way, McCain would have won despite an extreme backlash against Republicans.

So while you will see more Conservatives posting on boards such as USMB, the actual numbers are closer to being even, yet many of those who fall into the liberal category are there because they are too easily influenced by outside factors. This is why younger people tend to be much more liberal as they are indoctrinated by liberal teachers from high school through college. Younger people tend to have positive aspirtations and like the idea of utopian societies, and that is what liberalism preaches. Once these people wake up to reality and understand that it just doesn't work that way, then they tend to become more conservative.

Funny, I was going to say the exact same thing you did, but replace the word "conservtive" with "liberal."


Red states are predominantly conservative, and yet are the biggest recipients of welfare AND have the highest divorce rates AND the highest teen pregnancy rates. Plus, they don't pay in as much in taxes as they receive.

Listen, the day the red states pull their own weight is the day I'll take any of them seriously.

the only reason blue sates are blue is because of the large population in the cites......they also seem to be in quite a bit of financial trouble......

btw...i thought you all were going to unite americans not divide them.....

after all you did vote for change.....and the Pubs just said no. It's to their advantage to keep the country polarized.

Red states that turned blue in 08: Florida, Ohio, colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Indiana, Iowa, Virginia, North Carolina.