Political leanings on the USMB Board

[Modbert]

I love how this conversation just went.

Boedicca: You have no idea what goes on college campuses!

Me: I go to one, I think I would know. When's the last time you been on one?

Boedicca: *Fumbles* Oh! You're still in school are you? Get back to us in a few years when you graduated. *Sneer*

 

[Oddball]

That I agree with. There has been no evidence of USMB moderators doing anything that does not promote diversity.

I was saying that some of the spam posts and the tenor of some of the threads have been turning away some of my fellow lefties, that is all.

Well, y'all still have rdean, mascale and LilOlLady.

Take them. Please. We'll even throw in ole Greggie as a free gift.

They're all yours. li'l sister.

 

[Modbert]

Ohmigod! The right has talk radio and a whole FOOTHOLD on television! That certainly balances out every other channel on TV AND the entire movie industry AND every major newspaper in the freaking country except the Wall Street Journal. Eureka! We have parity!

The internet is now ahead of newspapers as people's main source of news.

Nobody gets their news from the movie industry as far as I know.

And less people are watching television.

But put in another 50 cents, you'll get another life to crash and burn with.

 

[Article 15]

Rightwingers are conditioned to flood boards. It's in the handbook.

I agree that they are much more pack orientated in my observation.

And yer not?

Not for four years, my friend

 

[Sherry]

You're not ignorant, just stupid, if you can't acknowledge that for decades many in the media presented themselves as unbiased journalists, but had a definite perspective that they insinuated into their "reporting". You don't give people much credit to be able to distinguish news from opinion, but I appreciate your concern that they will be fooled by a label.

That's because for many decades, they were unbiased. Since the 80's, the political lines were drawn. Walter comes to mind as to what a journalist should be.

I'm not saying anything about the people. I'm talking about the dishonesty by "Fox News" by calling themselves a news station when they are no more than a right wing outlet.

An outlet for what?? For a more conservative perspective?? So what. Don't be dishonest and pretend that it is ALL opinion, because I don't think anyone on the right attempts to claim it is ALL news. There is also a case to be made that people today do not define news the way it was a couple of generation ago. Oh well, I do believe that most are smart enough to meander their way through the news and/or opinions. But that is where the left and right will butt heads considerably, because they are determined to paint the other side as sheep simply regurgitating talking points. That shit gets old and boring.

 

[goldcatt]

This board has always leaned right of center, in general. Still it is one of the more diverse boards that I have posted on. It is one of the few in which political affiliation is not even considered for staff selection.

Sure, the moonbat reactionaries here flit erratically under the sublunar orbit and snap at shadows. And so what? They have their right to express their stupidty.

I agree with CW in that this board's policy makers have always fostered debate and have not protected one end of the political spectrum at the expense of the other.

That I agree with. There has been no evidence of USMB moderators doing anything that does not promote diversity.

I was saying that some of the spam posts and the tenor of some of the threads have been turning away some of my fellow lefties, that is all.

There's no need to turn away from the board or from posting because of the hacks. Nobody has to click on any thread, in fact I tend to skip over all the hack garbage threads. Unless I'm feeling like playing with the morons for sheer amusement.

 

[Foxfyre]

I was a very active member of another forum for almost seven years and eventually left when it was almost impossible to discuss any conservative or right wing point of view without the leftist trolls descending with ad hominem, personal insults, snarky comments, and whatever else they had in their arsenal to destroy the thread. The forum was about 10 to 1 left leaning and despite making several friends there, both left and right, many of whom I remain in contact with, it just wasn't fun anymore.

I have found USMB to be a great mix of thoughtful leftwing and toughtful rightwing members and even though the numbnuts from both camps do mangle a lot of threads, I have been happy here. Sometimes I check on New Posts, and every single thread on the first page is some leftwing point of view. I suspect the balance is pretty good here.

The Left has a strong advantage in radio, television, print media, the public education system, and the entertainment industry. The Right has a strong advantage in talk radio and Nascar. I think it is pretty evenly split in the sporting world. I have found a lot more liberal sites on the Internet than conservative ones, but there is sufficient balance that people can be fully informed.

But I love USMB.

I agree with all of this post. I am just hoping that what you experienced on the other thread doesn't start to happen here in the other direction.

IMO, there seem to be symptoms of such a trend beginning.

Of course this could all be in my imagination.

The tide turns from season to season. There for awhile, Bush supporters were having a rough go of it because so much that was happening was simply unsupportable. It was hard to argue a conservative ideology when so many of our standard bearers were behaving badly. Many left this or that message board because they got tired of getting beat up trying.

Now much is happening in the Obama administration that is simply unsupportable, and his supporters are having a rough go of it. It is more and more difficult to support indefensible behavior of the standard bearers for the Left and I imagine some of those on the Left are becoming weary of getting beat up when they try.

And I know when I am attacked or criticized personally, that feels a lot more important to me than it feels to anybody else. Knowing that does help to put it into perspective.

You know what my hope is? That we all get sick and tired of putting up with inadequate or incompetent standard bearers and find ways to agree on the most important things so that we can fix it.

 

[RadiomanATL]

I agree that they are much more pack orientated in my observation.

And yer not?

Not for four years, my friend

More for me!

Unfortunately, that work thing keeps getting in the way. Damn sense of responsibility.

 

[Modbert]

Your viewpoint is naturally limited because you haven't had much real life experience - i.e., working and paying taxes.

I didn't say that it is worthless - I just don't believe it is very well informed by Life.

Your intolerance of those who don't agree with you is hardly surprising.

More ignorance. I may not work full time or pay as much taxes as someone who does, but I work. I work my ass off daily in school too, I'm rarely on here anymore because I'm taking five classes this semester.

That's over sixteen hours of classes, never mind the work outside of classes so I can become a more productive number of society.

I'm also taking the personal responsibility of taking out student loans to pay whatever my scholarships don't so my parents do not have to foot the bill.

You have no idea about me, or the many others on college campuses. You're ignorant, and that's why I consider you a idiot. The only one who is intolerant here is you, and you show it with each passing post.

I am quite well informed on life, especially since I post on USMB since September of 2008. I don't need to be 25 and with a job to know what's wrong with this world. It doesn't take a job or a college degree to see these things.

The best thing for you to do at this point is to shut your mouth for your own sake before you make a bigger fool of yourself and learn about who I am before you go sprouting off. Or would that take too much work?

 

[Wicked Jester]

Actually Vast, i've seen a few lib's up here leaning more right lately. Obama's abject failures are beginning to wear thin, and his left policies may be causing people to re-think their own political beliefs.

How ya' been, BTW?

Ya think?

I don't know, I can't really think of any Dems on the board that have actually "turned".

I've been great, btw. How're you? How's the Chef Business?

Doin' excellent buddy. I've only got two toes in the business now. We sold the restaurant in the Santa Barbara/Montecito Area. The Puck corporation made us an offer we couldn't refuse. They bought the whole package. We still own the controlling interest on the place in Vegas, but I have nothing to do with the day to day. It's my sous chefs show to run. I just sit on my ass and collect a check. For all intensive purposes, I'm retired and lovin' it.

Glad to hear you're doing well. Haven't seen you up here much lately.

 

[Modbert]

An outlet for what?? For a more conservative perspective?? So what. Don't be dishonest and pretend that it is ALL opinion, because I don't think anyone on the right attempts to claim it is ALL news. There is also a case to be made that people today do not define news the way it was a couple of generation ago. Oh well, I do believe that most are smart enough to meander their way through the news and/or opinions. But that is where the left and right will butt heads considerably, because they are determined to paint the other side as sheep simply regurgitating talking points. That shit gets old and boring.

Lies and ignorance.

They seem to believe that the movie reefer madness is a documentary for starters.

 

[Oscar Wao]

If Universities truly embraced free speech and the open exchange of ideas, people like David Horowitz would be allowed to speak without being harassed.

Just sayin'.

(And thanks for proving my point with your derogatory comment.)

Oh get over yourself, this is real life. David Horowitz is a partisan hack who might even be racist.

Universities and colleges embrace free speech, I would know, especially I attend one.

How about you? When's the last time you stepped foot on one?

The amount of ignorance coming from your posts is starling.

Horowitz isn't a partisan hack.

He's a Zionist tool.

 

[Article 15]

And yer not?

Not for four years, my friend

More for me!

Unfortunately, that work thing keeps getting in the way. Damn sense of responsibility.

Yeah, growing up is kind of a bitch at times.

 

[Yurt]

*shrug*

The the dems have a controlled government right now so of course the right is going to be more shrill and clamoring the loudest. In today's political world there has to be at least some fauxrage coming from the *cough* loyal opposition at all times.

And it's not like the dems are doing much that's worth defending or anything either.

so when the right had the majority (and note they never had the virtual 60 seat majority that dems enjoyed for a year), when the dems were against the right from 00' to '06, they were 'of course more shrill and clamoring the loudest'?

is this correct?

and what about from 06' to 08'? what was that about?

 

[boedicca]

More ignorance. I may not work full time or pay as much taxes as someone who does, but I work. I work my ass off daily in school too, I'm rarely on here anymore because I'm taking five classes this semester.

That's over sixteen hours of classes, never mind the work outside of classes so I can become a more productive number of society.

I'm also taking the personal responsibility of taking out student loans to pay whatever my scholarships don't so my parents do not have to foot the bill.

You have no idea about me, or the many others on college campuses. You're ignorant, and that's why I consider you a idiot. The only one who is intolerant here is you, and you show it with each passing post.

I am quite well informed on life, especially since I post on USMB since September of 2008. I don't need to be 25 and with a job to know what's wrong with this world. It doesn't take a job or a college degree to see these things.

The best thing for you to do at this point is to shut your mouth for your own sake before you make a bigger fool of yourself and learn about who I am before you go sprouting off. Or would that take too much work?

Well good for you. We have something in common then. I worked nearly full time and paid for both my undergrad and graduate degrees.

The best thing for you to do is to not think that anyone who doesn't agree with you is an idiot. I do have more life experience than you; your histrionics won't change that. Life beyond education is quite different than working and going to school.

 

[Vast LWC]

The tide turns from season to season. There for awhile, Bush supporters were having a rough go of it because so much that was happening was simply unsupportable. It was hard to argue a conservative ideology when so many of our standard bearers were behaving badly. Many left this or that message board because they got tired of getting beat up trying.

Now much is happening in the Obama administration that is simply unsupportable, and his supporters are having a rough go of it. It is more and more difficult to support indefensible behavior of the standard bearers for the Left and I imagine some of those on the Left are becoming weary of getting beat up when they try.

And I know when I am attacked or criticized personally, that feels a lot more important to me than it feels to anybody else. Knowing that does help to put it into perspective.

You know what my hope is? That we all get sick and tired of putting up with inadequate or incompetent standard bearers and find ways to agree on the most important things so that we can fix it.

The above has many good points, though you know I'll have to disagree with the "simply unsupportable" comment, lol.

Your last paragraph is also my profound hope. I'll have to positive rep you for that.

 

[Sherry]

Your viewpoint is naturally limited because you haven't had much real life experience - i.e., working and paying taxes.

I didn't say that it is worthless - I just don't believe it is very well informed by Life.

Your intolerance of those who don't agree with you is hardly surprising.

More ignorance. I may not work full time or pay as much taxes as someone who does, but I work. I work my ass off daily in school too, I'm rarely on here anymore because I'm taking five classes this semester.

That's over sixteen hours of classes, never mind the work outside of classes so I can become a more productive number of society.

I'm also taking the personal responsibility of taking out student loans to pay whatever my scholarships don't so my parents do not have to foot the bill.

You have no idea about me, or the many others on college campuses. You're ignorant, and that's why I consider you a idiot. The only one who is intolerant here is you, and you show it with each passing post.

I am quite well informed on life, especially since I post on USMB since September of 2008. I don't need to be 25 and with a job to know what's wrong with this world. It doesn't take a job or a college degree to see these things.

The best thing for you to do at this point is to shut your mouth for your own sake before you make a bigger fool of yourself and learn about who I am before you go sprouting off. Or would that take too much work?

Dude, that's so Maoist.

 

[boedicca]

He is special, ain't he?

 

[Dr Gregg]

It would seem that of late, the population of this board has taken a rather pronounced turn to the right.

New members have typically been right-wing oriented, and the posts have taken a decidedly right-wing talking point direction, including much in the way of repetitive spam.

It seems that many of my fellow posters on the left-hand side of things, have found this unpalatable and are posting less and less..

It would be unfortunate to see USMB turn into a right-wing echo chamber, ala Townhall.com.

Perhaps folks on both sides might want to talk about this issue and express their political leanings to see if my assertion has any validity whatsoever.

I, myself, am a leftie.

I noticed that on another forum once Obama was elected, lots of hackish rants

 

[Cecilie1200]

If Universities truly embraced free speech and the open exchange of ideas, people like David Horowitz would be allowed to speak without being harassed.

Just sayin'.

(And thanks for proving my point with your derogatory comment.)

Oh get over yourself, this is real life. David Horowitz is a partisan hack who might even be racist.

Universities and colleges embrace free speech, I would know, especially I attend one.

How about you? When's the last time you stepped foot on one?

The amount of ignorance coming from your posts is starling.

Here's a clue, little one. Embracing YOUR speech is not "embracing free speech". This is akin to me saying, "They aren't sexist. They LOVE women!" or "They aren't racist. They LOVE white people!" There's a whole 'nother side out there that you aren't on which is being suppressed.

If I can interrupt your regularly scheduled delusion with some reality for just a moment, studies show that 96% of registered voters among liberal arts professors at schools such as Harvard or Cornell are Democrats or Green Party, with 86% at large state schools like the University of Texas or Penn State. So don't piss on our legs and tell us it's raining, and don't tell us that colleges "embrace free speech" with that sort of lopsidedness.

And that's just the faculty. That doesn't even BEGIN to get into those hallmarks of "free speech" among the student body known as "college speech codes", or numerous incidents of vandalism involving the burning of college Republican newspapers, or harassment of conservative student groups.