Does the forum have a right-wing bias?

[Akno21]

On constitutional issues, there's definitly an originalist slant...

I would disagree with that assessment. There are only three originalists on this board as far as I am aware: A18, Ebowed, and me.

But from what I've read of the constitutional threads, the only person able to put up a real argument against you guys is Peter Bell. Of the few people who actually understand judicial issues, it seems that select group is mainly originalist.

Wasn't migrendel pretty interested in legal issues? If he'd been around in the past year we might have had some interesting debates. Not that I'd understand much of them...

I'm not counting him since hasn't been continously active in ages. However, would he return, my assessment would change, as he has the ability to tilt the scales. 

[Emsworth]

But from what I've read of the constitutional threads, the only person able to put up a real argument against you guys is Peter Bell.

Well, jimrtex and muon2 are also very good debaters, but they post infrequently. The funny thing is that Peter actually agrees with us (the originalist posters) on a number of issues (for example, that the federal minimum wage is unconstitutional); almost all of our disagreements are over the Ninth Amendment.

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I don't disagree. However, this group has almost no impact at all on the views of the forum as a whole. I mean, most of the forum doesn't really care whether the minimum wage is technically constitutional or not.

[Democratic Hawk]

perhaps the perceived mild libertarianism of the forum is an expression of the political attitudes of the youth of today.

I think that could very well be true. Of course, one can hope y'all grow out if it *laughs*

Dave

[minionofmidas]

It does have an economic right-wing bias, even a fairly heavy one, but not more - possibly less - than can be expected of first world heavy internet users.

[Michael Z]

I think the majority of people here have a blue avatar... but I wouldn't say the forum is biased per se.

[Akno21]

But from what I've read of the constitutional threads, the only person able to put up a real argument against you guys is Peter Bell.

Well, jimrtex and muon2 are also very good debaters, but they post infrequently. The funny thing is that Peter actually agrees with us (the originalist posters) on a number of issues (for example, that the federal minimum wage is unconstitutional); almost all of our disagreements are over the Ninth Amendment.

That may have been the debate I saw, I don't read everything.

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I agree, but as someone who, for example, supports the minimum wage, but isn't constitutionally educated enough yet to have an in depth debate on the issue, it would be nice to be able to read educated (i.e. not Jfern, Scoonie) posts supporting my general view. Being one of the younger posters here, I have general views on a lot of issues, but not neccessarily in-depth ones, so I learn a lot from just reading the posts.

[© tweed]

No

It leans more libertarian than anything else, but Dems have an advantage in ID.

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=29709.0

[°Leprechaun]

There is an extremely right wing bias here. The Democrats on this forum are more of a reflection of the American people in general than of grassroots Democrats who are on the whole moderately liberal, whereas there are more Lieberman type conservatives here who are Democrats than typical liberal Democrats. The conservative Democrats on this forum aren't as extreme as A18, Jake, or Keystone Phil, but they are conservative nonetheless.

[Jake]

I think the majority of people here have a blue avatar.

Not at all.

[MasterJedi]

I think the majority of people here have a blue avatar

Nope, but you should come around more often and then you'd see.

[TeePee4Prez]

Overall, I'd say the Forum is South Park Republican or Daily Show Democrat being slightly libertarian overall.  Sometimes you have people on here whose posts are MUCH different than their stated ideology or PC score such as TexasGurl, opebo, and Everett.  TexasGurl is far more economically conservative than she would have us believe, opebo is all over the place, and Everett is basically a hardcore conservative disguised as a Libertarian.  

You have a mix of ideologies and any PCism, racism, homophobism, etc. is shouted down instantly.  That's why I spend more of my time on here rather than DU or even some Philadelphia Forums where the liberal bias is heavy, BUT you also have the philly.com message boards where you have a ridiculous conservative bias of older, wealthier white men.  

[Jake]

I think the majority of people here have a blue avatar.

Not at all.

To illustrate my point:

Top 10 posters:
5 - Red (50%)
2 - Blue (20%)
2 - Constitution (20%)
1 - Green (10%)

Top 25 posters:
9 - Red (36%)
8 - Blue (32%)
4 - Independent (16%)
2 - Constitution (8%)
1 - Green (4%)
1 - Libertarian (4%)

Top 60 posters:
22 - Red (37%)
18 - Blue (30%)
7   - Independent (12%)
3   - Libertarian (5%)
3   - Constitution (5%)
3   - None (5%)
2   - Green (3%)
2   - Orange (3%)

Top 90 posters:
32 - Red
26 - Blue
15 - Independent
5   - Libertarian
4   - None
3   - Orange
3   - Constitution
2   - Green

Top 120 posters:
43 - Red
42 - Blue
17 - Independent
5   - Libertarian
4   - Orange
4   - None
3   - Constitution
2   - Green

So, no. If anything, Red avatars predominate, Blue avatars barely comprise 30% of the posters here.

[Brandon H]

I think socially, the forum definitely leans left. I am not sure though on economic issues as that seems to be an even split.

[nclib]

No, if anything it has a libertarian bias.

[Frodo]

Option 3, without a doubt.

After seeing the results of this poll in which people prefer left-libertarians to populists by a roughly 2-to-1 margin, it is probably safe to say that this forum leans libertarian, if not extremely so.

[CARLHAYDEN]

First, let me note that so long as the discourse is civilized, a diversity of opinion is to be welcomed.

Second, yes there is a larger libertarian component to this board than exists in the general population, but that tends to be the case with internet sites.

Third,  obviously this forum does NOT have a "right-wing bias."

Fourth, I have generally been impressed by the knowledge level and thoughtfulness of most posters on this forum.

Fifth, the level of the 'discussions' generally is lower in the six months immediately preceding a Presidential election, as we tend to attrack posters of lesser knowledge and rationality than tneds to be the case for the rest of the time.