Summarize Previous Poster's Political Beliefs

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Interesting character who probably wouldn't have been so interesting 30 or 40 years ago. He's pretty much your old-school catholic populist. He supports social welfare and social justice, but generally approaches subjects his faith has issues with such as divorce and especially abortion from the socially conservative standpoint of today. In many ways he's reflective of many rust-belt and Appalachian democrats who became the Reagan Democrats and are now Republicans, probably despite their views on social justice.

He'd be in a awkward position within both major parties, but it depends which issue he's prepared to hold his nose over for longer.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

A left winger, whose politics I am not totally familiar with. I assume he supports the Australian Green Party.

Young, so more likely to be affected by wilder political swings.

With a slight softening on social matters he's shifted from Rand Paul to the baby of Ron Paul and Gary Johnson...

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

For all of the accusations of 'moderate hero', Oakie is actually far more traditionally left wing than many realise. He's a sensible 'leftist', in the sense that he supports effective government programs, he's pragmatic on both foreign policy and in general. I relate to him, in that I hate moral absolutism and the use of hyper-emotion and melodrama to make a policy point.

So, the simplest way to describe Oakie is that he's social libertarian, up to a point, he's pro-labour (the movement, not the party) and believes in the application of common-sense and facts overriding self-righteousness in most cases. There are some apparent basic principles, but it's basically not to be an arse (in policy terms).

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Seems to be centre-left. His aversion to dogma is demonstrated by his aignature, quoting a famous Prime Minister of the opposite party. He supports the Australian Labor Party out of reluctance due to a lack of a viable alternative.  His "Canberra-insider" status that gives him insight into intra-party struggle between Gillard and Rudd makes him wary of Rudd's antics, despite the former PM's popularity with the total populace. Not quite sure if he counts as a "faceless man," but his insights are enlightening to those not familiar with he intracacies of Australian party politics.

Besides, he has been very patient with my constant questions about Australian politics. Thanks, Polnut!

: obvious skip:

FYI: not a faceless man by a long-shot, especially since I'm not a member of the ALP.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

About as close to center as you can get on foreign policy... economic moderate and social liberal. A smart analysis with care for every view he takes on the issues...

Clarence arrived... your somewhat stereotypical older conservative veteran. His past as a small-business owner certainly frames his economic views as being anti-regulation and maybe not being too favourable to unions? He's quite hawkish on foreign policy, again a testament to his past as a Navy veteran from Vietnam.

Socially, he's a very ardent supporter of the pro-life position, as well as education voucherisation.

But he's not completely rigid and shows a strong desire to learn more about issues from people he might not have had exposure to in the past, this is especially clear from his position of gay rights and same-sex legal recognition.

In summary: a pretty mainstream economic, social and foreign policy 'conservative', but one with an open mind. 

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Mint is fundamentally anti-democratic, and his surety in the failing of democracy strongly influence the rest of his politics.  While I have seem in vacillate between a number of mutually exclusive positions, the best I can describe him as is authoritarian, somewhat reminiscent of early Italian-style fascism. 

Yelnoc... how to describe Yelnoc.

He's very much a political centrist on average. He's apathetic on most social issues, generally placing the "don't be a dick test" on most things. He's an economic moderate, certainly. He shows support for the role of Government and making sure the Government's economic policies are "fair"

His support for more 'libertarian' candidates - but I don't actually get why. Perhaps a lack of interest in either "side" forces him to what he sees as an alternative to that.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

A pretty standard modern Catholic conservative, with a greater focus on wedge social issues over traditional social justice and economic equity.