I really don't believe for a minute we are a center-right country. We are a center-left country -

[NRaleighLiberal]

and the coming elections will show that. Non-stop advertising (controlled by $$$/right wing), the media (controlled by $$$/right wing), and just laziness - too much TV, meaning too much exposure to ads - drives some people to vote against their interests (yes, I know - there is ignorance involved)....but then the right/$$$ overreaches, and the truth just pops out.

Anyway, that is what this rather far-left DUer thinks.

Don't forget - advertising works - look at the biggest beer seller in the country (Bud Light - coincidentally, the worst beer). Well, the only way that the worst party could even get a look is $$$ pushing the message, and the sewer called right wing AM radio.

So yes, I have hope! (and I hope to hell I am right....er, left!).

Just a little pondering for a Sunday night....

[MadHound]

1. Given that this country has only been electing reps who are center right at best,

I would have to say that yes, we are currently a center-right country. Obama is no liberal, he is center-right(comparable with Eisenhower). Clinton, the same. And it only gets worse from there.

[Scuba]

6. No. We're center-left. When the People are surveyed on the issues...

... they're for stronger Social Security, Universal Health Care, a more progressive tax, etc.


The $$$$ use their media to portray us as center-right and convince the masses that they are center-right. But we're not.

[MadHound]

8. So then you're saying that America is a dumb, bipolar country

Responding as a center left country would on various surveys, while succumbing to propaganda and consistently voting in reps who are center right at best.

[Scuba]

10. Yeah, that pretty well sums it up....

... not necessarily dumb, but ignorant, often willfully so.

[NRaleighLiberal]

12. Not dumb and bipolar - just human. Most people can't help but fall for propaganda. It works.

Been proven time and time again.

[redqueen]

34. I don't know, I used to think so...

but now I think I'd need to see a detailed breakdown of many issues.

I agree that on those issues, that it does seem to be the case that we might be more center-left.

However, look at how popular the idea of drug testing welfare recipients is. Or restricting the kinds of foods one can get with food stamps.

Look at our prison system... I would hope a lot of people would prefer a system that rehabilitated people rather than simply punishing them, but it doesn't seem to be the case. Look at the support for the death penalty.

I'm just not sure how far left most USians are on these and many other issues.

[bluerum]

2. Ha. Compared to what? Nazi Germany?

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. I'm talking about the majority of the people - what they are, vs how they vote -

and don't forget the small percentage of people (relatively speaking) who actually do vote.

[doc03]

4. I certainly agree with you on Bud Light

[jody]

5. Perhaps we have two extremes, center-right and center-left with 20% or so in each and the

remaining 60-70% just wanting to be left alone so they can live day by day with a glimmer of hope for eventual retirement and not be completely dependent upon others for care in the last years of life.

I have family, relatives, and friends that fit that description.

[bluerum]

7. Disagree. This is a conservative country compared to many.

[jody]

9. Interesting thing about opinions on political issues, scientific method can't prove either correct.

[bluerum]

15. Compared to europe or even canada, we are conservative.

We have liberals to be sure. But by international standards they are center at best.

[NRaleighLiberal]

16. Again - they are not brutally bludgeoned by endless right wing propaganda ads - $$$

So not a fair comparison.

[bluerum]

18. Who says? Witness the rethug debates and campaign coverage.

Also FOX CNN etc. are (imo) perpetual RW ads in the guise of infotainmemt.

[NRaleighLiberal]

19. I mean those not in the US - only here is the $$$/ads endless -

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

37. I would agree with you, except for this Austerity Platform is running through

Europe right now. In many European countries, voters who tend to be very politically astute, have voted for conservative, even Right Wing leaders.

Look at England and Cameron's government. More conservatives elected. Australia, Germany, France and Canada are other examples.

Now, granted, I understand that their "conservative" is more like a Clinton or Obama, but even on the social issues, they are more conservative than either Clinton or Obama.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

11. I'm afraid I think that position can only be faith-based, not evidence-based.

Look at the election results over the last 50 years.

And remember that declared preferences signify far, far less than revealed preferences.

[NRaleighLiberal]

14. Fair enough. Look at how many people don't vote.

The only way people can adhere to positions that make no sense - especially for them personally - is brainwashing by just being bludgeoned with messages.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

20. Two responses: 1) those are androids, not people; 2) don't casually assume your own superiority.

People can, and do, reason their way to faulty conclusions without being brainwashed.

If there were mass brainwashing around, you would have no way of knowing that it was the other people and not you who had been brainwashed.


We need to face the fact that America contains a large number of people who, of their own volition, have decided that right-wing views are correct. Yes, there is a right-wing bias in the media, but that is probably more a symptom of the right-wing bias in the electorate than vice versa.

[NRaleighLiberal]

25. I don't casually assume my own superiority at all. And there is mass brainwashing around.

It is called response to mass advertisement. So much money is spent on it because it worked. I worked for Pharma for 25 years and watched as the spent amazing amounts on all of those TV ads. Why? Because it works.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

28. I don't approve of referring to "people expressing views you disagree with" as "brainwashing".

I think that this kind of rhetoric is foolish and overheated.

[NRaleighLiberal]

35. Fair enough again. You aren't getting my points. Let's move on....

[demosincebirth]

13. The South pulls this country to a little left of center.

[Zoeisright]

31. What???

Haley Barbour, Robert Bentley, Mike Beebee, Rich Scott, Bobby Jindal, Jay Nixon, Bev Purdue, Nathan Deal, Steve Beshear, Nikki Haley, Bill Haslam, Bob McDonnell, Earl Ray Tomblin, all REPUKE governors of southern states, are perfect examples of why that statement is 100% incorrect.

[demosincebirth]

39. Without the South, we'd be really left of center...which to me that would be great.

[mackattack]

17. You are 100% correct and here is why

(warning, I didnt proof read and ive been drinking beers)

OK, so Americans generally like to not be imperialists and not be assholes. No, its true, when we do asshole stuff we dont place it in those terms. Hear me out.

When the British Empire was the freakin' BRITISH EMPIRE they would invade and conquer people and say they did so to preserve and protect the empire. They didnt sugarcoat their cereal at all. And they were cool with it.


The US is not the same. When we invade or start wars we always have to have a reason that does not include empire building or protecting natural resources. We fight wars based on those things, but since the society is generally more liberal we have to convince them that we are fighting for different reasons. So, we get a war to stop WMDs instead of "a war to secure petroleum in the face of peak oil" which, honestly, is what the British would have said back-in-the-day.

Also, we always have to say that we were provoked into war. We must have things like "the gulf of tonkin," the USS Maine, the border incident with the Mexico-American war, and so on. We must, at all times, feel as though were are righting some wrong done to us.


So yes, we are actually more liberal....we just have to hide it better or put stuff in different terms.

[SammyWinstonJack]

23. That doesn't make us liberal....it shows we are either/or gullible/superior

Probably a little of both. And not all of us, just enough so we keep getting suckered into wars for profit.

[WI_DEM]

21. I wish election results verified that assumption. Most people when asked in polls

if they are conservative, liberal or moderate--say they are conservative, followed by moderate and liberals come in dead last--about 20%.

[boxman15]

22. This country thinks it's center-right, but in its beliefs it's definitely center-left.

This might not be the best example, but I've seen similar things over and over again. I'll always remember during the health care reform debate the polls always showed 40-45% approval for Obamacare, but each of the provisions had at least 60% support. Even the public option was supported by a majority of Americans.

We're more liberal than we think we are.

[NRaleighLiberal]

24. Yes - exactly!

[socialist_n_TN]

26. I agree. And there's a simple way to resolve the dicotomy

between what people self identify as in polls (center right) and what they say they support on ISSUES (center left). Simply add the moderates into the left category and the numbers on issues match up almost EXACTLY.

Even simpler said: so called "moderates" hold leftish positions.

[Raffi Ella]

27. I agree with you 100%.

This is a Liberal Democracy in name AND by citizenry. And again, I agree with you 100% that hardly anyone votes and THAT is why the reTHUGs get elected and why we are now a fascist Corporatocracy.


OWS is the start to taking our country back. This summer I plan on getting the vote out in Ga, I hope others will do the same in their states.

[kctim]

29. Add higher taxes that are needed

to support 'lefty' programs, to the questions, and we are very clearly NOT a center-left country.
At least not yet.

[Zoeisright]

30. Sorry, I think you're wrong.

This is a far right country, given that we have no socialized medicine, a shredded safety net, a conversative reactionary media, and ANY repukes in office.

I don't think this country is ever going to recover from the assholes in power, from Reagan on. Perhaps it should collapse. But even if that happened, idiot Americans would blame the poor, unions, immigrants, and Democrats for the collapse. Which would be caused SOLELY by repukes.

[Rex]

32. I agree...the GOP has intentionally cause inmeasurable

amounts of damage to America over the decades and maybe it is too late to recover, since most don't even realize the enormity of the situation.

[librechik]

33. absolutely agree--hate the media atmosphere caused by the center/right myth! n/t

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

36. We might be on a MACRO level, but not on a micro level. We have to

fight this fight on a local, parochial level. Town by town. District by district.

Where I live now, in Takoma Park, MD, is one of the most liberal neighborhoods in the country. But where I grew up, Stone Mountain, GA, is one of the most conservative.

It greatly depends on where you are or where you stand.

The liberal/progressive movement needs to take some responsibility for getting the message wrong and for allowing the conservative to define who we are and frame the debate.

[ScreamingMeemie]

38. Right now? Naaaahhhh, we're just a mess.

No need to put a label on it.