How much do poster's views here reflect the views of Americans as a whole?

[Tez3]

Reading the posts on threads here concerning American politics and the shooting of the Congresswoman, how much do people here think the posts and posters represent the views of Americans as a whole? Is there a whole or would the view depend on where you are from or live?

 

[Big Don]

I think between Billchiak, Archangel, Cryozombie and myself, you get a pretty good picture of the right, with Stevebjj, emptyhands, and a few others you get the left, Bob, and Carol do the job of representing the middle. As a whole, you can get the range of American views of just about anything.

 

[Carol]

Heh. I was just going to say I've been avoiding the politics of the matter and focusing more on the health of the survivors and the families of the victims.

That militant centrism must be rearing its head again

 

[Archangel M]

I think Bill Mattoks is a fairly centrist guy with some individual views that go to the extreme right or left. An interesting mix. I'd put him in as a representation of American political viewpoints too.

 

[MA-Caver]

Whenever I post or chime in... I just speak for me and how I feel/think about whatever the topic is. I believe everyone else does the same.
It may be coincidental that our views happen to be the same as a percentage {large or small) of our fellow Americans.

 

[Steve]

I think between Billchiak, Archangel, Cryozombie and myself, you get a pretty good picture of the right, with Stevebjj, emptyhands, and a few others you get the left, Bob, and Carol do the job of representing the middle. As a whole, you can get the range of American views of just about anything.

For the record, I'm in the middle. I'm only left wing on this board because the conversation tends to start far to the right.

I believe that the conversations that we have on this board don't represent most Americans. The people who tend to actively seek out discussion tend to be the most zealous believers in that particular ideology. For every person on a website arguing for or against something, there are dozens who have more pressing concerns than dickering around with a stranger on the internet.

 

[CoryKS]

I see politics as being like one of those old stereo equalizers with all the little slides that go from way up to way down. Some people have presets - they push the little button that says "conservative" or "liberal" and the slides are set for them. Others like to tweak the slides until they get it just the way they like it.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

IMO, MT's more conservative (ie GOP/LP) than liberal (ie DNC/progressive). That said, most folks seem to have exceptions to the 'party lines' in their views. A good example of extreme opposites would be my positions and Arnisadors though even we agreed on some points. I view MT as a conservative site, not because I want it that way, but that's the views I tend to see mostly in debate.

 

[Steve]

I think Bill Mattoks is a fairly centrist guy with some individual views that go to the extreme right or left. An interesting mix. I'd put him in as a representation of American political viewpoints too.

Whatever else Bill is, I don't think I'd characterize him as typical or representative of the "average" American. There is no such animal, in the first place. And secondly, Bill's about x100 more thoughtful and intelligent that most of the people I've ever met either online or in real life. I think we're about 50/50 on whether I agree with him or not, but at least he makes sense... most of the time.

 

[Big Don]

Whatever else Bill is, I don't think I'd characterize him as typical or representative of the "average" American. There is no such animal, in the first place. And secondly, Bill's about x100 more thoughtful and intelligent that most of the people I've ever met either online or in real life. I think we're about 50/50 on whether I agree with him or not, but at least he makes sense... most of the time.

but at least he makes sense... most of the time

That right there puts him way above average.

 

[Empty Hands]

I see politics as being like one of those old stereo equalizers with all the little slides that go from way up to way down. Some people have presets - they push the little button that says "conservative" or "liberal" and the slides are set for them. Others like to tweak the slides until they get it just the way they like it.

"This one goes to 11!"

 

[CoryKS]

"This one goes to 11!"

Well, sometimes you need that extra push over the cliff.

 

[Carol]

"this one goes to 11!"

.

 

[Sukerkin]

Reading the posts on threads here concerning American politics and the shooting of the Congresswoman, how much do people here think the posts and posters represent the views of Americans as a whole? Is there a whole or would the view depend on where you are from or live?

That's a question I have been pondering myself for the past few years, Tez.

I have to say that, despite my view being that there is an imbalance to the Far Right in such areas as the Study, I do think that what we see here on MT are, in the main, a 'slice' of the more intelligent/educated members of American society as a whole. Certainly a slice of the more motivated and opinionated (meaning holding strong opinions).

I don't necessarily mean top percentile super-Academics but ordinary and generally decent chaps and chapesses with heads on their shoulders. So even when I vehemently disagree with some of what is said (all too frequently I am embarassed to admit) I tend to feel that people have good reason for their views, even if those views lose focus to me as they pass through the filter of their (the posters) culture.

But also, regionality plays a role too - I have learned from my time here on MT not to think of States as being so much equivalent to British Counties but rather much more like member countries of the EU.

 

[crushing]

But also, regionality plays a role too - I have learned from my time here on MT not to think of States as being so much equivalent to British Counties but rather much more like member countries of the EU.

Interestingly enough, many "rightwingers" in the USA already think of the States very much like that.

 

[Archangel M]

That is what the idea was back in 1776.

Resolved, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States,

and all that...

 

[Carol]

That is what the idea was back in 1776.

Resolved, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States,

and all that...

I don't think that was crushing's point. I think he was trying to say that there are rightwingers that think America has become so socialist that we are essentially a European nation.

 

[Archangel M]

Ahhh..thats a whole other matter.

 

[Empty Hands]

But also, regionality plays a role too - I have learned from my time here on MT not to think of States as being so much equivalent to British Counties but rather much more like member countries of the EU.

That view made more sense in the past when travel and communication was slower, and regional "ghettoization" was more prevalent. Nowadays, some differences are still there, but we all have much more in common with a common culture than we have different. There is no real level of separation between say a Vermonter and an Oregonian that is comparable to the differences between an Englishman and a Frenchman.

MartialTalk or any internet site does give a skewed view. Political attention and participation is low, and most people have a mushy middle hodgepodge of views. While there is still some sense of State citizenship, it's nowhere near as strong as it has been in the past or as you might see it here. Most people see themselves as citizens of the country, not a citizen of the state. That wasn't always true - particularly in our early history, state loyalties were very strong. We're just a different country now.

 

[granfire]

Personally I think that in general the people gravitating here are more of the conservative nature. So I think the accumulative views are a bit right of the middle.

How ever, certain trains of thought have skewed the perspective and make all but 2 or 3 look like extreme left wingnutters


and then, of course, a lot of the posters here are not even American....