Things that are widely believed on the Atlas Forum and almost nowhere else

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

-The VP candidates in Presidential elections have a direct and measurable effect on states' results (as in adding someone as a running mate is worth a gain of X points in state A but will lose Y points in state B.) Also the proximity of the running mate's state to their own is a huge issue voters take into account.
-Primary results are more important than a state's overall partisan leaning in predicting general election results (We saw this soooooo much in 2008.)
-Voters pay close attention to things like FDA rulings and decisions and let this greatly influence their vote (even though the FDA is an unelected body whose decisions are probably going to be completely unaffected by whoever is in office.)
-Voters get very strategic when they vote. A Tea Party crazy can count on a lot of Democrats' votes for victory because those Democrats want to make the Republicans look bad, or Republicans might do this for a corrupt Democrat.
-If you can identify a trend in a state in the last 3-4 elections, you can assume said trend will continue indefinitely and thus easily predict the states maps for the next 3-4 elections.
-If the media is making a huge fuss over a very minor scandal or some gaffe, this is obviously because it's a major issue that'll have a massive effect on the election and not just because the media is only try to milk it for ratings or anything.
-Primary polls 2-4 years in advance actually mean something.
-Polling subsamples are highly reliable. If you a poll shows a Republican winning blacks with a sample of 7 blacks, that means said Republican candidate clearly has special appeal to blacks other Republicans lack.

Add more. We all know how dumb the average voter and people in general are to the intricacies of political elections, but I honestly would say they probably would be better judges on it than say the posters who post >90% of their stuff in the 2016 board now.

[Ebowed]

-Dave Leip has a social life

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

-The VP candidates in Presidential elections have a direct and measurable effect on states' results (as in adding someone as a running mate is worth a gain of X points in state A but will lose Y points in state B.) Also the proximity of the running mate's state to their own is a huge issue voters take into account.
-Primary results are more important than a state's overall partisan leaning in predicting general election results (We saw this soooooo much in 2008.)
-Voters pay close attention to things like FDA rulings and decisions and let this greatly influence their vote (even though the FDA is an unelected body whose decisions are probably going to be completely unaffected by whoever is in office.)
-Voters get very strategic when they vote. A Tea Party crazy can count on a lot of Democrats' votes for victory because those Democrats want to make the Republicans look bad, or Republicans might do this for a corrupt Democrat.
-If you can identify a trend in a state in the last 3-4 elections, you can assume said trend will continue indefinitely and thus easily predict the states maps for the next 3-4 elections.
-If the media is making a huge fuss over a very minor scandal or some gaffe, this is obviously because it's a major issue that'll have a massive effect on the election and not just because the media is only try to milk it for ratings or anything.
-Primary polls 2-4 years in advance actually mean something.
-Polling subsamples are highly reliable. If you a poll shows a Republican winning blacks with a sample of 7 blacks, that means said Republican candidate clearly has special appeal to blacks other Republicans lack.

Add more. We all know how dumb the average voter and people in general are to the intricacies of political elections, but I honestly would say they probably would be better judges on it than say the posters who post >90% of their stuff in the 2016 board now.

YES. This one needs to die a fiery death. No, the Great Lakes will not be deep (Atlas) blue, nor will Texas and Georgia be Democratic strongholds any time soon.

[Consciously Unconscious]

- That Bernir Sanders could actually win a national election.

[Keystone Phil]

- That Sneakers O'Toole is hilarious.  

Oh. Wait. Not widely believed anywhere.

[bedstuy]

-Candidate quality doesn't matter for Presidential elections: If you're from a swing state, the right ideology and have been elected to the Senate or a Governorship, you're automatically a potential President.  Who cares if you can't raise money, go around giving speeches drunk and high on painkillers and you have no real ideas or organization? 

This is a really annoying one for me.  Anyone who has actually paid attention for a few cycles remembers all these candidates that were great in theory and were actually just bad candidates.  Bill Richardson, Wes Clark, Rick Perry, Fred Thompson, etc.   

[Sol]

Term limits are bad.

[Mr. Morden]

-Making maps of elections from 100 years ago will help you get girls.
-Knowing what time the polls close in Kenyan by-elections will help you get girls.
-Writing an alternate history timeline will help you get girls.
-Congratulating Phil will help you get girls.

ALL OF THESE ARE WIDELY BELIEVED ON ATLAS, AND NOWHERE ELSE!

[Paul Kemp]

-The VP candidates in Presidential elections have a direct and measurable effect on states' results (as in adding someone as a running mate is worth a gain of X points in state A but will lose Y points in state B.) Also the proximity of the running mate's state to their own is a huge issue voters take into account.
-Primary results are more important than a state's overall partisan leaning in predicting general election results (We saw this soooooo much in 2008.)
-Voters pay close attention to things like FDA rulings and decisions and let this greatly influence their vote (even though the FDA is an unelected body whose decisions are probably going to be completely unaffected by whoever is in office.)
-Voters get very strategic when they vote. A Tea Party crazy can count on a lot of Democrats' votes for victory because those Democrats want to make the Republicans look bad, or Republicans might do this for a corrupt Democrat.
-If you can identify a trend in a state in the last 3-4 elections, you can assume said trend will continue indefinitely and thus easily predict the states maps for the next 3-4 elections.
-If the media is making a huge fuss over a very minor scandal or some gaffe, this is obviously because it's a major issue that'll have a massive effect on the election and not just because the media is only try to milk it for ratings or anything.
-Primary polls 2-4 years in advance actually mean something.
-Polling subsamples are highly reliable. If you a poll shows a Republican winning blacks with a sample of 7 blacks, that means said Republican candidate clearly has special appeal to blacks other Republicans lack.

Add more. We all know how dumb the average voter and people in general are to the intricacies of political elections, but I honestly would say they probably would be better judges on it than say the posters who post >90% of their stuff in the 2016 board now.

Pretty sure the political media "believes" this stuff too.

[IceSpear]

- Running a True Leftist for president will result in a Leftist Utopia, even if they lose, because reasons. Said True Leftist will circumvent Congress to build this Utopia. How? Reasons.

- Democrats thinking Hillary Clinton is an evil murderer sociopath lizard person etc. etc.

- Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden should not have been killed and instead got life in prison.

[Bacon King]

If we throw this election then we can focus on the next one and things will be so much better in the long run (or, alternatively, that we should have thrown the last one)

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

That people uses adjectives as nouns, routinely.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

A lot of this madness is - alas - believed outside Atlas as well.

[Lief 🗽]

The idea that Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, etc. are "libertarian" states seems to be common, and also absurd and incorrect.

[King]

If anything, the Atlas belIeves this stuff less than most political outfits.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

-Shutting down government is an act of terrorism.
-Time Magazine's recent cover of Hillary Clinton was sexist.
-Jesus was a socialist who hated religion and God.
-Hillary Clinton is either the devil or perfect.
-True Leftism.
-Bloombergesque moderate heroism/liberalism.
-Republicans are basically objectivists.
-Banning a certain poster on a private website is somehow a violation of human rights.

[Lief 🗽]

-Shutting down government is an act of terrorism.
-Time Magazine's recent cover of Hillary Clinton was sexist.
-Jesus was a socialist who hated religion and God.
-Hillary Clinton is either the devil or perfect.
-True Leftism.
-Bloombergesque moderate heroism/liberalism.
-Republicans are basically objectivists.
-Banning a certain poster on a private website is somehow a violation of human rights.

This thread is for things that are widely believed on the Atlas Forum, not strawmen that are widely believed by you.

[Associate Justice PiT]

-The VP candidates in Presidential elections have a direct and measurable effect on states' results (as in adding someone as a running mate is worth a gain of X points in state A but will lose Y points in state B.) Also the proximity of the running mate's state to their own is a huge issue voters take into account.
-Primary results are more important than a state's overall partisan leaning in predicting general election results (We saw this soooooo much in 2008.)
-Voters pay close attention to things like FDA rulings and decisions and let this greatly influence their vote (even though the FDA is an unelected body whose decisions are probably going to be completely unaffected by whoever is in office.)
-Voters get very strategic when they vote. A Tea Party crazy can count on a lot of Democrats' votes for victory because those Democrats want to make the Republicans look bad, or Republicans might do this for a corrupt Democrat.
-If you can identify a trend in a state in the last 3-4 elections, you can assume said trend will continue indefinitely and thus easily predict the states maps for the next 3-4 elections.
-If the media is making a huge fuss over a very minor scandal or some gaffe, this is obviously because it's a major issue that'll have a massive effect on the election and not just because the media is only try to milk it for ratings or anything.
-Primary polls 2-4 years in advance actually mean something.
-Polling subsamples are highly reliable. If you a poll shows a Republican winning blacks with a sample of 7 blacks, that means said Republican candidate clearly has special appeal to blacks other Republicans lack.

Add more. We all know how dumb the average voter and people in general are to the intricacies of political elections, but I honestly would say they probably would be better judges on it than say the posters who post >90% of their stuff in the 2016 board now.

YES. This one needs to die a fiery death. No, the Great Lakes will not be deep (Atlas) blue, nor will Texas and Georgia be Democratic strongholds any time soon.

     The worst is when the trend is only ~1%. There are literally dozens of reasons for why a 1% trend can occur.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

-Jesus was a socialist who hated religion and God.

haha what

[Deus Naturae]

-Shutting down government is an act of terrorism.
-Time Magazine's recent cover of Hillary Clinton was sexist.
-Jesus was a socialist who hated religion and God.
-Hillary Clinton is either the devil or perfect.
-True Leftism.
-Bloombergesque moderate heroism/liberalism.
-Republicans are basically objectivists.
-Banning a certain poster on a private website is somehow a violation of human rights.

Those things are believed by countless people outside this website...

[Adam Griffin]

- Being a virgin is a normal adult pastime

[Paul Kemp]

-Shutting down government is an act of terrorism.
-Time Magazine's recent cover of Hillary Clinton was sexist.
-Jesus was a socialist who hated religion and God.
-Hillary Clinton is either the devil or perfect.
-True Leftism.
-Bloombergesque moderate heroism/liberalism.
-Republicans are basically objectivists.
-Banning a certain poster on a private website is somehow a violation of human rights.

Those things are believed by countless people outside this website...

As is most of this thread, minus the obvious forum memes.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I still hold that Atlas is the only place where someone will claim that the FDA's pending ban on trans fat will be a major issue in the 2014 midterm.

[TNF]

- Having an actual ideology is wrong, everyone should instead be bland centrists or tepid liberals and vote for people they have nothing in common with ideologically in order to prevent the "GREATER EBIL" from winning

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

If you think Sandra Fluke is an unqualified attention whore you're a misogynist.