Do Average Americans Care About the Left/Right Spectrum?

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

Seriously, do they even give a damn about whether someone is more liberal or more conservative?  Because as much as I've noticed, most Americans call themselves "moderates" (which I believe they call themselves that because the idea of "moderate" is appealing to them)

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Unfortunately many of them do fall for that ridiculous meaningless "spectrum".

[useful idiot]

In a sense they care too much, and in another sense they care too little. They call themselves moderates because they lack either conviction or knowledge.

[Joe Republic]

It depends on what type of stereotypes they buy into.  Sometimes it's all they can ever understand, even among the more politically-astute laypersons:

At that rally I went to last month, there was a group protesting outside called 'Young Americans for Liberty' or something like that.  Ron Paul buttons, 'Don't Tread On Me' flags and such, that kind of thing.  A couple of Democrats near me seemed confused about who they were, so I told them they were Republicans.  At that point, the Democrats began heckling them (in a fairly light-hearted way) about the war in Iraq.  I didn't really feel like pointing out their error, and they certainly seemed confused when the protesters replied that they had always been opposed to the war.

In retrospect, I should have said that they were Libertarians (since that was more accurate).  Then the confusion would have really set in.  My audience would probably have interpreted that answer to mean that they were Mormons or something.

[tpfkaw]

Wasn't there a study done in the 1950s that showed that ideology was one of the things that had the least influence over how people voted?

[fezzyfestoon]

Yeah, but they're afraid to associate with either.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Saying they don't reminds me of Beet's arguments as to why Christine O'Donnell was going to win.

So it's quite obvious with Beet discredited that the answer is "yes".

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Saying they don't reminds me of Beet's arguments as to why Christine O'Donnell was going to win.

So it's quite obvious with Beet discredited that the answer is "yes".

Christine O'Donnell's loss had little if anything to do with where she was on the "left/right spectrum". Who even knew or cared what her ideology was? I doubt many Delaware voters did.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Coons' ads clearly targeted her ideology. So did the ads of the guy who ran for House against his equally crazy opponent missing no opportunities to tie him to O'Donnell and frequently making reference to "extremists".

[opebo]

A large minority of people on the coasts and in a few small liberal urban enclaves in the benighted areas do actually understand, roughly, what 'right' and 'left' mean, but the vast majority in the middle of the country do not. 

Basically even people who have a vague understanding of political ideologies in the US are still so culturally debased they simply cannot face the truth about their society.

[courts]

A large minority of people on the coasts and in a few small liberal urban enclaves in the benighted areas do actually understand, roughly, what 'right' and 'left' mean, but the vast majority in the middle of the country do not.  

Basically even people who have a vague understanding of political ideologies in the US are still so culturally debased they simply cannot face the truth about their society.

^^^

the answer of course is no. they vote based on personality, 'identity,' etc. noam chomsky for once actually had a pretty good point here, which is that basically if you ignore most social issues there isn't really serious disagreement amongst americans... they might say cut taxes and spending and of course hate 'welfare queens' and 'waste' but when you ask for specifics they say to spend more on healthcare, education, social security, their own district's pork, etc. even the teabaggers basically agree with entitlements and oppose free trade even if they vote for the exact opposite, as i've said before. basically to the extent americans care at all about issues it's largely to entertain their own thinly veiled revenge fantasies or get their own 'cut' so to speak.

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

A large minority of people on the coasts and in a few small liberal urban enclaves in the benighted areas do actually understand, roughly, what 'right' and 'left' mean, but the vast majority in the middle of the country do not.  

Basically even people who have a vague understanding of political ideologies in the US are still so culturally debased they simply cannot face the truth about their society.

^^^

the answer of course is no. they vote based on personality, 'identity,' etc. noam chomsky for once actually had a pretty good point here, which is that basically if you ignore most social issues there isn't really serious disagreement amongst americans... they might say cut taxes and spending and of course hate 'welfare queens' and 'waste' but when you ask for specifics they say to spend more on healthcare, education, social security, their own district's pork, etc. even the teabaggers basically agree with entitlements and oppose free trade even if they vote for the exact opposite, as i've said before. basically to the extent americans care at all about issues it's largely to entertain their own thinly veiled revenge fantasies or get their own 'cut' so to speak.

I concur, as that is what I see mostly with middle class families this day and age.  They want to kill debt, lower taxes, and keep social programs running, so that they can keep their own little slice of the pie.  The problem is that most people don't understand how impossible such a feat is, and continually complain when the impractical is not accomplished.

[opebo]

I concur, as that is what I see mostly with middle class families this day and age.  They want to kill debt, lower taxes, and keep social programs running, so that they can keep their own little slice of the pie.  The problem is that most people don't understand how impossible such a feat is, and continually complain when the impractical is not accomplished.

My friend, you're a prime example of the deluded if you think that is 'impossible'.  All these simple goals are very, extremely, even easily doable, if only we cease with the extreme capitalism and tax the rich properly.  It is precisely this lack of recognition of the extreme hierarchical and exploitative nature of your social system that makes for an electorate voting against its own interests.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yes, they do. Whatever you think, the worlds "conservative" or "liberal" dominate the political life of the country.

[courts]

Yes, they do. Whatever you think, the worlds "conservative" or "liberal" dominate the political life of the country.

just because the media brings it up constantly doesn't mean the general public cares. i think you'd be hard pressed to get a coherent and accepted definition of those words even from the educated, honestly.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Especially amusing is the gloriously meaningless term 'conservative Democrat'.