Have you ever been mistaken for the opposing ideology?

[FerrisBueller86]

I've had people mistake me for a conservative.  The reasons:
1.  I don't believe in premarital sex.
2.  As a college freshman, I didn't like it when my roommate put up pin-ups.  (To his credit, he took the pin-ups down.)
3.  I have NO idea where to go to get illicit drugs.  In high school health class, the teacher asked us if we knew where to get drugs.  I was shocked that most hands went up.
4.  I think Tipper Gore was right to start the PMRC and prompt the record companies to use warning labels.  Everyone in college hated Tipper Gore because of the warning label issue.  That didn't stop Clinton from winning in 1992.  But I've been known to joke that Gore lost in 2000 because explicit music fans voted for Bush to keep Tipper out of the White House.
5.  I dislike the concept of body piercings and can't fathom how they became so popular.
6.  I have a reputation for being a good student.  (Actually, I peaked in high school.  Then I realized that being the class brain isn't all it's cracked up to be, and my study skills declined each year of undergraduate school, to the point that I had senioritis and was running on fumes by junior year.  I also graduated near the bottom of my graduate school class last year.  Then again, I am an electrical engineer, so having one of the lowest GPAs of those who earned an MSEE last year is still quite a feat.)
7.  I've been close to leading a life that a conservative would approve of.  All you have to do is subtract the pro-choice rallies I've participated in, the Million Mom March I participated in, the canvassing I did for the Kerry campaign, writing letters to DNC members to push for the election of Howard Dean as DNC chair, the times I read liberal magazines (_Ms._, _Mother Jones_, and _The Progressive_), the bachelor party I attended and then bragged about to my family just for kicks, the time I drank 2.5 strawberry daiquiri beers (and had to use the bathroom 10 times in an hour), the two porn films I've seen, the sex stories I've read, and the few times I've looked at porn on the Internet.  Considering that at least 95% of everyone has participated in the "sleazier" activities I have, the only things I've done that conservatives would object to are the pro-choice rallies, the Million Mom March, the Kerry campaign, and the letter-writing campaign to elect Howard Dean to chair the DNC.

[dazzleman]

So are you an economic liberal and a social conservative, except for the abortion thing?

I don't think I've ever been mistaken for a liberal.

[FerrisBueller86]

So are you an economic liberal and a social conservative, except for the abortion thing?

I don't think I've ever been mistaken for a liberal.

I'm a social liberal.  I'm for gay rights and gay marriage.  I think evolution should be taught in science classes in school, there should be no organized school prayer (obviously, it's neither appropriate nor feasible to do away with school prayer as long as there are tests and grades), and the environment deserves a higher priority.

[Richard]

I have.  All the time.  For some reason, most people just naturally assume a guy in a gay/bi bar has to be liberal.

[KEmperor]

Yes, I have.  Mainly because I dislike discussing politics with people who are going to be irritating to argue with.

[Cowboy]

Howdy!

Not only am I mistaken for the "other" ideology, but no one I know is quite sure of my politics...heck neither am I very often. :-)

[patrick1]

Yes, My pro-union sentiments often mark we as a liberal.
Lately Ive been drifting toward christian humanism.

[Nation]

Quite often.

[dazzleman]

Quite often.

Nation, what is your ideology?  I really don't know that I could call you a liberal, despite your red avatar.

[Nation]

That's just it, I don't really fit into any mold. I'm "liberal" on some issues and "conservative" on other issues --- I like to think of myself as a conservative, but not in the political sense --- if that MAKES any sense.

[dazzleman]

That's just it, I don't really fit into any mold. I'm "liberal" on some issues and "conservative" on other issues --- I like to think of myself as a conservative, but not in the political sense --- if that MAKES any sense.

Sure it does.  Plenty of political liberals live relatively conservative lives, and vice versa.  We all have a conservative side and a liberal side.  Politics doesn't define anybody's whole personality, though some overly political people think it does.

[Redefeatbush04]

I think everyone has been mistaken for the opposing ideology at some point of time in their lives. The other day I was on one of my thoughtless anti-abortion rampages and was accused of being a "republican trying to impose my religion on others". Little did they no I am neither republican nor religious.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

Believe it or not yes, but that's only because of one issue I'm actually pretty far right on. Can anyone guess what it is? I post about it quite a bit but it's not very obvious.

hint: It's not really a political issue.

[Cashcow]

All of my liberal friends think I'm a Republican for some reason. How ignorant.

[Ebowed]

Yes.  A lot of people used to assume (before I came to this board) that I was pro-death penalty, pro-war, and anti-gay marriage, probably due to my stance on abortion.  I don't think almost anyone here could mistake me for being pro-death penalty now, however.  I must talk about it in every third post.

[ATFFL]

the letter-writing campaign to elect Howard Dean to chair the DNC.

No.  We support that.  Thanks!

[Lunar]

I tend to criticize the left more than the right, so yes.

[Gabu]

Given that my ideology is not right nor left, the opposing ideology would be both right and left and the same time, so, uh... I don't think anyone has ever accused me of being that.

Believe it or not yes, but that's only because of one issue I'm actually pretty far right on. Can anyone guess what it is? I post about it quite a bit but it's not very obvious.

hint: It's not really a political issue.

Gee, could it possibly be your stance on Islam?

[JohnFKennedy]

Yes, some of my teachers seem to think I am a Conservative, I was quite outraged by that to be honest.

[angus]

oh, only all the time!  that's how often.  if you show up at a Sierra Club meeting everyone assumes you hate bush.  If you take MoJo everybody assumes you hate bush.  If you have a Save the Whales T-shirt on while you're out cleaning your kayak, everybody assumes you hate bush.  If you tell 'em, out in Flyover Country, that you just moved in from California, everybody assumes you hate bush.  I guess I fulfill a large number of flyover country's stereotypes about the typical bush-basher.  I get taken for anti-bush before I even open my mouth.  and once I open my big mouth, I seem to only further convince folks that I hate bush.  All this without ever mentioning bush by name or even talking politics in general.  wtf??!

It's very goddamned frustrating, I can tell you.  Good question, though.

[WalterMitty]

oh yes, i get mistaken for a democrat and a liberal all of the time.

if oyu live in the south, as i do, and support gay rights, oppose the death penalty, support affirmative action, people automatically think you are off the charts liberal

[12th Doctor]

Yes, I'm always being accused of being a closet Liberal or a RINO because of my stances on most social issues and some economic issues.

Meanwhile, the Libs won't take me because of my veiws on abortion, foriegn affairs and other economic issues.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

Gee, could it possibly be your stance on Islam?

not exactly that, more my attitude of how Christianity is far superior, but you basically got it.

[ian]

Yes.  My Jewish friends are all much more liberal than I am, and because I used to oppose teaching evolution in schools, didn't believe it, and am pro-life, they thought I was a Republican.

[Schmitz in 1972]

Only by people who are REALLY ignorant about politics. For example, when I told someone I disliked Lincoln they called me a liberal, obviously making a Lincoln=Republican=Conservative connection