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[Schattenjäger]

Being an independent myself, it seems GAF has always leaned very far into the left.. Why is this?
Is it an age thing? Younger people tend to be more liberal
Is it a location thing? More gaffers on the west and east coast?
Is it an ideology thing? Anti-religion

I feel that both parties have very stupid stances on certain issues and that the only way this country can move forward is if we govern somewhere in the middle. The two sides have become so distant from each other. I pray a relevant 3rd party makes it onto the scene at some point.

 

[Kayo-kun]

Educated people often tend to lean left in politics for the obvious reasons (common sense), and most people on gaf are educated.

 

[DUFFMCWALIN]

In before hur dur smart people lean left politically.

For a serious answer the internet seems to attract those who are left leaning. Maybe its an age thing. Or maybe they just have free time collecting their free socialist money.

Spoiler

kidding

Edit: ^^ fuck I'm too late. The self righteous has already struck!

 

[Tathanen]

Educated people often tend to lean left in politics for the obvious reasons (common sense), and most people on gaf are educated.

You may think you managed to hide your deliciously ironic "most people on gaf is educated" via your speedy edit, but I'm on to you buddy.

 

[SyNapSe]

I'd guess age range is the biggest contributor.

 

[Falch]

There's no left in American politics.

 

[The Lamonster]

It's an age and education thing.


"Reality has a well-known liberal bias."

 

[LuffyZoro]

Age, education, and the liberal bias of reality.

 

[dondarm]

Educated people often tend to lean left in politics for the obvious reasons (common sense). Most people on gaf is educated.

Meh, I'd rather say young people usually lean towards more pogressive, while older folks towards more conservative values.
Edit: Damn.

 

[Dutch Gronk]

The guys who lean right are scared to say that they lean right because they will get ridiculed.

 

[legacyzero]

Educated people often tend to lean left in politics for the obvious reasons (common sense), and most people on gaf are educated.

Pretty much this.

 

[DUFFMCWALIN]

Meh, I'd rather say young people usually lean towards more pogressive, while older folks towards more conservative values.

This is a commonly held sentiment and one that makes the most amount of sense to me.

 

[Horse Armour]

There's no such thing as left in American politics.

 

[f0rk]

It's not specific to here, Neogaf's demographic online is typically left leaning.

 

[Ferrio]

Not everyone on gaf is young. Though doubt we're sporting many 50+'s

 

[Forever]

Left and right is relative, if you stuck me in the UK for good I'd probably call myself a Conservative.

The Republican party in the United States is so far right it'd be called fascist in Europe.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Because you get banned otherwise.

 

[Hop]

Plus this is an international forum, and 'left' in America is pretty much 'right' in much of Europe.

And it seems virtually every outspoken conservative gets themselves banned sooner or later.

 

[ElectricBlue187]

probably a little of everything: age, being into technology, shitty republican presidents, education

 

[zomaha]

edit:asdfagdsas

 

[Prez]

Educated people often tend to lean left in politics for the obvious reasons (common sense), and most people on gaf are educated.

If you mean educated on videogames and popular culture, then you're right.

 

[btkadams]

There's no left in American politics.

.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

There's no such thing as left in American politics.

Also this.

 

[A Human Becoming]

Reality has a...

"Reality has a well-known liberal bias."

Damn it.

 

[speedline]

It's the moderators plus the fact that many gaffers are influenced by Gaf itself. It's the hive mentality here. The conservatives are silenced here, but we do exist. Most of us just don't care enough to make a fuss or get banned because we like Gaf for the non political stuff.

 

[Dutch Gronk]

Educated people often tend to lean left in politics for the obvious reasons (common sense), and most people on gaf are educated.

Thanks for proving my point.

 

[Kayo-kun]

You may think you managed to hide your deliciously ironic "most people on gaf is educated" via your speedy edit, but I'm on to you buddy.

English is my third language and I was hoping that nobody noticed that mistake

 

[el retorno]

For a serious answer the internet seems to attract those who are left leaning. Maybe its an age thing. Or maybe they just have free time collecting their free socialist money.

Spoiler

kidding

This isn't really true. The sites that GAF uses lean left but I'd have a hard time saying the entire internet leans left when adjusted for age. There are a lot of right wing sites (right wing blogs are much more influential in the Right than left leaning sites are on the left)

 

[TRios Zen]

Educated people often tend to lean left in politics for the obvious reasons (common sense), and most people on gaf are educated.

Wouldn't common sense rail against making gross generalizations?

Part of "more right than left" Gaf and consider the BBA and MBA after my name on my business cards to suggest I've received a wee bit of education.

I would guess it would be an age demographic myself (assuming Gaf skews younger) but I don't feel strongly about that.

 

[FroJay]

It's the moderators plus the fact that many gaffers are influenced by Gaf itself. It's the hive mentality here. The conservatives are silenced here, but we do exist. Most of us just don't care enough to make a fuss or get banned because we like Gaf for the non political stuff.

This.

 

[jerry1594]

Most of GAF is young and urbane.

 

[ElFly]

Well the forum has a strict policy against LGBT discrimination, so that would tend to filter out some extreme right groups.

 

[Mondriaan]

I have noticed that hard right conservatives always think that they are somewhere near the political center because they listen to absolutely batshit insane people on the radio. Just saying.

 

[diddles]

conservatives all have jobs so we can't spend all day arguing on gaf

 

[Forever]

Well the forum has a strict policy against LGBT discrimination, so that would tend to filter out some extreme right groups.

Like the Republican party, for example.

 

[Sneds]

There's no left in American politics.

Not everyone on GAF lives in the US.

The US political spectrum is further to the right than other 'Western' countries.

It might be that a lot of the posts the OP judges as leftist are written by people living outside the US.

 

[Dali]

Plus this is an international forum, and 'left' in America is pretty much 'right' in much of Europe.

And it seems virtually every outspoken conservative gets themselves banned sooner or later.

In the mods' defense, it's hard to believe someone isnt trolling when they say a conservative talking point with a straight face. A person's first reaction is usually "you can't seriously believe that". So the only logical conclusion is they're trolling.

 

[ElectricBlue187]

The guys who lean right are scared to say that they lean right because they will get ridiculed.

if you are afraid to speak your mind you probably realize the ideas are ridiculous, based in emotion, and don't stand up to the slightest push of reason

 

[TRios Zen]

Left and right is relative, if you stuck me in the UK for good I'd probably call myself a Conservative.

The Republican party in the United States is so far right it'd be called fascist in Europe.

Uh, I think our ideas about fascism are radically different...

Because you get banned otherwise.

HAHA, comedy gold!

 

[DUFFMCWALIN]

This isn't really true. The sites that GAF uses lean left but I'd have a hard time saying the entire internet leans left when adjusted for age. There are a lot of right wing sites (right wing blogs are much more influential in the Right than left leaning sites are on the left)

Maybe since I use Gaf a lot I'm just used to seeing all of the left blogs and sites used here instead of their right leaning counterparts.

 

[MBison]

Because you get banned otherwise.

This. Sadly.

It seems like it is allowable to reply with a snarky, completely useless post as long as it leans left. I made a snarky reply that leaned right and admittedly was useless and I got a week ban. Since then I've seen dozens of similar posts that were nothing but troll useless (heck some are in this thread) but if it leans left it escapes the "replies must be useful" ban.

Not bitter!

<3 gaf

 

[J-Rod]

Because their parents lean right.

 

[Tathanen]

English is my third language and I was hoping that nobody noticed that mistake

Aw, now I feel bad.

 

[samus i am]

The Internet leans left in general. My guess is it's because old people in general are less tech savvy.

 

[cDNA]

Social Conservatives hijacked the Republican party and have converted the party in a bad joke, that is almost impossible to defend.

 

[Captain Pants]

I imagine part of it is that the current iteration of what it means to be 'right' is so belligerent that fewer and fewer people identify with it. Maybe I'm wrong.

edit:

Social Conservatives hijacked the Republican party and have converted the party in a bad joke, that is almost impossible to defend.

What he said.

 

[spekkeh]

Left and right is relative, if you stuck me in the UK for good I'd probably call myself a Conservative.

The Republican party in the United States is so far right it'd be called fascist in Europe.

Yeah, as a European liberal I'm also always irked by being associated with leftists/socialists too, I consider myself on the right rather than the left. But then if I were in America I'd probably vote Democrat, because it's better than being conservative and there is no actual alternative (well except maybe Ron Paul but he has some weird ideas too).

 

[Hop]

In the mods defense, its hard to believe someone isnt trolling when they say a conservative talking point with a straight face. A person's first reaction is usually "you can't seriously believe that". So the only logical conclusion is they're trolling.

Oh, I'm not blaming mods. Just pointing out that outspoken conservatives seem to consistently run afoul of the rules. That tends to create a skewed appearance.

 

[DUFFMCWALIN]

This. Sadly.

It seems like it is allowable to reply with a snarky, completely useless post as long as it leans left. I made a snarky reply that leaned right and admittedly was useless and I got a week ban. Since then I've seen dozens of similar posts that were nothing but troll useless (heck some are in this thread) but if it leans left it escapes the "replies must be useful" ban.

Not bitter!

<3 gaf

I've given up caring about things like this on Gaf (not necessarily in relation to politics). There are so many of these replies on the gaming side and they get away with it. It is disgusting. Never go into a Sony thread or piss off Nintendo fanboys.

Because their parents lean right.

There is a little bit of truth to this. But I attribute it more to the rebellion of youth and liking the exact opposite of your parents rather than actually forming your own valid opinions yet.

 

[Kurtofan]

There's no such thing as left in American politics.

The fact that "liberal" means left wing in the US says it all really.