• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

How many liberals to you actually know?

What % of people you know personally would self-ID as liberal?


  • Total voters
    66
This question applies to all the adults who you’ve actually met, seen, interacted with, and who live within approximately 50 miles of you.

They can be family members, friends, co-workers, fellow students, club members, whoever. The only other requirement is that both of you have to know each other by name.

Now imagine that you asked each of these people, individually and privately, the following question: “How would you describe yourself politically?”

What percentage of them would say something like “liberal” or “mostly liberal?”

I live in an area that is about 75% registered Republican, but many years ago Big Corporate and
the gov't tried to put Waste Nuke dumps in this area. We banded together against the common
enemy and many of my friends are still those anti-nuke protestors. The area is stll Republican
but at least they know enought to keep the nuke waste out. Actually, NIMBY, most don't care if
they put it in your back yard. Many of those protestors became Greens, same as me, because we
realize it is about CORPORATE power vs. humanity. Still think that way, I guess.
 
Where are you getting that statistic from?

It's a fluctuating figure, but generally speaking, self-identified conservatives and liberals can make up as much as 34-35% each. Sometimes studies show liberals being in the 20-some percentile, indicating a generally right-leaning country.
 
Gallup...

I was wrong..... it's 23%... an all time high! <chuckle>
Liberal Self-Identification Edges Up to New High in 2013

There's some reason to be wary about that figure and its implications.

6-11-Ideology-by-Engagment.png
 
It's really hard to identify most by any single persuasion. They tend to be more liberal on social issues and all over the map when it comes to taxes and how much should be used and where it should be used. A lot of our Republican representatives would be considered liberal in other areas of the country.
 
This question applies to all the adults who you’ve actually met, seen, interacted with, and who live within approximately 50 miles of you.

They can be family members, friends, co-workers, fellow students, club members, whoever. The only other requirement is that both of you have to know each other by name.

Now imagine that you asked each of these people, individually and privately, the following question: “How would you describe yourself politically?”

What percentage of them would say something like “liberal” or “mostly liberal?”


From what I've noticed, most tend to have no real political affiliation yet are generally easily swayed by the latest talking points on the main TV news channels. They'll officially have no interest in politics then during election week they'll watch news channels and go out and vote based off what they decided from the 10-15 minutes they watched on TV mainline news. That's how I'd say 75% of people who vote make their choice in America.


So my answer would be:


Under 30's: 75% Liberal

30-95: 65% Conservative with 35% of that easily sway-able to Liberals if the issues favor the left
 
Last edited:
The funny thing is, among my friends, who almost all self-identify as liberal, as they've gotten older, their actual positions are mostly conservative, not liberal at all. But since the question is about how they self-identify and not about what they actually believe...
 
Self-ID as liberal? Probably 30%.

Liberal leaning, which includes self-ID and not? Probably 60-70%.

I also live near the state university, which is a more highly and openly liberal area than the more rural parts of the state, so that probably accounts for some of that.
 
Most of the people I agree with are liberal, most of the people I enjoy spending time with aren't.
 
Almost 90%. I am in a part of the country known for its liberalism, but it is not as radical as outsiders may think. Here being on the center to right means socially liberal but more pro-corporate and anti-tax than liberals.
 
This question applies to all the adults who you’ve actually met, seen, interacted with, and who live within approximately 50 miles of you.

They can be family members, friends, co-workers, fellow students, club members, whoever. The only other requirement is that both of you have to know each other by name.

Now imagine that you asked each of these people, individually and privately, the following question: “How would you describe yourself politically?”

What percentage of them would say something like “liberal” or “mostly liberal?”

I took the freedom of interpreting the question to mean the German equivalent of American "liberals" when I voted.
 
In Australia few people know what is left and what is right. or what a conservative or liberal is. It makes it more difficult for them because our conservative party is called The Liberal Party. Which actually does make sense if you look into it.

In Australia rich people vote for the conservative party ( Liberals ) and poor people vote for liberals ( Labor ).

To me it is absurd that WWE fans in America vote for the richer Republican party. That seems pretty stupid. But then again, Democrats hardly appeal to the working class in US do they? They focus on minorities for the most part. And do-gooders. American politics is strange as hell to me.

edit- wouldnt it be easier for one party to be for the working class and the other for the business class? thats normally how it works if you look around the world.

edit- See the conservative Liberal Party is for owners. The 'liberal' Labor Party is for workers... Wouldnt that make more sense?
 
In Germany, "liberal" means "classical liberal" or what Americans call "libertarian" -- it means anti-social state, pro-free market. So about the exact opposite of what it means in American vernacular.

So when I voted in the poll, I thought of the people who'd call themselves "social liberal" or "center-left" or "leftist" here.

Most of my family and friends would identify as such. Some other people might identify as such when asked, but aren't. Others I know don't care but qualify, judging by their general opinions.

So on the bottom line, I guess 65% to 75% of the people I know by name are "liberals" in the American sense of the word.
 
The majority of people I personally know who vote Democrat are actually conservative. And the ones who say the are liberal are radical leftwing types.
And when I say radical I mean, 90% income tax, abortion in the 9month types.
 
In Australia few people know what is left and what is right. or what a conservative or liberal is. It makes it more difficult for them because our conservative party is called The Liberal Party. Which actually does make sense if you look into it.

In Australia rich people vote for the conservative party ( Liberals ) and poor people vote for liberals ( Labor ).

To me it is absurd that WWE fans in America vote for the richer Republican party. That seems pretty stupid. But then again, Democrats hardly appeal to the working class in US do they? They focus on minorities for the most part. And do-gooders. American politics is strange as hell to me.

edit- wouldnt it be easier for one party to be for the working class and the other for the business class? thats normally how it works if you look around the world.

edit- See the conservative Liberal Party is for owners. The 'liberal' Labor Party is for workers... Wouldnt that make more sense?

Actually in america the wealthiest people tend to vote Democrat. Yeah it's confusing.
 
I wasn't trying to slam liberals, mostly just find that I tend to socially fit in better with centrists or right leaning people, even if we don't necessarily agree in politics.
 
I wasn't trying to slam liberals, mostly just find that I tend to socially fit in better with centrists or right leaning people, even if we don't necessarily agree in politics.

I'm sure you weren't, and I agree with you on your statement in a "social" setting because I feel the same way. I'm on the right and the folks I know who are self proclaimed liberals seem to be more argumentative, uptight and essentially not that much fun to be around. IMO:cool:
 
I live in a red state, so unfortunately, I, being one who leans leftward, have very few people to talk politics with. Argue politics? Yes. Civilly discuss politics? Nope. I'd bet that right now, where I live, I could count on both hands, the people who lean left.

When I lived in New York, I could count on both hands those who leaned right.
 
This question applies to all the adults who you’ve actually met, seen, interacted with, and who live within approximately 50 miles of you.

They can be family members, friends, co-workers, fellow students, club members, whoever. The only other requirement is that both of you have to know each other by name.

Now imagine that you asked each of these people, individually and privately, the following question: “How would you describe yourself politically?”

What percentage of them would say something like “liberal” or “mostly liberal?”

What do you mean, when you say 'liberal'? The original meaning or the one often encountered, when social programs are the issue in America?
They are pretty much the opposite of one another, you see.
 
This question applies to all the adults who you’ve actually met, seen, interacted with, and who live within approximately 50 miles of you.

They can be family members, friends, co-workers, fellow students, club members, whoever. The only other requirement is that both of you have to know each other by name.

Now imagine that you asked each of these people, individually and privately, the following question: “How would you describe yourself politically?”

What percentage of them would say something like “liberal” or “mostly liberal?”
Very few. There's many in this state to begin with, the few aren't loud, and I don't generally 'get to know' that kind of person.
 
really?... spend some more time here at DP... there's tons of people that profess to love paying taxes around here

They love other people paying taxes...
 
I have about a half dozen people in my circle of friends who are what I call "flaming liberals" - to the left of Bill Ayers. I don't discuss politics with them unless wine is involved. Then there are the people who are somewhat schizophrenic about their politics: you never know where they are going to come from, because every once in a while they will come up with a conservative thought. Then there is everybody else, who are center to right leaning.

I have been told that I speak for the Church these days and that I am to post no personal political opinions on FB, for example, simply to reiterate what the Church teaches, which is usually construed to be "far right" by the first bunch I mentioned, although they are generally supportive of me personally.
 
I don't consider myself a liberal ... some People might ... I mean I don't even know what a liberal is ....

Is an absolute libertarian a liberal? In europe he is (using the American definition).

Is a conservative Catholic Liberation theologist a liberal? No ... but in the US he might be considered such ....

I'm ardently anti-Capitalist, but also conservative when it comes to Things like gay so-called marriage and abortion and the Family and pornography and so on .... am I a liberal? Well only in the United states would I be considered a liberal ...

I know People that are pro-gay marriage, pro-abortion, pro all that stuff and also pro-capitalist .... I Call that liberal in every term of the Word ....

Unfortunately in the United States People who Call themselves conservatives have basically been hijacked by the neo-liberal Economists ... who I guarantee laugh at conservative morality behind their back ... not a lot of Wallstreet guys that go the Church, yet they dictate the US so called "conservative" economic positions.
 
I'm sure you weren't, and I agree with you on your statement in a "social" setting because I feel the same way. I'm on the right and the folks I know who are self proclaimed liberals seem to be more argumentative, uptight and essentially not that much fun to be around. IMO:cool:

LOL, you know the wrong group of liberals. Throw up a cards against humanity game or go out to the club, and trust me, most will loosen up and be tons of fun.

Often I find it when people are uptight, its not that they are uptight but guarded. That can be for whatever reason, but if you find it a theme among liberals, you may wish to observe you present yourself.
 
Last edited:
I live in a red state, so unfortunately, I, being one who leans leftward, have very few people to talk politics with. Argue politics? Yes. Civilly discuss politics? Nope. I'd bet that right now, where I live, I could count on both hands, the people who lean left.

When I lived in New York, I could count on both hands those who leaned right.

you should try living in or near a "liberal" enclave in a red state.. it's pretty funny most of the time... young ideologues are the wrong people to shape or run a city(Austin), and they often stand by in wonderment when their well laid ideological plans turn to absolute ****. ... but they put on celebrations and festival like no others.. and they attract the artsy folks, whom i love to have around.

it's pretty fun in my "neighborhood" too... the old guy on the next ranch over calls me "Commie"( I have a fur Ushanka I wear in winter)..I call him "Mooo-silini" ( he has cattle)... and then we get high.... and laugh and laugh.
then their is COF'ee ( stands for "crotchety old ****er").. he's in is 90's and hates everything and everybody in politics...he's a bit of an extremist... nearly an anarchist by the sound of him.
when I asked if he's every liked a president he get angry and says" .. go ask a slave if they have ever liked a goddamned master".
.... now we just talk about whiskey,women, and weather :lol:
 
Back
Top Bottom