POG Politics Thread Version 3
Come on in! Since Dustin is taking his ball and going home, it's time to start a new politics thread.
Based left-wing
He is a conservative centrist at least every time i hear anything he says its always some pro zionist or thinly veiled racist stuff. I dont listen to him or follow him so i dont really know.
I mean I'm also british so he's one of those people I find confusing as to what Americans see in him.
He also gives me major creep vibes.
He is a conservative centrist at least every time i hear anything he says its always some pro zionist or thinly veiled racist stuff. I dont listen to him or follow him so i dont really know.
I mean I'm also british so he's one of those people I find confusing as to what Americans see in him.
He also gives me major creep vibes.
Yeah. Joe Rogan "Centrist".
I don't think anyone likes him, kind of a Piers Morgan situation.
nothing "thinly veiled" about his racism. he says Muslims deserve to be slaughtered.
bernie's racism is what I *might* call thinly veiled, like when he says how much he loves everyone and equality blah blah blah, but then supports genocide
he’s voted democrat his entire life and built his career as one of the most openly liberal voices in late night
what’s actually happened is the baseline moved, not him
positions that were mainstream liberal in the 90s and 2000s now get labeled “right wing” by the crazies because the far left shifted further left, so people like Bill Maher and plenty of the rest of us who haven’t really changed end up getting tagged as conservatives for holding views that are standard liberal positions
i'm sure donk donk thinks clinton and dukakis are right wing fascists as well
he’s voted democrat his entire life and built his career as one of the most openly liberal voices in late nightwhat’s actually happened is the baseline moved, not himpositions that were mainstream liberal in the 90s and 2000s now get labeled “right wing” by the crazies because the far left shifted further left, so people like Bill Maher and plenty of the rest of us who haven’t
That's very interesting rick.
So you think mainstream positions became considered rightwing because the left moved farther left?
Did you know? We think it's because the right moved farther right. Do you think that's true?
Can you give me a non-culture war example of the left moving farther left? We see it moving farther right.
Grok says (A Fact checking run says no hallucinating):
Data from nonpartisan sources like Pew Research, Gallup, and academic analyses show the American left (primarily Democrats and self-identified liberals) has moved further left over the last 20 years (roughly 2004–2024), especially on social/cultural issues. This shift is measurable in self-identification, public opinion, party platforms, and (to a lesser extent) congressional voting records. The right has also polarized, but the left's movement has been more pronounced in voter ideology and social views, contributing to wider gaps.
Here's a breakdown by key metrics:1. Self-Identification: Democrats increasingly call themselves "liberal"Gallup data: In 1994, only 25% of Democrats identified as liberal (plurality were moderate at 48%). By 2010 it was 40%, by 2017 it hit 50%, and in 2022–2024 it reached new highs of 54–55% (with 19% "very liberal"). Moderate Democrats dropped from ~48% to 34%.
The shift is strongest among White and college-educated Democrats: White Democrats identifying as liberal doubled from ~30% in the late 1990s to 61% by 2021; college-educated from 42% to 63%.
Pew (1994–2017): Consistent liberals among politically engaged Democrats quadrupled from ~8% to 38%. Overall ideological overlap between parties shrank dramatically.
This is not just labeling—it's tied to policy views.2. Social and Cultural Issues: Sharp leftward surge (post-2008 acceleration) Public opinion has liberalized overall, but Democrats drove it faster:Same-sex marriage: National support flipped from 60% opposition (2004) to 63% support (2023). Democrats went from 65% support (2014) to 84%.
Abortion: Democrats saying it should be legal in all/most cases rose from 63% (2007) to 85% today; partisan gap widened from 24 to 44 points.
Broader trends: Marijuana legalization (33% → 70%); gender/sexuality views (dramatic flips); Gallup shows Democrats' "liberal" self-ID on social issues up 30 points since 2004.
A 2026 Cambridge/YouGov study of issue clusters found the U.S. left became 31.5% more socially liberal from 1988–2024, while the right moved only 2.8% more conservative. Polarization surged 64% overall after 2008, almost entirely from the left cluster shifting left.
Topics like race, gender identity, immigration rhetoric, and "defund the police"/bail reform gained prominence in the 2010s (e.g., post-Ferguson BLM, 2020 protests), pulling Democratic positions and rhetoric left of 2000s norms.3. Economic Issues: Leftward but less dramaticGallup: Democrats' "liberal" views on economics nearly doubled since 2004.
Platforms shifted toward higher minimum wage ($15+), Green New Deal elements, wealth taxes, and expanded social programs (influenced by Sanders/AOC wing post-2016). 2024 Democratic platform emphasizes these more than 2004/2008 versions.
However, actual governance (Obama → Biden) retained neoliberal elements (free trade, business alliances); critics on the further left argue it wasn't a full break. Voter base moved left faster than some elected officials.
4. Congressional Voting Records (DW-NOMINATE)Both parties polarized away from the center since the 1970s/1990s, with the gap now at historic highs.
Democrats in House/Senate became modestly more liberal (scores more negative). Republicans moved more sharply right in some periods (e.g., House GOP from +0.25 to +0.51). But overall, the median Democrat is further left relative to the center than in 2004.
Recent analyses confirm Democrats in Congress are more uniformly left on the liberal-conservative dimension.
Why this happened (data-driven, not opinion)Cultural/educational: College-educated voters (now a core Democratic bloc) shifted left fastest.
Events: 2008 financial crisis → Occupy → Sanders; 2010s identity movements (BLM, #MeToo, trans rights); social media amplifying progressive voices.
Demographics: Party coalitions changed—Democrats became more non-White, urban, educated, and secular, groups that trend left on social issues.
Counterpoints for balance: The broader U.S. public also liberalized on many social issues (society-wide trend), and Republicans shifted right on economics/immigration. Some analysts argue Democrats moved left but still lag European center-left parties on economics. Congressional data sometimes shows symmetric or right-heavy polarization among elected officials.
The evidence is consistent across Gallup, Pew, and recent studies: the left has moved further left, most dramatically on culture, with measurable effects on polarization. This isn't "both sides" symmetry on every metric. For raw data, check Pew's polarization reports or Gallup ideology trends.
Thanks, I dont hear enough from Elons personal child pornography generator.
I specifically said not culture as well.
Maybe people self identify as liberal more now BECAUSE THE RIGHT IS FASCIST nothing it's talking about is helpful in parsing this.
I'm not mad. I'm using caps for emphasis. Don't put in the paper that I'm mad.
Grok 1, Amp 0
Right wing peeps call things left of them socialist communist and left wing call things right of them conservative racist.
Grok is conflating liberal with leftist. I'm specifically not talking about people becoming more liberal. Identity politics aren't inherently leftist.
More examples
Do you understand that corporate liberalism isn't leftist?
Hello?
amp - bill maher has never voted anything other than democrats
but liberals constantly call him right wing republican
the disconnect is astounding
It's like a fish talking to a bicycle about nuclear physics.
