Why liberals think they are "mainstream"

[Rick]

Pauline Kael, the late film critic for the New Yorker magazine, attained immortality with her famous alleged statement that she couldn't see how Nixon won the election for president, insofar as nobody she knew voted for him.

Liberal media people, and other top liberals, only associate with or talk to other liberals. Conservatives, by contrast, see media which is overwhelmingly an instrument of the lib/left. The US establishment now, including universities, the church leadership, corporate heads, and even the top ranks of the military, are firmly in the liberal camp, whereas the majority of the american people are some shade of conservative. Of course, in the academy and inside the DC beltaway, such people are viewed as "gun and religion clingers", a few hicks out there in trailer parks in the hinterlands. So when a Reagan gets elected, or there is a record setting sweep in the 2010 midterm congressional elections, they are genuinely dumbfounded, not realizing that they are actually a political minority.

 

[Centrehalf]

I think this is a good conversation to have, but I'd really like you to define what you think Liberal means before I respond in any kind of depth, because I think we may have very different definitions of Liberal. If you had said Statist instead of Liberal, I would have agreed with you right off the bat.

 

[Rick]

Among academicians and scholars of political economy, the term corrsponds to its original meaning of maximum freedom. BUT - once again, in the U.S., in common usage since the early 1900s, the term "liberal" means the political left, with the possible exception of the extreme leftwing fringe like obozo. The people who support anti-white racism, who want to overturn the second amendment and equal protection clause, who support the suppression of free speech, religious expression, and democracy, the people who support the Abortion Holocaust, the illegal alien invasion, the replacement of the rule of law and constitutionalism with activist judges, the people who support big taxes and big government, appeasement, transfer of US sovereignty to international agencies. Can't make it any clearer.

 

[Centrehalf]

Fair enough. I disagree with your characterisation of Liberals but there's no doubt that there's bias in the MSM, in our universities, and in some of our large corporations. I think the reason a bias towards bigger government exists is because all of those groups profit from large government, especially a large government with two major parties that aren't in any danger of losing their power. The MSM wants to keep the same people in power because it makes it easier to maintain a working relationship, the colleges benefit financially in many ways from our government as it exists now, and some corporate heads obviously feel that a good working relationship with government is in their best interest. Those groups definitely would not push for change because change could hurt them.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Excellent explanation, Rick. But, in my dictionary, the words "liberal" and "leftist" are interchangeable.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

I thought a Liberal was anyone who Gipper does not agree with.

 

[Stalin]

If you have a "lberal" president, then the majority of people must have voted for him.

Sore loser is all I can think.

Go and live in Singapore.

Comrade Stalin

 

[Centrehalf]

Among academicians and scholars of political economy, the term corrsponds to its original meaning of maximum freedom. BUT - once again, in the U.S., in common usage since the early 1900s, the term "liberal" means the political left, with the possible exception of the extreme leftwing fringe like obozo. The people who support anti-white racism, who want to overturn the second amendment and equal protection clause, who support the suppression of free speech, religious expression, and democracy, the people who support the Abortion Holocaust, the illegal alien invasion, the replacement of the rule of law and constitutionalism with activist judges, the people who support big taxes and big government, appeasement, transfer of US sovereignty to international agencies. Can't make it any clearer.

One thing to add to my last post. If the above really is your definition of a Liberal, then a big chunk of the GOP is Liberal right along with the Dems. If most Americans aren't Liberal, then how did Liberals get so much representation? I'm just curious to hear your answer to that, I'll be on-topic from now on in this thread.

 

[Gipper]

I thought a Liberal was anyone who Gipper does not agree with.

Thank you Pockets.

Back to the OP.

We conservatives can't help but be exposed to liberalism every single day. While liberals who chose not to personally associate with conservatives and discuss political matters, NEVER are exposed to conservative opinions. So, naturally they conclude they are in the majority and mainstream. (this is also why it is much easier to be lib...and reason why some of them are libs)

This erroneous opinion held by liberals also leads them to viciously attack conservative sources such as Rush, Beck, Fox News and others. They see outspoken conservatives as fools, provocateurs, and propagandists who must be silenced. To them, the opinions espoused by conservatives is HATE SPEECH!!! (RIGHT POCKETS?)

The obvious contradiction to the First Amendment never occurs to them and why? Simple. They see themselves as good, since everyone they know believes as they do, and conservatives as evil. So, the Constitution be damned...of course, they really don't believe in the Constitution either....

A GOOD EXAMPLE
Andrew Breitbart was a mindless liberal while grewing up in Hollywood CA. He claims he was NEVER exposed to conservative thought at home, in high school or college (but, liberal thought was pounded into him daily). One day while delivering pizzas and living the life of a flunky entitlement minded liberal, he heard Rush. BINGO! His whole life changed.

Thank God some see the light...

 

[Centrehalf]

The obvious contradiction to the First Amendment never occurs to them and why? Simple. They see themselves as good, since everyone they know believes as they do, and conservatives as evil. So, the Constitution be damned...of course, they really don't believe in the Constitution either....

To be fair there's a fair amount of that on both ends of the political spectrum. In my state conservative means social conservative, both parties here spend liberally on their pet projects and causes, and social conservatives have espoused ideas that are just as anti-First Amendment and anti-Fourth Amendment as anything that far-lefties have proposed.

The OP states that most Americans are conservative, I think that's debatable. I do agree that there is a bias in place in some parts of our society that run counter to what many Americans support.

 

[PLC1]

Liberals are mainstream.

Since a liberal is someone who disagrees with Rick on practically any subject, and since people who disagree with Rick are mainstream, liberals are therefore the mainstream.

Of course, that depends on the definition of "liberal."

 

[Rick]

One thing to add to my last post. If the above really is your definition of a Liberal, then a big chunk of the GOP is Liberal right along with the Dems.

It depends on what "big chunk" means. Obviously, RINOs exist, and conservatives have been battling them for the last 50 years. As I've said many times on this site, to keep from confusing yourself, you have to distinguish between "republican" and "conservative".

If most Americans aren't Liberal, then how did Liberals get so much representation? I'm just curious to hear your answer to that, I'll be on-topic from now on in this thread.

The answer isn't as hard as General Relativity, and I've explained that too on this site. In 2008, in one of the worst timing events in political history, the economy collapsed on the republican watch. The crash had been created by leftwing meddling in the housing market over a number of years, and the bubble finally burst. The lib media went into overdrive, laying the blame on the republicans. Also, since he first got elected senator, the lib media had been ass kissing obozo in a way that was a new low even for them. (I imagine that sometimes the extent of it must even be embarassing for obozo himself.) Also, in the republican primaries, the lib media worked as hard as they could to get the weakest GOP candidate, McCain, nominated, and when they succeeded, of course turned on a dime and went into full attack mode against him. Further, one of the worst GOP presidents, RINO Bush 2, had been in office for eight years. Bottom line: from a conservative viewpoint, 2008 was a perfect storm of negative things coming together at the same time. But remember that in 2010 for the midterm elections, the dems lost the House, and would have lost the senate except that only 1/3 of the senators were up for re-election.

 

[Rick]

The OP states that most Americans are conservative, I think that's debatable. I do agree that there is a bias in place in some parts of our society that run counter to what many Americans support.

I should have said "at least not liberal", and there's no LEGITIMATE debate about that at all. Here's a result from the liberal polling organization Gallup, I've seen other polls where an absolute majority call themselves conservative. In any case, libs are not mainstream, no ifs ands or buts.

 

[Centrehalf]

I should have said "at least not liberal", and there's no LEGITIMATE debate about that at all. Here's a result from the liberal polling organization Gallup, I've seen other polls where an absolute majority call themselves conservative. In any case, libs are not mainstream, no ifs ands or buts.

Gallup ain't liberal, and it is debatable, whether you like it or not.

Rick, the sun rises in the west....the sun rises in the west....the sun rises in the west...see, no matter how many times I say it, it isn't true. No matter how many times you tell me how it is, it still ain't true.

 

[Rick]

Gallup ain't liberal

You've just sorted yourself into the "clueless" bin - Gallup is renowned for it's liberally biased questions, and like the rest of the lib media, the questions it DOESN'T ask - that's why they are commissioned so often by such lib media stalwarts as CNN and USA Today.

and it is debatable, whether you like it or not.

Refuse to accept the numbers when they are even shoved in front of your face?

Hokkayyyyyyyyyyyyyy............