Study finds college faculties Liberal.

Your post was deleted because it had absolutely nothing to do with the subject.

It's imperitive that all posts stay on subject otherwise every thread degenerates into Liberal/Conservative, Left/Right, Republican/Democrat mudslinging.

 

Well, I'd put it at about 60% liberal / 25% moderate / 15% conservative, at least at LSU. The study above doesn't even recognize moderates, of which there are plenty in academia.

 

I'd say it's not a black and white world. Neither of the above. We don't know if the question was "choose liberal or conservative" anyway. They might have asked "Are you conservative" and I would have answered no and been counted a liberal. Or "Are you liberal" and I would have answered no and been counted a conservative.

There may be moderates in that 13% "neither" figure as well as libertarians and radicals on the extreme left and right and even the apolitical. The very next quote in the story says elite schools are 87% liberal and 13% conservative, clearly leaving no room for moderates or switch-hitters like libertarians. I'd say they lumped the moderates with the liberals.

There is not a knife-edge distiction between conservative and liberal. Only the more radical elements try to paint it that way, there is actually a broad gray area. The moderate is always the opponent of an extremist, whichever extreme he chooses.

But I know what you are trying to ask me and the answer is probably that I'm a left-leaning centrist at present. But during the Clinton administration, I was a right-leaning centrist. I haven't been a true liberal since the 70's.

 

Well, it's very hard to draw a line in the dirt and say everyone to the left of this line is a liberal. I know I would draw that line in very different places depending on whether the issue is economic, social, political, or intellectual.

And usually I'd have to draw two lines because there are always those who fall in between.

Can you draw an unerring line between conservative and liberal? I know catholic republicans who favor abortion. I know people who support the war in Iraq but are appalled by the irresponsible budget deficits. I know people who believe in lower taxes, but also in affirmative action. Where do you draw your knife-edged distinction that doesn't cut some people into both camps?