Who would you rather hang out with?

More of a Whig man myself

…quit my job, fcuk that, lifes too short…..

…tis a long time since the dems were a left party……

Saps or psychos, hmmm.

The correct answer is

C) Whoever has the most beers.

Like KFC or Wendy's. Same meat with different crap on top. I'll pass on that one. Next please!

One rule; don't talk politics.

Now who do you chose?

Pamela Adrerson in 1994

Joe 😉

Define fairly traditional values.

God bothering and apple pie.

I think you mean me. This need people have to import left/right polito-speak into our Irish discourse is about as interesting to me as paint drying. (Less so in fact as paint drying actually does one or two fascinating things). But I would say politically no I was never "right leaning all along" generally. If I did live in American I believe I would be a democrat voter.

I have campaigned pro drugs (coming from a legalise nearly them all mentality) for a long time. I was insanely active campaigning on and off stage, on and off line, door to door and more supporting the abortion and gay marriage referendums. I've worked against the church and religion in politics. Very pro regulated sex work laws, contraception, early and comprehensive sex education in schools. Very pro the arts and science and anti woo. I just had a multi post argument with people where I was pointing out that it seems gay parents can parent every bit as well, with essentially equal outcomes, as the nuclear family unit.

I have always been told these positions are all very left. But as you say the window of what it means feels like it has shifted rather than I have shifted. That, and people have politicised things that were not always political in the past. Saying you are for or against taking a vaccine for example can have you being told you are "left" or "right" extremist. I was told I was a total leftie recently solely because I said I did not believe in using any level of violence when teaching, controlling, correcting, or disciplining my children.

For example. I have been historically quite close to being a Free Speech Absolutist, and remember fondly the Stephen Fry / Christopher Hitchens 2 hour talk on Free Speech. And I worked against the Blasphemy Law. Always told this was all extremely leftist. But these days if someone on or off line start telling me what words I can or can not use - what I can't say - what is "wrong speak" or "wrong think" it invariably turns out to be someone identifying with the American left strongly. I read 1984 when I was relatively young, and the concept of the Ministry of Truth was one of the most terrifying things I ever read. And yet I see actual examples of it in the world today from these people.

I can barely tell these people I quite enjoyed a Dave Chapelle special without a full tirade about how he is anti Trans (he isn't) made offensive punching down jokes (he didn't) and that his friend Joe Rogan takes horse medicine (which he really really never did and yet there are still those on this very forum who keep repeating it despite being schooled to the contrary multiple times).

I am not rabidly anti gun and even have taught my kids how to maintain and fire rifles since they were 8 (Daugther then son). Also taught them martial arts and self-defence since they were 3. For this I have been told I am some right wing MAGA extremist with NRA associations or something. I like to go hunting. Told this is "right wing" too. I was once literally asked due to my doing exercise and weights - if I was some kind of right wing trumper. What has weight training got to do with politics?

But this is all personal subjective anecdote from online weirdos and a few stand out weirdos I meet here in Ireland. I strongly suspect that 99% of actual on the ground Americans are pretty centrist and not like any of these nut jobs. And a night out with a group of either voting demographic would be equally pleasant and indistinguishable.

Online and socially I have just noticed generally that if I am sharing a good time, interests, comedy and more they almost invariably turn out to be republican voting types. If I feel a skin crawly need to make myself aware of the exits - not so much. And I am not entirely sure why this is. It's definitely recent. And it's definitely sudden.

If they were democrats they would be unattractive and would start bitching about pronouns, privilege and patriarchy, you would need an excuse to get out of there pretty quickly