Fellow Independents, what side have you noticed has given you more hate?

[Anonymous]

Democrats

Republicans

Equal

Not a Independent/See Results.

[NamerOfStars]

This election cycle? Democrats. They seem straight-up unable to accept that Donald Trump isn't the monster they've been told he is. Consequently, anyone who DOESN'T support anyone running against him is trying to destroy the country, or part of a cult. Meanwhile, when I talk with (not to, but WITH) members of said cult, I find almost invariably reasonable people, who are entirely accepting of the fact that I disagree with them on some political issues.

When the worst of group A is claiming their opponents want to outlaw Christianity, and are viewed as fringe loons by the rest of group A, and the worst of group B is actively calling for people to be censored and forced out of ANY job, unable to earn a living, for expressing wrongthink, and the rest of group B makes that idea a part of their party platform, it's not hard to say who's being more hateful.

It's important to note my first words, though: "This election cycle". I obviously wasn't voting in 2002, but the talk of the upcoming war (it was taken as a given from the beginning, despite the political efforts to avoid it) was also extremely hostile to anyone who questioned it. Ari Fleischer, in particular, would have fit right in with the modern political conversation.

[Lliam]

Over the past 10 years, I have found that I can get along with Republicans even if we disagree on some things. I have some good Republican friends, even though I don't have conservative values.

But I have found that if I disagree with a Democrat on even one issue, they brand me as a right-winger and disassociate with me. Modern Democrats are fearful, self-righteous, judgmental ideologues who believe that their opinions are infallible, even though it is mainstream, corporate media that tells them what to think.

My values include things like critical thinking, open mindedness, tolerance, support for peace, love, fairness, justice and liberty, distrust of authority, and opposition to war and violence.

I consider myself a 1960s-70s liberal at heart. But I don't recognize modern liberalism and view the modern Democratic party as despicable. I don't like the Republican party, either, but I seem to have more in common with conservatives these days because many share the values that I listed.

[Asker]

This is exactly what I've noticed, and is part of the reason I left the democratic party to become Independent. Democratic party and it's supporters have gotten to the point they default to attacking and smearing everyone who they disagree with even if who they disagree with has valid point/opinion. Just recently, I've noticed Democrats have been out in force labeling everyone a sexist and a racist for not liking Harris, yes their is a tiny percentage of voters who dislike Harris specifically because of her race and gender, but the vast majority of us dislike her because we see her as a terrible candidate, and race and gender has noting to do with a candidate being terrible.

[Lliam]

That's a really good example. Yeah, they really like to slander people with labels - racist, sexist, homophobe, white supremacist, ...

[Lliam]

Thanks for the MHO. 👍🤟

[DrPepper12]

@asker
Has it ever occurred to both of you that the inversion of liberals you were being presented by the corporate media is there to stoke outrage and therefore generate more clicks and eyeballs for more revenue? Same for liberal corporate media. Conflict and controversy sell so they focus on extremes and sell it like its all of "them"

[Lliam]

@DrPepper12. Media doesn't influence me at all.
Did you even read my original comment?
I've had first hand interactions with LOTS of modern liberals. THEY are the ones who are influenced by msm and group think. Are you?

Why did you feel the need to jump in and insult our intelligence? Is if because that's what modern liberals do? They attack people because they can't handle criticism or opposition?

I have had liberal values since high school. I broke off from the Democratic party after Clinton's first term when the party turned neoliberal. I voted independent until Mr. Hope and Change ran. I voted for him enthusiastically. But he went back on his campaign promises and stabbed us in the back.
I went back to voting independent, including in 2016.

From 2002 to 2011, I was Board Chair of a local environmental non-profit and was a darling of the local liberal community. I was also a very active member of a liberal, nondenominational Unitarian Universalist church. I initially felt like I was home. Those were my people. They were wonderful and I made some very, very good friends.

But well-off, white, latte-liberal retirees from the Bay area gradually started joining. Other than their partisan politics, they were some of the most stuck up, closed minded, know it all, conservative people I've ever met. They thought they were smart because they had degrees and read the NYT every day. They swallowed every mainstream narrative hook, line and sinker and refused to investigate any information that diverged from those narratives.

I finally quite that congregation in 2020.

So don't tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about.

[Asker]

Unknowingly he's proving our point.

[DrPepper12]

You don't know what you're talking about.

How did i insult you?

Media doesn't influencer you? Ok! 🙄

Obama was hobbled by Congress and failed to deliver.

So i get painted with your bay area liberals? isn't that rather closed minded to make assumptions? Hmm?

So paid journalism is fake news? I guess you oppose capitalism too...

You don't know what you're talking about

[Lliam]

@DrPepper12. Corporate "journalism" doesn't exist. It isn't journalism. It doesn't inform. It's pure propaganda; social engineering. It's the fakest of fake news. It is designed to distract people from reality. And it's really good at it. It has a single unified narrative to give the illusion of consensus. Although, they do play on partisan politics in order to appear to have differences, just as do the two political parties. But those differences don''t apply to important issues. Behind the scenes, they are all part of the same cub. They are like professional wrestlers who act like mortal enemies in the ring but are good buddies in real life.

Anyone who beliefs their play acting is an idiot.

But I guess it "never occurred to me" that msm manipulates the masses.

[Anonymous]

Republicans by far because if you're not pro-Trump, they resort to the same childish namecalling that he spews on a daily basis.

[Anonymous]

100% red. Just cause they enjoy hatin'. The other side is too lazy to care what my thoughts are. lol

[Opinion Owner]

Someone needs to poll the AI bots. Which side does more hating on gag and comments removed. It will be republicans by far. This one is corrupted by liars.

[Asker]

The poll is pretty accurate. as a Independent, I've gotten more hate from Democrats then I have Republicans. Just take a look at Lliam's opinion, it's spot on.

[Opinion Owner]

Spot on for him. Not my life story. I avoid republicans since trump was first in office. So rude now.

[Asker]

I've avoided Democrats since Hillary ran in 2016. My life story is I've gotten hate from both sides, but more so from Democrats.

[Opinion Owner]

I have never had to report direct dem hate on gag. On the other hand it is daily for republicans. Can not post a thought with out an immature reply.

[Asker]

I have reported Dem hate, reported Rep hate too. I've had more opinions/replies removed from Dem's then I have Rep's, because Dem's can't handle someone having a different opinion than them. Same for republicans, but worse with Dem's in my experience.

[Opinion Owner]

I have had the opposite. It's really bad sometimes too.

[MisterWack]

As a Democrat, I mention that I used to be Conservative/Republican/Trumpy and I get hated on from being called a, “bot” to “liar liar liar!” to “commie”. I always mentioned that I might go back to the Republican Party in the future when they clean up their act though with so much aggression, toxicity, also ignorance in the base it is hard to see anyone join that party willingly when their true colors are shown to everyone clearly (I mainly mean the politicians not the voters/supporters)

I do get more hate from the Republican side of the isle.

[MisterWack]

*note : When I explain myself and the steps I’ve taken / what I’ve seen from both sides… If I don’t agree 100% on an issue with Republicans, I get absolutely hated on.
1. Agree Hillary Clinton was an awful pick 2016
2. Agree that Hunter Biden is a guilty convicted felon
3. Say January 6th was caused by Trump
“COMMIE!” That is what I’m dealing with here. There is no common ground or reasoning with these people.

[Stetson]

Democrats 💯. I honestly have gotten so sick of people in that party wanting to bash and judge people who are religious that I voted for people I didn't like much better the last few elections simply because Republicans never say anything that makes me feel threatened for believing in God. I often feel like many democrats hate people of all religions and push hate towards people who belong to any religious faith. I am given the impression on mainstream media that Democrats only care about atheist and hate the rest of the world. That's just how they make me feel anymore. However I am a registered independent and while he has no chance I plan to vote for independent Kennedy in November. He is a solid option instead of me voting for either of the choices I am left with. A democrat that I feel hates anyone who is not atheist and a Republican that only cares about getting even with his enemies.

[DrPepper12]

Yes but which god do these conservatives identify with? Real jesus or Republican jesus?

[ProbablyClueless]

It shifts over time, as with everything these days. Democrats, most recently. The anti-intellectualism among the intellectual class is deeply disturbing.

[DrPepper12]

What do you mean by that?

[ProbablyClueless]

@DrPepper12 The lack of critical thought; they just blindly accept whatever they're told, so long as it comes from the right source. As someone with a Journalism background, I find it really disturbing when a group of people who claim to be educated, claim to be aware, and claim to be empathetic will just automatically buy into whatever the company line of the moment is.

I would say that the democrat acceptance of the Kamala Harris nomination is a really prime example of this. Where people are just flat out forgetting why that woman dropped out of the 2020 primary. And they're forgetting the way she behaved during the Biden presidency.

These people fucking DESPISED that woman and they've despised her for years. But now, suddenly Kamala Harris is the answer to all our problems because the media is telling us so.

[exitseven]

definitely democrats. It got so bad that I am now a registered Republican.

[normalice]

I haven't really met many true independents. I've met apolitical people and we usually just don't talk about politics altogether but if it comes up I try to politely correct any misconceptions they might have. But usually people who aggressively claim to be independent end up having a strong party preference but just don't want to admit it to themselves.

[ProbablyClueless]

Yes! I've found that too. A lot of the independents I've spoken with are closeted anti-establishment types with a party preference they're trying hard to no acknowledge.

[Asker]

Simply not true, most of us independents, are independent, because the 2 parties have moved so far to the left and right, we're left in the middle being politically homeless. Roughly 50% of the electorate is independent now due to the 2 major parties catering to the radical left and right.

[normalice]

You have tombe careful though as that's a typical talking point of republicans who call themselves independent. In reality, the democratic party is as centrist as it has always been. They have attracted a few far left elements but they are fringe and have no real power. Right wing media just likes focus on that fringe to push the narrative that the democratic party has lurched to the left to provide cover for how far to the right the republican party has lurched - i. e. by literally nominating someone who tried to start a civil war and have his vice president hanged. There's no way to spin that other than the entire party taking a huge lurch to the very far right - not just a fringe and not just an incremental step.

But mainstream democratic policies haven't really changed in 30 years. It is only the media that has been brought under more republican control that has shifted the perception. That's what far right billionaires bought the Citizens United ruling for, after all, and yet people still act like it's hard to accept that it is doing exactly what it was designed to do 🤷

[Asker]

I can guarantee the democratic party is not centrist, the party has moved so far to the left, any democrat who didn't follow suit, is now labeled a Republican even though their views are the same. Your dead wrong, most media outlets including CNN are not republican controlled. CNN pretends to be neutral while actually leaning left, whether your willing to admit or not.

[normalice]

I can guarantee it has not moved to the left.

And if you were given 20 billion dollars and told your job was to make democrat leaning voters as apolitical as possible, you would end up doing exactly what CNN is doing.

[DrPepper12]

Rating? 100% TRUE!!

[DrPepper12]

I wish i had written that!! TY 👊🏻

[OtterMan68]

The GOP: If you don't support Trump, you're unpatriotic, a commie, hate the US, pro-pedophile...

Look at Trump, he called his opponents garbage and insults anyone who is not loyal to him.

[Asker]

The DNC: If you don't support Harris, you're sexist and racist. Democrats care more about forcing a woman of color on voters then they do beating Trump, and will smear everyone as a sexist and a racist for disagreeing.

[OtterMan68]

Can you provide quotes from the DNC to back up your claim?

[Anonymous]

Irrational mental illness definitely comes from the "blue" side

[Opinion Owner]

... as an Independent, I am to the right of the Republican Party... pretty much where the Constitution Party is

[DrPepper12]

Very curious to see the results on this

[Asker]

Results are in and Democrats won the poll.