Why don't liberals use e-mail as effectively as the conservatives?

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Bagger

Actually I don't get a lot of that type of e-mail. For that matter, I'm pretty lucky in that I just don't get a lot of spam.

The e-mails I was referring to were the e-mails posted here on this site. The "I just received this from a 'friend' and it's true" type of threads.

You don't see many like that started by liberals... which I'm glad about.

Just seems odd that conservatives use it as much as they do and you rarely see an e-mail posted by a liberal.

I think it's because those e-mails are targeted towards a certain mindset. I do wish that the posting of them here was discouraged; this forum is supposed to be for political discussion and not a depository for these bogus e-mails that feed off the ignorance and gullibility of the rabid right.

It does seem that most of those who tend towards the left here have somewhat better communications skills than those who continually post those e-mails, and are therefore able to make their points without relying on spam.

[cap1717]

Originally Posted by Bagger

Honestly, it seems to me that I see a lot of e-mails from the right, usually bogus, that get circulated around and somewhere along the line, responded to with the facts.

Why don't liberals do more of that? Why not let them scramble a little?

I have an opinion (or perhaps an observation) about this. Liberals tend to look carefully at issues, consider things from all sides, before coming down for or against an issue. Not all of them, of course, but I feel safe in saying most. Unlike conservatives who "go with" the emotionial, dare I say "hateful" argument, without putting any independent thought, much less actual research, into the equation. Again, for those conservatives out there who I very much respect (and you know who you are) not all of you, just the "general trend". . .

[Genonfire]

Originally Posted by Bagger

Honestly, it seems to me that I see a lot of e-mails from the right, usually bogus, that get circulated around and somewhere along the line, responded to with the facts.

Why don't liberals do more of that? Why not let them scramble a little?

Its easier to spread hate and deception amongst other hateful people in trying to convince them to join them. in other words, the Right is spreading hate because things are not going their way.

[burdell]

Originally Posted by Bagger

Well, so do I... but you see the difference?

Liberals have better spam filters?

[saganista]

Right-wingers as a group have higher attractions to forms of top-down authoritarianism. This makes them more vulnerable to demagoguery via any means. E-mail, websites, AM radio...it doesn't really matter. It's all part of the same vibe of unity and belonging through a common, structured dependency.

Liberals simply don't have that gene...

[Bluefly]

I also think conservativism is a much more absolute value system - the whole "you're either with us or against us" worldview. If their leaders can convince them someone is "against us", then they can rally the tribe against that person. That's what's happeneing to Obama.

In contrast, liberalism is a value system of nuance. Nobody wants absolute government control, but people are much more open to considering increased spending for a greater good (whereas conservatives see all increased spending as bad, unless it's military or gay monitoring).

Thus, why liberals prefer a more balanced NPR perspective and conservatives prefer to have their ideas regurgitated to them through talk shows, emails, etc...

There's simply a much larger degree of critical thinking and nuance from the liberal side, which is both good and bad.