People who identify as conservative are revealing their most "left-wing" political opinions, and the responses are eye-opening. We often think of America as being starkly divided between "red states" and "blue states." But in reality, an individual's political views can be much more complicated than that — and often, surprising.
It all started when Reddit user u/JuiceNoodle posed a question to the internet: "Left-wingers, what is your most right-wing opinion? Right-wingers, what is your most left-wing opinion?"
You can read the top-voted responses from conservatives below — and be sure to check out how liberals answered the same question:
1. "Right-winger here. No one should have to go bankrupt for getting sick or injured."
2. "Right-winger, mostly. The idea that police can break into your home wearing civilian clothes is a travesty and makes a mockery of the Bill of Rights. And civil asset forfeiture is theft. Like actual, literal theft."
3. "Right-winger. The coal and mining industry should not be subsidized or 'saved.' Investment in wind and solar energy isn’t a bad idea."
4. "Conservative by nature...but I believe in the right to collective bargaining (unions). Organized labor is a double-edged sword, but people should be able to negotiate wages and conditions as a group."
5. "Right-winger. Pollution is theft."
6. "Right-winger here. I think way too many of us right-wingers don’t believe in global warming, and I don’t know why."
7. "Right-wing. I'm not against gay marriage. I don't really see it as any of my business. I support the decriminalization of all drugs and believe usage and addiction should be treated as public health issues, not crimes. I support the release of inmates with non-violent possession convictions. No one should be in jail for possession."
8. "I'm personally a middle-of-the-road moderate, but I identify more with the right. My most left-leaning opinion is probably that no one should have to go bankrupt or fucking die trying to get their meds and medical care."
9. "My most left-wing opinion has to do with prison conditions. I oppose private prisons and support better conditions for prisoners. Prison should be a punishment, but prisoners don't lose their human dignity — no matter what they did. They deserve a minimum standard of treatment, and from a pragmatic standpoint, it makes things both safer for the guards and other prisoners. If having TV keeps them from killing each other, I'm all for it."
10. "I'm very conservative. My left-wing opinion is about the destruction of rainforests. Once a primeval (old) forest is cut down, it never regrows the same. What eventually replaces it is secondary forest and grass, which is totally different from the original forest. I am totally against deforestation in almost all cases, unless it's land that was specifically designated to be grown and then cut down by responsible logging companies."
11. "Right-winger. Legalize weed already."
12. "Right-winger. Military and war take up too much federal spending, and we should focus on peacemaking and cooperation with other countries."
13. "Right-wing conservative here. People should have agency over their bodies. Taking drugs shouldn't be illegal. Getting an abortion isn't the government's business. Etc."
14. "I’m a conservative. Most people on my side of the aisle act like they want small government and less control of their rights, so I’ve never understood why they are so against police reform measures. Yes, we obviously need police to an extent, but why the hell do they need so much power? If they weren’t out there with the ability to engage with any person by force over any small perceived violation of some city ordinance, then many situations that turn bad wouldn’t come to pass."
15. "Right-winger and straight-ticket Republican voter until 2016. ... I think it is insane that Republicans espouse personal liberties but are so anti-LGBTQ+ i.e. people exercising their personal liberties. I happen to be bisexual and secular so my opinion is biased, but isn't what consenting adults do in their own time with other consenting adults being REGULATED BY THE GOVERNMENT also a matter of encroachment upon personal liberties?"
16. "Right-winger and Catholic. I personally don't agree with abortion on a personal level for moral reasons, but I fully support someone's right to get one and do not understand why people die on that hill. I'm also a pretty huge supporter of gay people having equal rights. Mind-blowing that people still give a fuck about that."
17. "Right-winger here. Freedom of movement between nations is a good thing."
18. "Right-winger here. I'm in favor of UBI (Universal Basic Income). This single program would fix so much. It would replace all welfare, social assistance, and minimum wage programs. It would allow employers to pay what they want for work done, but gives workers negotiating leverage in accepting work terms that work for them. The only thing I can't figure out is how to prevent goods and services pricing from inflating because everyone would have a cost floor."
19. "I'm very conservative. ... I utterly despise trophy hunting. Deer and quail are one thing because they live everywhere and are plentiful. Rhinos, lions, elephants, etc. are not, and I don't care how much money someone has to pay for a license to do it, because I still hate it."
20. "Right-winger here (non-American). Health care and education are two fundamental pillars of any functioning society and should absolutely be provided to all citizens."
21. "I’m probably right-wing, but I believe strongly in the existence of rape culture. It wasn’t until college that I saw it for myself and realized how scared I’d be as a woman."
And finally...
22. "Center-right-winger. In general, the right is in shambles and it’s a disgrace that we’re the side of climate change deniers, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-vax, flat Earth, as well as having to hold our heads in shame for the Capitol riot."
Curious to see how people on the left answered this question? Check out:
You can read the full thread of responses on Reddit.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.