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by next_xibalba 436 days ago
The media's use of the the term "far right" for democratically elected politicians is actually a really useful tell. They are unintentionally signaling how biased they are.

Either: "This politician, who received millions of votes is very far right of me (I am very far to the left)."

Or: "I am the center of the left-right spectrum, and this politician who received millions of votes is quite a ways to the right of me (the center), so they are obviously far right."

3 comments

if someone is democratically elected they can’t have en extreme ideology?
Extreme relative to what? The left-right framework is purely arbitrary and relative. I would argue the center should be set at the political views of the average voter. If 50% of voters elect a politician, I would then argue the candidate is quite close to the “center”.
Since most presidential elections are basically 50/50, every president and their opposition are all basically in the center, I guess.
Are there any conservative leaders that the media doesn't call "far right"?
the majority of them.
so, it doesn't tell you much.