Why are most chain emails Right Wing in nature???

The reason I am doing this thread is because I keep seeing people either making threads based off of a chain email or blatant misinformation from a blog. I can spot them as soon as I see them...and they are very easy to go look up and give a link proving it is false information. And I notice that it almost always seems to be right wing propaganda that is being spread here on ATS. So I thought I would ask why.

I realize both right wing and left wing get in on the chain email game...but it seems to me that the majority are right wing messages.

Also...there is a higher false rate for right wing chain emails as compared to left wing emails.

I'm just going to do a very very quick analysis (much room for error and improvement). I'm just going to compared Obama chain emails to chain emails of the top republican chain emails subjects of Bush, Palin, and McCain. Like I said...far from perfect...but it will show us the trend. If I have time later...maybe I'll do another thread on specific topics, trends on "fact check" or "politifact", or proven misinformation from left/right blogs. But for now I'll just do chain emails.

I'll be looking at snopes for this analysis...I know some people here think that snopes is a left wing site...but there have never been any proof of that. If you want to make that claim...show me proof. So...here we go.

Obama Section:

88 Total Entries
60 False Entries
8 True Entries
17 Multiple True/False Entries
3 Undetermined Entries

For Obama chain emails they have a 9% truth rate and a 68% false rate.


George Bush Section:

47 Total Entries
17 False Entries
20 True Entries
4 Multiple True/False Entries
4 Undetermined Entries
2 Unclassified Entries

For George Bush chain emails they have a 42% truth rate and a 36% false rate.


Palin Section:

10 Total Entries
7 False Entries
1 True Entries
1 Multiple True/False Entries
1 Undetermined Entries

For Palin chain emails they have a 1% truth rate and a 70% false rate. This one surprised me...I thought she would have a lot more overall. For as much as the right wing says she is attacked...you would think she would have a lot of chain emails going.

McCain Section:

11 Total Entries
6 False Entries
4 True Entries
1 Undetermined Entries

For McCain chain emails they have a 36% truth rate and a 54% false rate.


If we put these all together we can see that Obama still has more entries than the 3 main right wing politicians put together.

If we put Palin, Bush, and McCain together we get this:

68 Total Entries
30 False Entries
25 True Entries
5 Multiple True/False Entries
6 Undetermined Entries
2 Unclassified Entries

For a truth rate of 36% and a false rate of 44%

Compared to a truth rate of 9% and a false rate of 68% for Obama.


So what do you think ATS...why is there more right wing chain emails going around...and why are the majority of their chain emails false??? And why...of all places...do we see so much of it here on ATS??? I really think there should be a special punishment for people who post easily verifiable false information.

Alright...let's hear everyones thoughts.

mabey because the right wing gets attacked so much many take out frustrations in a way you can`t scream rasist in there face, just a guess

reply to post by Aceofclubs


Well I suppose that could be one reason.


Do you have a theory on why so many of them are false and yet still used as sources of information here on ATS???

Become a member of the 9/12 project...and suddenly you get spam emails from FREEDOM WORKS.

I get em all the time....and no I don't visit the 9/12 project website anymore...it's BS.

Because the progressive chain mail that gets sent is completely taken for face value and the progressives eat it up hook line and sinker and don't pass it on as a joke to anybody?

Or because conservatives have better things to do with their time then trying to nail the left with everything little thing they do or try to make them look stupid. Or maybe because some right wing chain letters are actually progressive e-mails that were sent out to make fun and frame the conservatives? Or maybe some conservatives are stupid?

I don't know and personally could care less. It all screams agenda base to me, gatta have that enemy so people can't focus on the issues and how they don't make any sense.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


its the net atleast half the stuff you see is BS and people can`t be botherd to research there self. again just a guess

I have a Republican friend who sends me several a month. I usually look them up on Snopes or a similar site and try to find the truth then send him a reply with the link. So far it hasn't fazed him. He still sends them. I'm guessing he believes the hate filled BS they usually contain.

The hatefulness and heavy bias along with the lack of truthfulness in most of those emails sure makes me question the common Republican claim of being God fearing Christians.

[edit on 25-4-2010 by LazyGuy]

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


Some conservative's base their judgements on trust and are seemingly more susceptible to misinformation, if they hear an absolutely insane idea they'll run with it instead of research it. Example: Obama is going to ban fishing.

I don't get chain emails from my conservative friends anymore. I'd also like to point out that I know a LOT of conservative people that don't forward chain emails that are full of BS.

The difference between a conservative and liberal is that one bases ideas on what will happen and the other on what could happen...naturally, depending on your views, you can take that either way.

reply to post by Light of Night


Hmmm...interesting reply.

You seem to just deny the numbers I have presented...you have dismissed them to mean nothing or to be evidence of a bigger type of conspiracy.

I didn't distort the numbers...I even gave links so you can verify.

Why are you ignoring this issue???

reply to post by LazyGuy


Interesting...have you ever had a face to face conversation with this friend? Where he can't hide from the facts you are presenting?

reply to post by links234


Also interesting...I guess if they naturally trusting people and this is a known fact...then the blame can't be put on them...but those that are behind originating these emails. And in that case...I guess those that suggest that they could originate from the left wing could have a valid theory.

Your last statement is puzzling...I don't see either viewpoint as being correct when that is your whole view point. I think you need a litle bit of both, what could happen and what will happen, to have a good outlook.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


I'm not ignoring the issue, the fact is I can really care less. They are chain letters big deal it happens all the time, between Republicans Democrats.

Not to mention if you really want to get right down to it, putting up one Democrat against 3 republicans isn't really a fair sample set. It also doesn't help that you sourced the info from a known left leaning site, snopes.com, that claims to deal in the truth. And also Obama's history is so convoluted and seeing how all his records are sealed it is impossible to verify anything other than what Obama wants us to know.

To be honest the thread is a joke and seeing how you are a liberal it comes off to me as you just trying to push your agenda.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


Actually, I worked with him for a while. We kept the politics at a ribbing level. We haven't talked much about politics once we didn't work together. I don't see him often but we do talk on the phone occasionally.

I'm not really out to convert him. He seems pretty set in his ways, but there's always hope. I take the time to Google up something about some of his emails and I let whatever truth I find stand for itself.

I'm hoping he'll take the time to consider that what he's reading might not be truthful before he gets fired up emotionally over an inflammatory email and forwards it to his entire address book.

reply to post by Light of Night

I'm not ignoring the issue, the fact is I can really care less. They are chain letters big deal it happens all the time, between Republicans Democrats.

I agree...and I even said it happens on both sides in my original post. I am just wondering why it seems to happen so much more from the right. And I do think it is a big deal...these chain emails with their false information is more than half the problem this country has. Misinformation in general is the biggest problem I see. Hard to have an honest debate when there is so much misinformation.

Not to mention if you really want to get right down to it, putting up one Democrat against 3 republicans isn't really a fair sample set.

I also stated in my OP that this was a very quick analysis...and the reason I used 1 dem to 3 republicans was becauseof the numbers. Comparing Obama to Palin wouldn't be fair...nor would comparing Bush to John Kerry. I took the 4 most visible and talked about politicians as of late.

It also doesn't help that you sourced the info from a known left leaning site, snopes.com, that claims to deal in the truth.

Again...I also addressed this in the OP. Show me some proof that snopes is left leaning...I have yet to see any.

And also Obama's history is so convoluted and seeing how all his records are sealed it is impossible to verify anything other than what Obama wants us to know.

And a lot of this is straight from chain emails...so it does seem like you care about this issue because it appears you may get some of your info from these chain emails. Combined with your distrust of snopes...I can see how you think his history is convoluted.

Tell me...where do you go for "truth"???

If you wanted to see if a chain email was "truth"...where would you go to find that information out? Is there a place that contradicts everything snopes says???

To be honest the thread is a joke and seeing how you are a liberal it comes off to me as you just trying to push your agenda.

If it is a joke...why are you commenting on it?

And yes...some of my views are liberal leaning...some are conservative...but I can still spot a lie when I see it...doesn't matter what side it comes from. I'm just curious why it seems like there are more coming from one side.

I have no agenda here except to find out why it seems there are more chain emails and more false chain emails coming from the right.

One final simple quesiton for you...do you deny that there are more chain emails and more false chain emails coming from the right as opposed to the left???

reply to post by LazyGuy


That is funny...I have similar friends. We will discuss politics over email or on facebook...but never in person. I think it is better that way,

In a way I sometimes think we should discuss it in person so we can try to get to the bottom of some issues...but I kind of always know that it will turn out bad.

Some things just aren't worth it.

Thanks for your input.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher

I have no agenda here except to find out why it seems there are more chain emails and more false chain emails coming from the right.

I don't understand how you can make that claim when yourself just mentioned that this was a "quick analysis". Maybe before you make claims like this thread you should put more time and effort into research?

Why am I commenting? Because I thought the motto of this site was deny ignorance, which clearly isn't happening pertaining to this thread.

reply to post by Light of Night

I don't understand how you can make that claim when yourself just mentioned that this was a "quick analysis". Maybe before you make claims like this thread you should put more time and effort into research?

Why am I commenting? Because I thought the motto of this site was deny ignorance, which clearly isn't happening pertaining to this thread.

You have done nothing to refute my claim...just deflection and an attempt at discrediting...but no really argument against my claims.

I noticed a trend...I looked into it, quickly, but enough to see that the trend I was seeing is back up by some facts...and I made a thread.

I asked you a couple specific questions that you just dodged. I can ask you the questions again...will you answer this time???

1) Can you show me some proof that snopes is left leaning?

2) Tell me...where do you go for "truth"???

3) If you wanted to see if a chain email was "truth"...where would you go to find that information out?

4) Is there a place that contradicts everything snopes says???

5) Do you deny that there are more chain emails and more false chain emails coming from the right as opposed to the left???

The easiest answer is look at the type of people that spam chain emails in the first place: older, less experienced users of the internet. The older Aunts and Grandma's that are embracing the computer and do not realize such spam is looked down upon no matter if true or not.

Now given that age range, they tend to be conservative in ideology. You can talk to the the most dyed in the wool Democrats that actually did vote for FDR in their first presidential election and they will agree to some of the less politicized tenants of conservatism.

Obama is a little left of liberalism for the average person, especially those that would pass the chain emails in the first place. So they tend to believe the statements ideologically and therefore less likely to research the points and are more likely to pass them on, experience wise.

Any site (Snopes, media matters, factcheck.org, etc.) that speaks the truth gets branded as left wing media by its opponents. It's pathetic, I'm not sure who is more pathetic, the liars that spew right wing propaganda or the sheep that believe it. For your own sake, research, think for yourselves

reply to post by damwel


From the Media Matters About Us Section:

Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.

Launched in May 2004, Media Matters for America put in place, for the first time, the means to systematically monitor a cross section of print, broadcast, cable, radio, and Internet media outlets for conservative misinformation — news or commentary that is not accurate, reliable, or credible and that forwards the conservative agenda — every day, in real time.

Yep, Left wing they say it themselves. Factcheck is biased against the right just look at their site. and Snopes shouldn't be used as a source of information.

I guess it's "truth" as long as it fits your ideology.

reply to post by Light of Night


Ok, so you don't trust any of these fact checking websites. Why will you not answer my quesitons? There must be some reason why you are refusing to answer them.

For the third time now...I'll ask again.


1) Can you show me some proof that snopes is left leaning?

2) Tell me...where do you go for "truth"???

3) If you wanted to see if a chain email was "truth"...where would you go to find that information out?

4) Is there a place that contradicts everything snopes says???

5) Do you deny that there are more chain emails and more false chain emails coming from the right as opposed to the left???