Insiders' Guide to the YPU

The Yale Political Union is perhaps the nation's foremost collegiate political debating organization (or at least it likes to think that it is). I attended the first meeting of the entire Political Union on Tuesday evening and had the opportunity to observe the various parties there. I thought I would provide an insiders' guide to the various parties and their characteristics:

The Liberals like to do social justice things and don't have debates, but rather "discussions" on their topics.
The Party of the Left was formed in 2006 at the nadir of the Iraq War and the left's frustration with the Bush administration, and hopes to portray coherently and well the ideas of the Left.
The Progressive Party is somewhat strange and likes to have fun; its politics are pretty much moderate, they like Theodore Roosevelt.
The Independent Party's fundamental belief goes along with their motto: "Hear all sides." That said, they're probably more liberal on average, but have, and cherish, a wide variety of viewpoints.
The Conservative Party is mildly conservative, they like the traditions of Western civilization and things like that.
The Tory Party likes to think that it is old-fashioned British.
The Party of the Right is a somewhat radical right-ist party where everyone has some kind of strong and unusual belief.

All three of the "right" parties (Conservative, Tory, of the Right) seem to like to talk about time in terms of post meridian rather than PM and like to wear suits and bowties.

I assure you that these are not typical Yale students. Still, what can you expect from tradition-loving conservatives in a decades-long tradition at a place like Yale?

-Philip