Conservatives make largest block of voters
Gallup:
Thus far in 2009, 40% of Americans interviewed in national Gallup Poll surveys describe their political views as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal. This represents a slight increase for conservatism in the U.S. since 2008, returning it to a level last seen in 2004. The 21% calling themselves liberal is in line with findings throughout this decade, but is up from the 1990s.If you look at the graphic above you see conservatives are back to where they were when Bush won in 2004 and "Moderates" are the lowest they have been during the chart history presented. This suggest that Republican candidates should be more competitive and that is seen in other polls showing them even or ahead of Democrats in the generic polls.
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It also suggest that Democrats should not take their current majority for granted since it is unlikely that a majority of voters support them.
Another take on the same data, from an article that draws a very different conclusion:
ReplyDelete"The problem with self-identification, however, is that it hinges on how one defines those labels -- an individual may say he or she is conservative for a variety of reasons, but that same person may favor the progressive position on every issue down the line. According to the most recent (1997) Household Survey of Adult Civic Participation, only around half of Americans could say 'which party is more conservative at the national level.'
"It's ultimately issues that get decided in Washington, and the report issued this week adds to an already-large body of data suggesting that Americans are highly receptive to progressive arguments on issue after issue, regardless of with which label they may identify themselves."
From an article on The Rag Blog (http://theragblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/report-americans-now-support.html) contending that "Americans are now more closely aligned with progressive ideas than at any time in memory..."
Thorne Dreyer