http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x355534Drunken Irishman (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-25-10 04:15 PM
Original message
42% of Americans consider themselves conservative, only 20% say they're liberal (Gallup).
http://www.gallup.com/poll/141032/2010-Conservatives-Outnumber-Moderates-Liberals.aspx
JoePhilly (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-25-10 04:41 PM
Response to Reply #1
20. Look at those numbers again.
phleshdef (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-25-10 04:46 PM
Response to Reply #20
24. I looked at them very clearly. Almost half are conservative and are twice as much as liberals.
That means they only need to win over a third of those that claim to be moderate.
Pirate Smile (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-25-10 04:19 PM
Response to Original message
3. Liberal has been smeared to have a negative connotation to a lot of people while
conservative has not.
Republicans have spent decades demonizing "liberals".
There's a difference between Liberal and Progressive, Americans don't seem to know that yet, but I love Gallup's numbers anyway.
Ready4Change (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-25-10 04:27 PM
Response to Reply #3
10. Exactly.
Decades of well funded, persistent, propaganda. Ironically, much of it coming from the so-called 'liberal media.'
So called Liberal Media? walk in a Conservatives shoes for once, what has the media said bad about Obama? when unemployment numbers come out the media is in a tizzy trying to spin them to look good.
Tarheel_Dem (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-25-10 04:22 PM
Response to Original message
5. Sounds about right. I don't know how this breaks out...
on an issue by issue basis. I'm hoping that most Americans are left of center on the social issues. A democrat has to be able to appeal to a broad cross section of the electorate to win nationally, and that's just the way it is.
KingFlorez (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-25-10 04:26 PM
Response to Original message
9. It goes way beyond labels
I suspect that many people who identify as moderate lean somewhat to the left and some who identify as conservative lean more moderate.
If you look at the issues that people support, the country is less conservative. Most support a social safety net and many more are leaning socially moderate, with a good amount being socially liberal. If this country was conservative, there would be a lot less progress.
Keep telling yourself that, maybe you'll convince yourself someday.
jenmito (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-25-10 04:29 PM
Response to Original message
12. So 55% of Americans are either moderate or liberal...
that's terrible news for the teabaggers!
Spin!
alsame (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-25-10 04:51 PM
Response to Reply #15
31. I have found this to be true among the self-identified
'conservatives' and Independents I know - they are pro-choice, pro-marriage equality, agree with the repeal of DADT and support comprehensive immigration reform.
A majority of Americans are against abortion and don't believe in the term marriage being used, and they're against repealing DADT, and they want to send illegals home!
LiberalFighter (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-25-10 06:25 PM
Response to Reply #15
54. Most voters don't know the difference between liberals and conservatives.
And too many don't know good policy from bad.
Typical arrogant Progressive.
opihimoimoi (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-25-10 04:51 PM
Response to Original message
32. There is a Flaw in there somewhere....has to be...otherwise Palin.McCain would own the Oval Office
Drunken Irishman (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-25-10 04:57 PM
Response to Reply #32
34. Not really...
Edited on Fri Jun-25-10 05:19 PM by Drunken Irishman
McCain received 45% of the vote in 2008. That would suggest he received a great deal of self-identified conservatives and a few moderates.
Pres. Obama probably received the 20% of self-identified liberals, along with a good bulk of the moderate vote. Which, if counted, almost adds up to his 53%.
Obama ran as a moderate, that's why he got a lot of the Independent vote and those same Independents are now running from him.
Uzybone (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-25-10 05:29 PM
Response to Original message
40. But America is a Liberal country!!
That what I read on the "liberal" blogosphere and in peoples sig lines.
elocs (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-25-10 05:56 PM
Response to Original message
48. DU generally poo-poos polls they don't like, but trumpet those with which they agree.
I don't know if the difference between Americans who consider themselves to be conservative versus liberal is that great, but I am not surprised that more consider themselves to be conservative.
I think there is a large number of Americans in the middle who may swing conservative or liberal depending upon the issue. There are those who are fiscally conservative, but socially liberal so depending upon the issue that is most important to them at the time of voting they will swing one way or the other.
I think as Democrats and as Liberals we deceive ourselves in believing that most Americans broadly support all the things we believe are important, that they are solidly in our camp. Most Americans are likely to be conservative not in a freeper, Republican party attitude, but in a careful and cautious way, wary of change but not afraid of it in the end if they can get past those whose m.o. is to fan the flames of fear.
Freeper Troll!
depakid (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-25-10 06:43 PM
Response to Original message
59. Here we go again with this stupid, self defeating rationalization
depakid then links to a site that says the majority of Americans are Progressive, just look at the last paragraph of what they posted
In short, a look across the scope of American public opinion reveals a public that holds progressive positions and supports progressive solutions on economic issues, on social issues, on security issues - indeed, on nearly all the key issues confronting the country. For years, the conventional wisdom has maintained just the opposite, but the facts are impossible to ignore.
