Poll: Half say Dems 'too liberal'

[Beacool]

Nearly half of Americans describe the Democratic Party as “too liberal” — up 10 percentage points since early 2008 according to a new Gallup poll.

Forty-nine percent of 1,049 adults surveyed said Democrats are too liberal, while 38 percent said the party’s political views are “about right” and 10 percent think it is too conservative.

Views of Democrats have changed since Gallup polled the question in February 2008, when 39 percent said the party was too liberal and 50 percent thought it was “about right.”

In his analysis of the poll, Gallup’s Jeffrey M. Jones suggested that the increased percentage of those who say Democrats are too liberal “could be a response to the expansion in government spending since President Barack Obama took office, most notably regarding the economic stimulus and health care legislation.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38487.html

Well, I'll be darned......too liberal?

:crazy:

[ananda]

1. What a joke.

Polls are so ignorant.

[Jennicut]

2. People are ignorant and polls reflect that.

[Beacool]

6. Yep, the majority of people are uninformed.

A radio station did a man on the street segment some months ago. Most people knew who were the winners of American Idol, but only about 45% knew the name of the vice president.

We live in a nation populated by nitwits.

:-(

[Jennicut]

13. I can name the current American Idol winner (Lee) and the VP.

What is wrong with people that they cannot inform themselves of what goes on politically with our country?

[Beacool]

Give the lady the brass ring!!!

People are just too lazy to inform themselves of the facts.

;(

[cyclezealot]

24. A better phrase would be low information voters..

Most Americans vote on image . They have not the time and their interest is too marginal to know what the labels really mean..
In part we loose by letting the right wing media name the labels.. We should fight back by doing the labeling.. Instead of conservative, how about calling the right; something like the 'bankers party.'

[okieinpain]

49. exactly, which makes me wonder why people around here get

so upset with president obama and him being somewhat conservative.

[City Lights]

3. Idiot America has spoken!

:dunce:

[WeDidIt]

4. Until liberals change hearts and minds

liberals will be outnumbered.

Pragmatism,...

something radicals are unwilling to accept.

[tekisui]

14. Liberals have been changing hearts and minds for decades.

Liberals have brought about many social changes that benefit everyone.

When the others in the Democratic Party realize the true value of liberalism and embrace liberal ideals, the public will join. Simply because the public will see a greater benefit. As the pragmatics/centrists/CONSERVATIVES in the Democratic Party compromise and dilute liberal ideals, the people have a hard time telling the difference between parties or ideologies.

[Beacool]

23. I don't think that most people know the meaning of "liberal".

It is brandished about as an insult and even many Democratic politicians do not like to identify themselves as liberals.

;(

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

54. Tom DeLay said exactly that about conservatism.

How'd that work out?

[depakid]

19. "Liberals" are a substantial majority of Americans when you look attitudes, beliefs and values

issue by issue.

As has been posted here countless times before

Here's how it breaks down on the sets attitudes, beliefs and values- reflected in positions on issues which makes up a progressive or "conservative" ("moderate" is meaningless here- as it is in real life).

And it's largely derived from credible data- as opposed to agenda driven corporations like Gallup-

The Progressive Majority: Why a Conservative America is a Myth.

http://www.weourselves.org/reports/20070612_theprogressivemajority_report.pdf

Conventional wisdom says that the American public is fundamentally conservative - hostile to government, in favor of unregulated markets, at peace with inequality, wanting a foreign policy based on the projection of military power, and traditional in its social values.

But as this report demonstrates, that picture is fundamentally false. Media perceptions and past Republican electoral successes notwithstanding, Americans are progressive across a wide range of controversial issues, and they're growing more progressive all the time.

This report gathers together years of public opinion data from unimpeachably nonpartisan sources to show that on issue after issue, the majority of Americans hold progressive positions. And this is true not only of specific policy proposals, but of the fundamental perspectives and approaches that Americans bring to bear on issues.

Nor is the progressive majority merely a product of the current political moment. On a broad array of issues, particularly social issues, American opinion has grown more and more progressive over the past few decades. In contrast, it is difficult to find an issue on which the public has grown steadily more conservative over the last 10, 20, or 30 years.

The issues covered in this report include the following ... The role of government ... The economy ... Social issues ... Security ... The environment ... Energy ... Health care...

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.

And there's more:

Pew: Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007.
Political Landscape More Favorable To Democrats

http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/312.pdf

Summary: http://people-press.org/report/?reportid=312



All of this data was compiled prior to the economic meltdown.

Unfortunately, it was also before the so called "pragmatists" went out of their way to re-renable and re-legitimize Republican and adopt their policies.

Again.

[Beacool]

26. Yeah, no one is a liberal, but try cutting off their SS, Medicare or Medicaid benefits.

Then they would be railing at the government.

:eyes:

[WeDidIt]

29. And yet, the vast majority describe themselves as Conservative or Moderate

and those who describe themselves as liberal are outnumbered four to one.

[NJmaverick]

21. You're correct these numbers need to be flip flopped

Forty-nine percent of 1,049 adults surveyed said Democrats are too liberal, while 38 percent said the party’s political views are “about right” and 10 percent think it is too conservative.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38487.html#ixzz0qq0OyD7C

[WeDidIt]

28. Yep, and it is achievable

If liberals could learn a little pragmatism.

[Sebastian Doyle]

45. So you aren't pretending to be Liberal this week?

Did Rahm drop that talking point from the schedule or something? :shrug:

[Smashcut]

47. No, he's been expressing his admiration of RWers all over this site.

[Smashcut]

46. Please push your RW sympathizing tripe elsewhere

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

55. That's a winning attitude. (nt)

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

53. You're absolutely right.

We can scream til we're blue in the face, but until we stop trying to depict our side as the one of righteousness and start actually reaching out to people to explain our beliefs in a neutral way, we will not sustain our progress.

[lib2DaBone]

5. That's because America has been brainwashed by Fux News.....

[Ozymanithrax]

7. Since the 1840's it has been taught here that liberal is band...

Most of these people have no idea how to really define liberal. They have just been taught that the word is bad and those you apply that word to are bad.

[Blasphemer]

18. Very true

I have done surveys with people who express liberal beliefs and at the end when asked if they are liberal, moderate or conservative, they say either moderate or conservative. These types of questions are meaningless as each person's definition of each term varies. Its best to focus on how they answer in terms of their opinions on specific issues.

[depakid]

8. It's Gallup- they'll tell you that 75% of Americans believe that guardian angels are watching

over them. And a bunch of suckers will believe it as the Gospel truth.

Bottom line on Gallop is that their game is to influence public opinion, not reflect it.

[Arkana]

9. HAHAHAHAHAHAH fuck Politico so much.

[YOY]

10. Um...how?

I mean what is SOOOOOO "liberal" about the DLC?

[OHdem10]

11. Gallop is a conservative company.

The very idea of having any kind of health care plan is
too Liberal for Conservatives.

That Health Care Plan is more Republican than Democratic.
In fact it is eerily similar to a plan developed by Senator
Robert Dole--former Leader in US Senate. Ran as Republican
Candidate for Pres. of U.S.

[marmar]

12. That just proves how warped this country's mindset is.......

...... Years of media brainwashing have paid off.

[OHdem10]

17. Right Wing Propoganda Machine has been effective.

Any person with half a brain knows we have not even seen
the Mythical Center in years, let alone one liberal thought.

[depakid]

20. The other conclusion of course is that the poll is full of shit-

and you're buying into it.

[mod mom]

15. politico is the source-of course they say this.

:eyes:

[izquierdista]

16. Half wouldn't know 'liberal' from littoral

Although conservatives are always trying to sweep the tide back into the ocean.

[seabeckind]

22. Maybe rather than trying to defend the position

we attack the definition of the position. Right now liberal is to the left of where somebody says it is. Maybe we need to change where the line is.

[Beacool]

27. Yep, most people have no clue what is liberalism.

They brand as "liberal" any position that they perceive to be to the left of their own.

:eyes:

[KingFlorez]

25. I'm convinced most people have no idea what the word liberal means

It is used too loosely.

[Mass]

30. 15 % of the sample thought the GOP was too liberal. Really?

I wonder what is the political spread in the sample.

[Fearless]

31. "Nearly Half of Americans" are Republicans...

:banghead:

[OHdem10]

32. I do not think so.

[Fearless]

35. Regardless of what they call themselves currently, ideologically I believe so...

And I did say ALMOST half. I do believe we are winning.

[flamingdem]

33. Time to get out of the bubble and realize what Obama is really up against in the USA nt

[otohara]

34. Fuck Gallop

the word liberal has been demonized by the so-called-liberal-media and polls.

[muffin1]

36. They think Obama's too liberal, too.

Occasionally, a republican (who knows I voted for Obama) will ask me what I think about him now. My repub father did that just the other day. I told him I had some issues with Obama (I try to hold back a little at how angry I am with Obama around repubs). He thought that I didn't know I was getting SOCIALISM with Obama. I told him, no, Obama is not nearly liberal ENOUGH. He was incredulous.

What do they - and even some dems, ahem - find so liberal about Obama?

[Jennicut]

39. Oh, my conservative parents are the same way. They have no idea

that Obama is...gasp, not really that liberal. He is just a scary moderate Dem. Scary, frightening. But they are so far to the right, the center looks strange to them.

[TheKentuckian]

37. Duh, 47% voted for the worst campaign in history coming off a bushwhacking

They are safely not convinciable and trying to appease them is not only a wasted effort but a counter productive one.

They are fundamentally wrong about virtually everything and are at least flirting with insanity by thinking their same old demonstrably wrong ideas should be applied and reapplied as solutions to everything.

Conservatives should be treated like misbehaving developmentally disadvantaged children not partners or even junior partners. There is no reward for pretending they aren't witless and often functionally evil.

[andym]

38. In the same poll, 40% think the GOP too conservative

so the push for "apparent" moderation in America remains strong.

[flyarm]

40. well they sure as hell haven't been paying attention..or are the the repigs that have joined the

party to take it over..under the dark of night..because i sure as hell haven't seen jack shit on the liberal side of this current dem party!

In fact..I think I must be one of the Retards!!..You know one of the retards who has worked for a party for 38 years..that somehow missed the transformation to the right wing!

In fact I told that to one such Democratic Senate Committee callers last night, who called me for money...I said ..dear ..when the Democratic party finds the time to support Liberals, Unions, real health care reform, No immunity for FISA lawbreakers..Habeas Corpus being reinstated, not giving cover ups for oil spills in my back yard..ends wars based on lies ..closes Gitmo ...helps we the people who are lsoing homes and jobs..and not bailing out the crooks who robbed this nation... and real democratic Values & Principles..then I will give again to this party..but until then ..they can kiss my ass! My goodwill has been pushed and tested to the limits.

[totodeinhere]

41. I have two thoughts on this.

First of all, I have noticed a trend at DU. If as poll comes out with results that posters at DU do not like, many people blame the poll and say they don't believe it. Look at the "fuck Gallup" responses in this thread. Yet if the same pollster releases a poll with results that most people at DU do like, you won't see that. That poll is OK. It's just the polls with uncomfortable results that you disagree with.

My second thought is that while I don't disagree with the results of this poll, I think it's meaningless because most Americans do not understand what the real meaning of the word "liberal" is. And if they did the results of this poll would be much different.

[Beacool]

42. I agree.

People think that Gallup is great when Obama's polls are up, but now they discount this particular poll.

I also agree that most people don't have a clue of what liberalism means.

;-)

[craigmatic]

43. note they didn't have a "don't know" option. I bet most people are there

I think the party is still too centrist.

[no limit]

44. Poll: Half of Americans need to look up the definition of liberal

[great white snark]

48. Gallop & Politico

Need I say more?

[TalkingDog]

50. Dayum.......I guess that puts me over in the libertarian range then.

Holy Cow.

But then, not surprising I'd fall in the 10% who thinks it's too conservative....

[old mark]

51. I frequent a lot of gun relates sites, and sometimes inject my evil progressive views

into their discussion forums...I tell them I think Obama is politically close to richard Nixon and way to conservative for my taste. They seem the thinh is is a mix of Stalin and Satan, and tell me how my "Communist Ideology" has failed miserably due to the Gipper and I should investigate the wave of the future, which obviously it the 'baggers and their allied philosophies even further right into idiotland.

The idea that the Democratic Party per se is even remotely "Liberal" is a joke at least to me...

We either are very far off base or they are....

mark

[vaberella]

52. This goes to prove that DU doesn't speak for most Dems in the nation.

This is of course if we agree with Politico's assessment, which I never hold up for much regard. Now imagine how the Indie's feel about Dems, if the above is true?! They must think the Dem party is borderline anarchists.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

56. It's a gallup poll - they're very good.

The article's on the Politico, but they didn't conduct it.

[vaberella]

57. Thanks for the clarification.

:hi:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

58. That's because the Big Lie technique WORKS

For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, Hitler's propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels came up with the concept of "the Big Lie."

Briefly, it says that if you repeat a statement often and stridently enough in the media, a sizable number of people will believe it, even if it's not true, because frankly, most people are INTELLECTUALLY LAZY and think that things like fact-checking are "boring."

For thirty years, the corporate media have been telling the American people that the Democrats are "too liberal."

Yet I bet if you asked the public what they don't like about the Democrats, they'd either come up with something racist/classist ("They take tax money from hard-working and Americans and give welfare mothers money to sit on their asses all day and pop out a new kid every once in while") or they'd mention something that's ultimately a Republican idea, such as the bank bailout, corporate health care, or the war in Afghanistan.

I bet half of them couldn't define the term "liberal" if you asked them.

While the Dems have been rushing to adopt as many Republican policies as possible and ceding the media to the likes of Rupert Murdoch, the media have been chanting "Too liberal, too liberal" until it becomes an automatic response in the minds of the average intellectually lazy American.

[niceypoo]

59. Stockholm syndrome takes grip on America

[WI_DEM]

60. So what should have Obama done about the depression to come--nothing? Of course we had to spend to

get out of it just like FDR did--but we didn't spend enough!