Gallup: Conservatives Still Top Ideological Group

[MintJulep]

October 26, 2009

Conservatives Maintain Edge as Top Ideological Group

Compared with 2008, more Americans “conservative” in general, and on issues

by Lydia Saad

PRINCETON, NJ -- Conservatives continue to outnumber moderates and liberals in the American populace in 2009, confirming a finding that Gallup first noted in June (http://www.gallup.com/poll/120857/Conservatives-Single-Largest-Ideological-Group.aspx). Forty percent of Americans describe their political views as conservative, 36% as moderate, and 20% as liberal. This marks a shift from 2005 through 2008, when moderates were tied with conservatives as the most prevalent group.
http://sas-origin.onstreammedia.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Production/Cms/POLL/kbbslvggvkexv3o8tr8f8q.gif

"Changes among political independents appear to be the main reason the percentage of conservatives has increased nationally over the past year: the 35% of independents describing their views as conservative in 2009 is up from 29% in 2008."




The 2009 data are based on 16 separate Gallup surveys conducted from January through September, encompassing more than 5,000 national adults per quarter. Conservatives have been the dominant ideological group each quarter, with between 39% and 41% of Americans identifying themselves as either "very conservative" or "conservative." Between 35% and 37% of Americans call themselves "moderate," while the percentage calling themselves "very liberal" or "liberal" has consistently registered between 20% and 21% -- making liberals the smallest of the three groups.




http://sas-origin.onstreammedia.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Production/Cms/POLL/zntfjoviausssafhlmpohg.gif

Independents Inch to the Right
Changes among political independents appear to be the main reason the percentage of conservatives has increased nationally over the past year: the 35% of independents describing their views as conservative in 2009 is up from 29% in 2008. By contrast, among Republicans and Democrats, the percentage who are "conservative" has increased by one point each.
As is typical in recent years, Republicans are far more unified in their political outlook than are either independents or Democrats. While 72% of Republicans in 2009 call their views conservative, independents are closely split between the moderate and conservative labels (43% and 35%, respectively). Democrats are about evenly divided between moderates (39%) and liberals (37%).

Americans Also Moving Right on Some Issues
In addition to the increase in conservatism on this general ideology measure, Gallup finds higher percentages of Americans expressing conservative views on several specific issues in 2009 than in 2008.

<LI sizset="31" sizcache="18">Perceptions that there is too much government regulation of business and industry jumped from 38% in September 2008 to 45% in September 2009 (http://www.gallup.com/poll/123101/Americans-Likely-Say-Government-Doing-Too-Much.aspx).
<LI sizset="32" sizcache="18">The percentage of Americans saying they would like to see labor unions have less influence in the country rose from 32% in August 2008 to a record-high 42% in August 2009 (http://www.gallup.com/poll/122744/Labor-Unions-Sharp-Slide-Public-Support.aspx).
<LI sizset="33" sizcache="18">Public support for keeping the laws governing the sale of firearms the same or making them less strict rose from 49% in October 2008 to 55% in October 2009 (http://www.gallup.com/poll/123596/In-U.S.-Record-Low-Support-Stricter-Gun-Laws.aspx), also a record high. (The percentage saying the laws should become more strict -- the traditionally liberal position -- fell from 49% to 44%.)
<LI sizset="34" sizcache="18">The percentage of Americans favoring a decrease in immigration rose from 39% in June/July 2008 to 50% in July 2009 (http://www.gallup.com/poll/122057/Americans-Return-Tougher-Immigration-Stance.aspx).
<LI sizset="35" sizcache="18">The propensity to want the government to "promote traditional values" -- as opposed to "not favor any particular set of values" -- rose from 48% in 2008 to 53% in 2009 (http://www.gallup.com/poll/123326/Renewed-Desire-Gov-Promote-Traditional-Values.aspx). Current support for promoting traditional values is the highest seen in five years.
<LI sizset="36" sizcache="18">The percentage of Americans who consider themselves "pro-life" on abortion rose from 44% in May 2008 to 51% in May 2009, and remained at a slightly elevated 47% in July 2009 (http://www.gallup.com/poll/122033/U.S.-Abortion-Attitudes-Closely-Divided.aspx).
Americans' belief that the global warming problem is "exaggerated" in the news rose from 35% in March 2008 to 41% in March 2009 (http://www.gallup.com/poll/116590/Increased-Number-Think-Global-Warming-Exaggerated.aspx).Gallup has not recorded heightened conservatism on all major social and political views held by Americans. For instance, attitudes on the death penalty, gay marriage, the Iraq war, and Afghanistan have stayed about the same since 2008. However, there are no major examples of U.S. public opinion becoming more liberal in the past year. (Gallup's annual trends on healthcare will be updated in November, so those attitudes are not included in this review.)

The conservative shifts discussed here result as much from changes in political independents' views as from changes in Republicans' views. Democrats' views, by contrast, have generally changed only slightly -- either to the conservative or liberal side -- with two exceptions: Gallup finds greater movement in Democrats' views of abortion, which have become more liberal, and their views of labor unions, which have become more conservative.


http://www.gallup.com/poll/123854/Conservatives-Maintain-Edge-Top-Ideological-Group.aspx?version=print

[Brian-W]

So then how in the hell did a non citizen, Communist, Muslim,terrorist get elected president?

Too many Oxycontin on Election day?


:lmao2:

[Moby]

Well of course. Conservatives are all about labeling so they will always take claim to a label.

[MintJulep]

So then how in the hell did a non citizen, Communist, Muslim,terrorist get elected president?

Too many Oxycontin on Election day?


:lmao2:A lot of dumb people. The man's never been in charge of a lemonade stand, and it shows.

[Brian-W]

A lot of dumb people. The man's never been in charge of a lemonade stand, and it shows.

I'll give you this much....His inexperience is showing and it does concern me. I think he lacks balls and is trying too hard to make friends with rattlesnakes.

However, where were all the Christian conservatives on Nov.4? They set back and let a prize like McCain/Palin get beat out by a Muslim Communist who isn't even a citizen?

Kind of pisses on that whole "top ideological group" thingy doesn't it?

[CosmicRocker]

I'll give you this much....His inexperience is showing and it does concern me. I think he lacks balls and is trying too hard to make friends with rattlesnakes.

However, where were all the Christian conservatives on Nov.4? They set back and let a prize like McCain/Palin get beat out by a Muslim Communist who isn't even a citizen?

Kind of pisses on that whole "top ideological group" thingy doesn't it? The evangelicals are splitting too.
It used to be they were anti-enviornmental laws, anti-social spending programs.
Down the line conservatives.

There is a new thinking out there, especiallt from younger evangelicals that taking care of the earth, and the poor is God's work ( their paradigm ).

So the right doesn't have them as motivated, or a solid block anymore.

[Life_Long_Dem!]

October 26, 2009

Conservatives Maintain Edge as Top Ideological Group

Compared with 2008, more Americans “conservative” in general, and on issues

by Lydia Saad

PRINCETON, NJ -- Conservatives continue to outnumber moderates and liberals in the American populace in 2009, confirming a finding that Gallup first noted in June (http://www.gallup.com/poll/120857/Conservatives-Single-Largest-Ideological-Group.aspx). Forty percent of Americans describe their political views as conservative, 36% as moderate, and 20% as liberal. This marks a shift from 2005 through 2008, when moderates were tied with conservatives as the most prevalent group.
http://sas-origin.onstreammedia.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Production/Cms/POLL/kbbslvggvkexv3o8tr8f8q.gif

"Changes among political independents appear to be the main reason the percentage of conservatives has increased nationally over the past year: the 35% of independents describing their views as conservative in 2009 is up from 29% in 2008."




The 2009 data are based on 16 separate Gallup surveys conducted from January through September, encompassing more than 5,000 national adults per quarter. Conservatives have been the dominant ideological group each quarter, with between 39% and 41% of Americans identifying themselves as either "very conservative" or "conservative." Between 35% and 37% of Americans call themselves "moderate," while the percentage calling themselves "very liberal" or "liberal" has consistently registered between 20% and 21% -- making liberals the smallest of the three groups.




http://sas-origin.onstreammedia.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Production/Cms/POLL/zntfjoviausssafhlmpohg.gif

Independents Inch to the Right
Changes among political independents appear to be the main reason the percentage of conservatives has increased nationally over the past year: the 35% of independents describing their views as conservative in 2009 is up from 29% in 2008. By contrast, among Republicans and Democrats, the percentage who are "conservative" has increased by one point each.
As is typical in recent years, Republicans are far more unified in their political outlook than are either independents or Democrats. While 72% of Republicans in 2009 call their views conservative, independents are closely split between the moderate and conservative labels (43% and 35%, respectively). Democrats are about evenly divided between moderates (39%) and liberals (37%).

Americans Also Moving Right on Some Issues
In addition to the increase in conservatism on this general ideology measure, Gallup finds higher percentages of Americans expressing conservative views on several specific issues in 2009 than in 2008.

<LI sizset="31" sizcache="18">Perceptions that there is too much government regulation of business and industry jumped from 38% in September 2008 to 45% in September 2009 (http://www.gallup.com/poll/123101/Americans-Likely-Say-Government-Doing-Too-Much.aspx).
<LI sizset="32" sizcache="18">The percentage of Americans saying they would like to see labor unions have less influence in the country rose from 32% in August 2008 to a record-high 42% in August 2009 (http://www.gallup.com/poll/122744/Labor-Unions-Sharp-Slide-Public-Support.aspx).
<LI sizset="33" sizcache="18">Public support for keeping the laws governing the sale of firearms the same or making them less strict rose from 49% in October 2008 to 55% in October 2009 (http://www.gallup.com/poll/123596/In-U.S.-Record-Low-Support-Stricter-Gun-Laws.aspx), also a record high. (The percentage saying the laws should become more strict -- the traditionally liberal position -- fell from 49% to 44%.)
<LI sizset="34" sizcache="18">The percentage of Americans favoring a decrease in immigration rose from 39% in June/July 2008 to 50% in July 2009 (http://www.gallup.com/poll/122057/Americans-Return-Tougher-Immigration-Stance.aspx).
<LI sizset="35" sizcache="18">The propensity to want the government to "promote traditional values" -- as opposed to "not favor any particular set of values" -- rose from 48% in 2008 to 53% in 2009 (http://www.gallup.com/poll/123326/Renewed-Desire-Gov-Promote-Traditional-Values.aspx). Current support for promoting traditional values is the highest seen in five years.
<LI sizset="36" sizcache="18">The percentage of Americans who consider themselves "pro-life" on abortion rose from 44% in May 2008 to 51% in May 2009, and remained at a slightly elevated 47% in July 2009 (http://www.gallup.com/poll/122033/U.S.-Abortion-Attitudes-Closely-Divided.aspx).
Americans' belief that the global warming problem is "exaggerated" in the news rose from 35% in March 2008 to 41% in March 2009 (http://www.gallup.com/poll/116590/Increased-Number-Think-Global-Warming-Exaggerated.aspx).Gallup has not recorded heightened conservatism on all major social and political views held by Americans. For instance, attitudes on the death penalty, gay marriage, the Iraq war, and Afghanistan have stayed about the same since 2008. However, there are no major examples of U.S. public opinion becoming more liberal in the past year. (Gallup's annual trends on healthcare will be updated in November, so those attitudes are not included in this review.)

The conservative shifts discussed here result as much from changes in political independents' views as from changes in Republicans' views. Democrats' views, by contrast, have generally changed only slightly -- either to the conservative or liberal side -- with two exceptions: Gallup finds greater movement in Democrats' views of abortion, which have become more liberal, and their views of labor unions, which have become more conservative.


http://www.gallup.com/poll/123854/Conservatives-Maintain-Edge-Top-Ideological-Group.aspx?version=print
YET in the latest Washington Post ABC news poll only 20 percent of Americans admit that they are Republican...go figure:thumbsup:

[Brian-W]

The evangelicals are splitting too.
It used to be they were anti-enviornmental laws, anti-social spending programs.
Down the line conservatives.

There is a new thinking out there, especiallt from younger evangelicals that taking care of the earth, and the poor is God's work ( their paradigm ).
God I hope so. :)

So the right doesn't have them as motivated, or a solid block anymore. Because most of their talking heads are people like Bachmann,Palin, Michael Steele or Oxycontin man.......you know, lame asses. :lmao2:

[MintJulep]

I'll give you this much....His inexperience is showing and it does concern me. I think he lacks balls and is trying too hard to make friends with rattlesnakes.

However, where were all the Christian conservatives on Nov.4? They set back and let a prize like McCain/Palin get beat out by a Muslim Communist who isn't even a citizen?

Kind of pisses on that whole "top ideological group" thingy doesn't it? The Independents are who won him the election, and they are leaving in droves.

[MintJulep]

YET in the latest Washington Post ABC news poll only 20 percent of Americans admit that they are Republican...go figure:thumbsup:And if they're true to form, they polled 70% of democrats to get the numbers they sought. Gallup is in the business of polling.

[Life_Long_Dem!]

And if they're true to form, they polled 70% of democrats to get the numbers they sought. Gallup is in the business of polling.
you can say the same about ANY poll..can be skewed and twisted to get the results you want...just saying that it is sooooo amazing that xonservatives are tops yet so few claim to be republican.....how does that work?

[MintJulep]

you can say the same about ANY poll..can be skewed and twisted to get the results you want...just saying that it is sooooo amazing that xonservatives are tops yet so few claim to be republican.....how does that work?It works because the majority in this country are not moonbats.

[disrupter]

the majority in this country are not moonbats.

No most Americans aren't moonbats like you MintJulep & others of your ilk,
but with enough corporate advertising deception sometimes they do get fooled into following along on your road to human suicide.

[disrupter]

A 'Conservative' is someone who [favors] is a conserver of state/condition(s).

Someone who favors static, unchanging conditions.

Most so called 'conservatives' are actually activist radical reactionaries,
who want to change things to a more ignorant, primitive state that they might be able to keep up with on a really, really good day for them.

A living conservative would want to maintain the environment, conditions that would sustain their living state.
Most Americans want to deny the scientifically undisputed fact of the change to global warming.

To be a true conservative requires the strength of mind to maintain the often disturbing idea that you don't know everything. Intelligent conservatives realize they know [very little.] some things about a very narrow, but hopefully sufficient subject matter to get through things.

The only thing these phony 'conservatives' are conserving is poop filled ignorance.
Conservation of turds, anally retentive.
Which behaviorally makes them excitable & hysteric & have problems breathing. They are activist reactionaries & NOT conseravtives.

Conservative is the very idea of spare elegant efficiency.

Like a beautiful frozen, time suspended breath.

Delicate & splendidly detailed.

Traditionally the notion of an economic conservative would be someone who was [extremely?] reticent to expend money.
If they had more money coming in then going out they tended to accumulate it.
Technically this is a strategic engineered accruer rather than a conservative who would instead be maintaining a static, constant state. Whether these engineerers also have an upper limit of capacity defines some of the effectives of their system [possibly by design].

Death is a very conservative thing. I don't mean that to sound pejorative.
Sometimes we see 'death' as chaotic or decay, but i think technically death is sort of a [semi-] 'frozen'/static state where form never changes.
Death is a suspension of change.
In the time fluid Universe that simply doesn't happen.
Life is sort of activity. We talk about life, but for us i think we mean a persistent living form. Sort of life's activity within a semi-static [dyanmic?] form.

Technically a genuine conservative would maintain some constant quantity of money. spending more when more came in & less when less comes in. Like a 'trapped' pipe. Maintaining a constant 'X' dollars.
Maintaining a delicate, unchanging, lodged position.

How many self-proclaimed 'conservatives' are deeply in debt to credit card companies or others?
How can you call yourself a 'conservative' when you can't even live within your own income?
This just makes no sense.

And if we go to the old fashioned, classically defined economic 'conservative' who is frugal, saves money, & has a strong tendency to accrue money [often slowly over time],
these bozos aren't even close to 'conservative'.

So in America, most people who call themselves 'conservative' are nothing of the sort.
What they are is bogus, anally retentive, reactionary bullshit.
People who can't even manage their own lives & emotions well enough to be autonomous & independent minded,
& instead psychologically collapse on some usually socially acceptable religion &/or bigotry villainization of others.
& people this incompetent at running their own lives are a recipe for suicide at running a nation or society.
And this sadly isn't just America,
all over the globe psychologically weak people turn to dogmatic, ignorant religion instead of standing, soundly on their own two feet & using the mind, memory & senses to guide them.

I suppose to be a conservative you have to have something to conserve,

and these people don't.

[BlackAsCoal]

One person's "conservative" is another person's liberal.

What does conservative mean?

Whatever it means it doesn't translate into more power or clones for the Republican Party which has a party identity among Americans at about 19%.

[disrupter]

It is like a teflon coating that no one actually challenges.

Covering up a multitude of sins & atrocities.

It is nonsense.

Next time someone says they are 'conservative', come back with "Bullshit" & you will be on target 95% or more of the time.

Maybe it is code for 'Don't bother me.'

Well i live here & i am going to 'bother' you all about it, when you are ruining my nation, my planet, my species, my evolution.

And it is ALL mine until someone with adult aspirations steps up to claim some co-ownership of it.

[doctordog]

It is like a teflon coating that no one actually challenges.

Covering up a multitude of sins & atrocities.

It is nonsense.

Next time someone says they are 'conservative', come back with "Bullshit" & you will be on target 95% or more of the time.

Maybe it is code for 'Don't bother me.'

Well i live here & i am going to 'bother' you all about it, when you are ruining my nation, my planet, my species, my evolution.

And it is ALL mine until someone with adult aspirations steps up to claim some co-ownership of it.

Your evolution!:lmao2:

Call us when you start walking upright!:lmao2:

[Bill Cosby]

The Independents are who won him the election, and they are leaving in droves.

Leaving where???

[Bill Cosby]

One person's "conservative" is another person's liberal.

What does conservative mean?

Whatever it means it doesn't translate into more power or clones for the Republican Party which has a party identity among Americans at about 19%.

Yep I agree........ It is an old label.. I am the most conservative liberal here I should know...... :lmao2: :lmao2:

Oriental, Occidental, liberal conservative etc...

IMO Americans are perhaps more conservative then many-most if not all other western countries & lots of eastern Euro ones as well.....

I think the term Conservative has been sorely bastardised to the point it has really no meaning.. Most that claim to be a "true conservative" have no idea of the history or foundation of the movement not to mention the players..

Take religious conservitive. Those fucks back in the day would of laughed their asses off & told them to get off the stage & go pray in the back room out of sight & out of mind...

Seems to call yourself a consecutive now days one only have to claim some religiosity........

or Anti abortion,

pro gun,

"tuff on crime" (other ppl's not theirs)
or Anti gay is almost a plus to make you a "real" conservative...

Oh & strong on the Constitution.. Not that they have read it since 8th grade......:banghead: It like the bible is something they spend far more time thumping then actually reading...........

[Smurf-Herder]

Leaving where???

Commentary: Obama losing independent voters

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Over the course of this summer, President Obama's approval ratings have plummeted among independent voters -- the largest and fastest-growing segment of the American electorate.

In May, 66 percent of independents approved of Obama's job performance, according to the Gallup Poll.

By August, Gallup showed the president was supported by 49 percent of independents, a collapse during the health care debate that reflects independents' dislike of deficit spending, the growth of big government and one-party control of Washington.

It's a particular problem for Obama because post-honeymoon perceptions are hardening in ways that are counter to his core campaign promise to bridge partisan divides.

Obama introduced himself to the American people by saying, "There are no red states; there are no blue states; there is only the United States of America."

He won virtually every swing state in 2008 as well as 60 percent of centrists, won independents by an 8-point spread, and even won 20 percent of self-described conservatives. But right now he is presiding over a period of increased partisan polarization, with nearly 90 percent of Democrats supporting his efforts and 5 percent of Republicans doing so.

Independents hold the balance of power in American politics. Their ranks have rocketed during the Obama presidency as the two parties have become more polarized, hitting an unprecedented 41 percent of the electorate in July, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll. At the same time, identification with both Democrats and Republicans has declined.

All this is evidence that Obama's election did not represent a liberal ideological mandate, as House Democrats and their partisan cheerleaders might wish. More than 70 percent of independents now disapprove of Congress.

But it also shows that rejection of the Republican brand has only accelerated since the conservative caricatures of Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney and Sarah Palin -- and the town hall protesters -- became the most prominent public faces of their party.

Independents are nonideological problem-solvers. They are sick of Washington's harsh and cynical hyper-partisanship, but they do not have a split-the-difference approach to politics.

Independent voters are decidedly closer to Republicans when it comes to economic issues and closer to Democrats when it comes to social issues.

To put it another way, they are fiscally conservative but socially progressive with a strong libertarian streak. And it's on fiscal issues that independents are putting Obama on notice.

Obama has consistently spoken about the need to return to fiscal responsibility but he's presided over an unprecedented growth in government spending -- from bailouts to the stimulus bill. There is a gap between his rhetoric and his record - and that's contributing to the fact that only 35 percent of independents support his efforts on health care to date.

That's why liberals' increasingly strident insistence that Obama abandon bipartisan outreach is terrible advice for the president and the nation. In a burst of triumphalism, they seem to be echoing former House Majority Leader Dick Armey's advice to Republicans in the past -- "bipartisanship is another name for date rape" -- despite the fact that it is exactly this hyper-partisan, play-to-the-base approach to politics that caused independent voters to abandon President Bush.

Health care reform is one of the most demonstrably difficult issues in American politics. It has been attempted by presidents since Harry Truman, and in each case a combination of fear-mongering from the right and all-or-nothing insistence from the left has derailed any hope of real progress.

In contrast, every major successful social reform -- from Social Security to Medicare to welfare reform -- has earned broad bipartisan support. For health care to pass in a durable form it must build on this tradition. Pushing through a party-line vote will backfire badly.

To regain his footing with independents, Obama needs to depolarize the debate over health care reform. He can do so by endorsing a bipartisan Senate bill that offers increased competition and coverage through nonprofit co-ops rather than the $500 billion to $1 trillion public option.

This will not be a retreat but real leadership toward uniting the country. Obama also needs to start addressing out-of-control costs by pursuing promised entitlement reforms for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security in the name of generational responsibility. It would be a bipartisan effort based on fiscal responsibility -- and a courageous bit of political judo that would help him close the growing credibility gap with independents.

Washington's professional partisans have an interest in perpetuating play-to-the-base politics. They view the inspirational post-partisanship of Obama's 2008 campaign as a necessary ploy that should be abandoned once entering Washington.

What they don't appreciate is that for his independent supporters, the hope and change that Obama represented was a break from the hyper-polarized politics of the past. It's not too late for the president to regain this lost ground, but it is getting later than some in the White House might like to think.

The culture of hyper-partisanship persists, but a leader's responsibility is to change a culture. This will require reinforcing Obama's strained centrist credentials -- a clear commitment to moving our nation not left or right, but forward.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/27/avlon.obama.independents/index.html

[disrupter]

tell us when you quit slithering on your belly, wayers57, ok?

[doctordog]

tell us when you quit slithering on your belly, wayers57, ok?

Poor disrupter, he has lost his ability to disrupt:D

[disrupter]

I'll disrupt you any time you want babers, lol.

Mmmm, i would love doing you.

[Boogie man]

I'll disrupt you any time you want babers, lol.

Mmmm, i would love doing you.

DISRUPTER

http://www.uglypeople.se/images/pictures/760/760.jpg

[Smurf-Herder]

I'll disrupt you any time you want babers, lol.

Mmmm, i would love doing you.

Unless you mean that sexually, it sounds like another death threat to me.

[doctordog]

Unless you mean that sexually, it sounds like another death threat to me.


me too Smurf, give him a vacation.:D

But if he did mean it sexually I am flattered that he would want me for his first.:lmao2:

[Smurf-Herder]

me too Smurf, give him a vacation.:D

But if he did mean it sexually I am flattered that he would want me for his first.:lmao2:

I'm hoping he'll get the message and tone it down.

He has no "vacation time" left.

[Bill Cosby]

Unless you mean that sexually, it sounds like another death threat to me.

I think he meant it sexually.......
Dog has a way---

Who knows why...

Must be that animal charm:lmao2: wit, fineness & most of all allure............ :lmao2:

[Brian-W]

I'll disrupt you any time you want babers, lol.

Mmmm, i would love doing you.

Please take pictures.