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Further, I think the Pew analysis misses a very significant breakdown category--faith.

My suspicion is that we are looking at another way to phrase the "socially conservative/economically liberal" position of not only genuine Conservatism, but genuine Christianity.

Madison Avenue has long been a target of thinking Catholics, some at extremely high levels in the Church. Consumerism/materialism debilitates society.

A high-end men's clothing retailer in Milwaukee is now running radio ads which address the economic situation up here--it's mixed--by proposing the solution of BUY, BUY, BUY as "the American way" to fix the economy.

I can't decide if the commercials are tongue-in-cheek...

Further, I think the Pew analysis misses a very significant breakdown category--faith.

My suspicion is that we are looking at another way to phrase the "socially conservative/economically liberal" position of not only genuine Conservatism, but genuine Christianity.

Madison Avenue has long been a target of thinking Catholics, some at extremely high levels in the Church. Consumerism/materialism debilitates society.

Yeah, I have to agree with you that the Pew research center only addressed religion as an afterthought. My guess is that this group with strong conservative, Judeo-Christian values although tend to be economically moderate would be in the "pro-government conservatives." I would also fall into that group as well in better times. Then again, you cannot always fit everything that a person is into a rigid classification, like right now, I'm in the "Disaffected Group," but I follow the news almost religiously. My grade school buddy is the same as me, "Disaffected" but he falls a little better there, he never follows the news. So the poll isn't always 100% accurate but I do have to say it does a fairly good job.

Ninenot, BlackElk, thanks for the kind words.

Yes, faith is most definitely a factor. Jesus had a lot to say on the subject of haughty pride and selfish greed so Christians are not "free market at all costs", "I've got mine so screw you", "If you are poor it is because you are weak and stupid and lazy and you don't deserve to live" types. We hear the same smug proclamations from the free market types about how roaringly prosperous a country with massive debt burdens and no savings rate is. You don't have to be a genius to figure out that if most households in this country are massively in debt (net downwards social mobility staved off with plastic) and saving nothing they are one job loss or major illness away from disaster.

I wonder if war exacerbates strains. It is very, very obvious that it is the poor Republicans who are in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most assuredly NOT the rich Republicans. Orwell in England, Your England correctly observed the decadence of a ruling elite in terms of their unwillingness to share the risks and the dangers and put their own butts on the front line. I think we are seeing in the recent precipitous drop in Army recruitment rates a mounting class resentment against this.