Gallup: More Americans identify as conservative than any other label

Hotair ^ | 10/26/2009 | Allahpundit

[SeekAndFind]

Good news, but a tad underwhelming when you look at the numbers. Right now it breaks out at 40/37/20 among conservatives, moderates, and liberals, respectively. Between 2006 and 2008, when the left was routing us at the polls, it was roughly … 37/37/22, a testament to how toxic progressives’ brand is even at the best of times. In fact, between the second and third quarters of this year, conservatives actually lost a point while moderates gained two. Not sure what explains that, although as The One moves further left, crazy wingnut ideas like “we shouldn’t create a new federal health-care entitlement that will never, ever pay for itself” gain traction among the center and become de facto moderate positions. Same with the left vis-a-vis opposition to Iraq over the last three years.

If you want to see where the real movement is, follow the link, scroll down, and note the net gains from last year to this year among independents on seven individual issues. All of them are in double digits except one, and the net gain there is nine points. Quote:

Conservatism is most prevalent among Republicans. However, the overall increase in this ideological stance since 2008 comes largely from political independents, among whom 35% say they are conservatives thus far in 2009 — compared with 29% last year. Independents have also become more conservative on a number of specific policy issues, including government and union power, the role of government relative to promoting values, gun laws, immigration, global warming, and abortion. Republicans, most of whom considered themselves ideologically conservative in 2008, have also grown more conservative on several of these issues this year, while less change is seen among Democrats.

All of this has potentially important implications at the ballot box, particularly for the 2010 midterm elections. The question is whether increased conservatism, particularly among independents, will translate into heightened support for Republican candidates. Right now, it appears it may. Although Gallup polling continues to show the Democratic Party leading the Republican Party in Americans’ party identification, that lead has been narrowing since the beginning of the year and now stands at six points, the smallest since 2005.

This is probably less a case of conservatism winning over independents than The One’s liberalism simply driving them back into the tent. As disaffected Republicans drained out of the GOP over the last few years, doubtless many of them identified (for a time, at least) as not only independent but, relatively speaking, moderate. Now that they’re reacting to Obama instead of Bush, they’re going to trend back the other way, first as conservatives and then — per Gallup’s trend in party ID — as Republicans. Exit question: Is that good news for Palin, Pawlenty, and other self-styled “true conservative” candidates ahead of 2012, though? The bigger the tent gets before the primaries, with indies bleeding back into the GOP, the less potent the “true conservative” brand is.

Update: Even better than the Gallup poll: In a state won by Obama last year by six points, Republican Bob McDonnell is cruising to victory on an 11-point cushion.

[SeekAndFind]

You an view the GALLUP POLL result here

[umgud]

Conservatives 39% to 41%, liberals 20% to 21%, yet the libs are in control.

[festusbanjo]

But as long as weak willed politicians insist on sucking up to the media, they'll feel loved but keep losing. We have reached the point where a true conservative can say “screw the media, I'm taking my message directly to the people”, and win handily. It's when they send mixed messages, and seem to be pandering to whatever the audience wants to hear that they lose the respect and the votes of the American people.

[ken21]

if true, then why do they vote for mccain et al?

[SeekAndFind]

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.

*
Perceptions that there is too much government regulation of business and industry jumped from 38% in September 2008 to 45% in September 2009.
*
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.
*
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, also a record high. (The percentage saying the laws should become more strict — the traditionally liberal position — fell from 49% to 44%.)
*
The percentage of Americans favoring a decrease in immigration rose from 39% in June/July 2008 to 50% in July 2009.
*
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. Current support for promoting traditional values is the highest seen in five years.
*
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.
*
Americans’ belief that the global warming problem is “exaggerated” in the news rose from 35% in March 2008 to 41% in March 2009.

[SeekAndFind]

[Intolerant in NJ]

Problem has been in my experience a lot of people who are actually liberal in their preferences and values call them selves “moderate” - they considerate their views so obvious and correct that everyone must agree with them, and they must be moderate - when it comes to voting, they’re right there with the pro-aborts, anti-business, big government types........

[gogogodzilla]

Nice.

Too bad the Republicrat party isn’t conservative (and actively seeks liberals to run for office whenever possible).

[gogogodzilla]

Nice.

Too bad the Republicrat party isn’t conservative (and actively seeks liberals to run for office whenever possible).

[paudio]

I will not read too much at this general idea of ‘conservatism’. There are many strands of conservatism, and people who hold one strand might not agree with the others. I prefer to see the break down: social, economic, defense, etc.

[liberty75]

"Moderate" is the perfect term to describe the modern voter with a shallow, constantly fluid grasp of their own political philosophy, until the media defines it a week before the election.

When applied to a politician, it's just another reason you should donate to candidate campaigns directly and bypass potential RINO contribution channels.

[Blood of Tyrants]

I have begun to think that the GOP deliberately put Scozzafava on the ticket knowing full well she was a RINO as a test. They want to know if we will just blindly and stupidly vote for anyone they shove off on us. They really don’t have that much to lose as they are already 85 seats down. What is one more when there will be another election in a year?

[Squantos]

To busy to vote virus an liberty gets a socialist “staff” infection .....

Anyone who wastes an opportunity to vote is an enemy of liberty. This poll suggests such complacency elected Obama IMO.

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