Posted on 12/19/2009 9:23:57 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Good news for conservatives in the latest Battleground Poll. The political implications are profound, if the already-energized conservative base takes even more initiative.
In August 2008, I wrote an article on "The Biggest Missing Story in Politics." The article explains that conservatives are an overwhelming majority of America. One year later, I wrote an update on that theme, this time based on the Gallup Poll, which showed that conservatives outnumber liberals in virtually every state of the union. I have been writing about the remarkable Battleground Poll results in many articles for many years.
The Battleground Poll reveals the internals of its poll. It also asks respondents the same demographic questions in each poll: What is your education level? What is your age? What is your religious affiliation? What is your marital status? Question D3 asks respondents to describe their ideology. The choices are "very conservative," "somewhat conservative," "moderate," "somewhat liberal," "very liberal," and "unsure/refused." Those asked by the Battleground Poll -- if they dislike the liberal label -- can call themselves moderates, they can refuse to answer, and they can express an uncertainty about their ideology. Only those certain of their ideology and willing to label themselves are considered conservative in the poll.
The Battleground Poll is not a Republican polling organization. It is, rather, one of the few bipartisan polling organizations. Republican and Democrat pollsters agree on the language of the questions for respondents, so that the questions asked are not only fairly worded, but unusually fairly worded. Republican and Democrat pollsters agree on the population sample, so that polls results are not skewed because too many Democrats, too many Republicans, or too many independents are included. The Battleground Poll also has proven very accurate over many elections.
The responses to Question D3 have been remarkably consistent. Respondents have changed dramatically about what they thought of President Bush or of the state of the economy or the most important issues facing our nation. Respondent may swing quite a bit about which party they support or trust the most. But in one single area of this long list of polling data, the American people have not wavered at all from Battleground Poll to Battleground Poll: About sixty percent of the American people, in poll after poll, year after year, describe themselves as "conservative."
On December 16, 2009, Battleground released its latest poll. In this poll, 63% of the American people described themselves as "very conservative" or "somewhat conservative." The rest of America - not just liberals, but moderates and people who were unsure about their ideology or chose not to respond to that question, totaled, collectively, only 37% of America. A measly one percent of Americans called themselves moderates; 25% of Americans called themselves "somewhat liberal," and 8% of Americans called themselves "very liberal."
This is no aberration. Consider in Battleground Poll results since June 2002 the percentage of Americans who have described themselves as conservative:
June 2002 (59%),
September 2003 (59%),
April 2004 (60%),
June 2004 (59%),
September 2004 (60%),
October 2005 (61%),
March 2006 (59%),
December 2007 (58%),
July 2007 (63%),
May 2008 (62%),
August 2008 (60%),
September 2008 (59%), and
October 2008 (56%).
In the November 2008 Battleground Poll, for the first and only time, the straight question of "conservative" or "liberal" was not posed to respondents. Instead, the poll asked respondents two separate questions: fiscal ideology was asked on Question D6 and social ideology was asked on Question D7. The Battleground Poll was clearly intending to refine Question D3. What were the results? Fiscal conservatives in Question D6 were 69% of respondents. Social conservatives were 53% of respondents and social liberals were 39% of respondents. While that sounds like social conservatism is a weak link, that is misleading: a whopping 34% of all Americans described themselves as "very conservative" on social issues, by far the largest very intense group in any Battleground Poll.
What does this mean for American politics today? It ought to boldly empower conservatives. The "right," which every Democrat leader reflexively attacks whenever political opposition to their plans grows strong, is the overwhelming majority of Americans. This explains why the left's ballot initiatives in California last year failed, in some cases, in every single county of the state and why, in liberal Maine, the gay marriage ballot measure failed. This also explains why Obama runs away from "labels" (all leftists do, and have for many years.)
What it means in politics is that any true conservative against a true leftist should carry every state and win by a landslide. But it means more than that. Conservatives in the areas of culture, media, entertainment, and education are treated like unwanted stepchildren, or worse. (This, despite the fact that conservatives on average are better educated than liberals.)
The worst victims of invidious bigotry in America today are conservatives. Only a tiny percentage of professors are conservative. The same is true for government supported media like NPR, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and National Endowment for the Arts. Libraries are dominated by the minority left. How different would America be if fifty or sixty percent of teachers, librarians, professors, public media producers, and staff in government supported organizations were conservative!
That ought to be a goal for conservatives. Winning elections is fine, but how much more vital is it for us to recover at least an equal voice in colleges, media, schools, libraries, and entertainment? What is wrong with us, the overwhelming majority of Americans, demanding not to be consigned to a ghetto or treated by Jim Crow standards? We begin by pointing out the obvious: conservatives are the majority of Americans but almost invisible in our public and private institutions of education, information, entertainment, and study.
Then demand that those want our tax dollars, our commercial business, our donations -- anything, really, from us -- treat us fairly, portray us honestly, and invite us into the halls of influence. It is a modest demand, really. But it is very important. It is a cultural "game changer," and that, more than anything, is what we need.
-- Bruce Walker is the author of two books: Sinisterism: Secular Religion of the Lie and The Swastika against the Cross: The Nazi War on Christianity.
Meaningless. One ObamaCare is passed (possibly before the New Year), Congress will address amnesty for illegals. That too will be a fight, but the outcome is almost preordained. Once that passes, the Democrat majority will be sheltered from voter anger. This is why the Democrats have pushed so hard on their agenda. They want to insulate themselves from voter ire.
It isn’t hopeless. Once the Conservatives are energized we can vote them out, take back congress next year and REPEAL all these laws that will damage our culture and economy.
That’s what I’m hoping will happen.
“Congress will address amnesty for illegals.”
This is where the shooting begins.
I don’t think you can repeal it.
Politically, it would be hard to repeal once the benefits went into effect. Thankfully, only the taxes start immediately. We have years before a repeal would be removing benefits that people are receiving.
Just remember; third parties=Socialism.
It is a much more viable strategy to keep inimical legislation from passing in the first place. If fact, it's imperative. Any benefits obtained from such legislation, even though repealed, will have to remain "grandfathered" in place, providing a staging area from which the leftists can work to more effectively re-institute their egregious law.
That’s what I’m hoping will happen.
And why are you so certain that there will be a 2010 election? And who will count the votes if there is one?
Well where the heck were they all when Hussein got elected? How could anyone by any stretch of the imagination see Hussein as “conservative” on any front?
To my present understanding it may be politically easy to repeal because the so-called health benefits do not kick in until 2013(?) yet the taxes begin immediately.
This is really about taxation and funding the bankrupt entitlements.
So let’s hope you and I are right, that Americans will see heavy taxation before they see benefits, and that combination will bring forth a rallying cry to REPEAL.
And let’s not stop there.
Eaxtly why this Battleground poll is useless, as it only relies on the peoples’ own discernment of their philosophy. The meaning of conservative or liberal is not agreed to universally, and there are many shades of the two.
Nothing's 'hopeless' before the event. But there is already a House bill on amnesty. That's next on the table after the first of the year. And although there will be a fight, amnesty will have even a better chance at passage than ObamaCare because there are any number of Republicans on board.
Once the Conservatives are energized we can vote them out, take back congress next year and REPEAL all these laws that will damage our culture and economy.
You're deluding yourself. First, if amnesty happens, that will insure a Democrat victory due to all the suppliant new Americans. Second, even should we achieve some kind of victory, it would require a veto-proof Congress to repeal these laws; something that is very unlikely.
That’s what I’m hoping will happen.
Hope springs eternal. But don't hold your breath.
I agree with you, I just don’t understand how anyone can even remotely consider themselves a conservative and vote for such a self-described “wealth distributor” as Hussein.
And the passage of this travesty of a “healthcare” bill is like the canary in the mine, its passage is the test of just what they can get away with even when a majority of Americans from both sides vehemently oppose it. If the rats manage even through fraud to be re-elected after this, there will be no holding politicians. They will have learned once and for all that they can act with impunity against the wishes of Americans and get away with it. The passage of this is significant for so many reasons other than the stated one.
Everyone running for office in 2010 should make repeal the centerpiece of their election effort.
Mistake one, considering the Left one big monolith. Fact: The Left is comprised of competing tribes held together with the glue of PC meaning “though shall not discuss anything that will upset the other crazies.”
Absolutely. This is a watershed moment for America. Our freedom rests on what occurs these next few months. We’ve had some months of hope over falling poll numbers, Tea Parties, the March on Washington, and Obama’s failings in general. But too many have lost sight of the big picture. And now, it’s upon us.
Even if there is a 2010 election, it is too late. We haven’t acted. We have put up RINOs and this is our punishment. The Usurper has bullied his way in and RINOs are bowing at his feet and kissing his arse. When even Hill couldn’t stand up to him, that was the end.
Flame away, but there is no reset button. Nancy lied and now it’s over.
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