Blow writes: "Public sentiment is slowly drifting away from the Republicans in a way that must be giving the party's long-range strategists sleepless nights."
Portrait, Charles M. Blow. (photo: NYT)
GOP Nightmare Charts
24 May 12
oll time!
I love this moment in the political season because the polls pour in and invariably something tucked in among the questions catches my eye but doesn’t grab the headlines.
I have selected two that get us away from the presidential race, both of which highlight just how much trouble the Republican brand continues to find itself in despite the party’s many legislative and statehouse victories in 2010. Public sentiment is slowly drifting away from the Republicans in a way that must be giving the party’s long-range strategists sleepless nights.
The first question comes from the NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey released on Tuesday (it’s question number 27). It read:
When it comes to (READ ITEM), which party do you feel is most attuned and sensitive to issues that affect this group.
Here is the list of items the poll-takers read and the way people answered:
The New York Times
The chart illustrates just how narrow Republican support is. Respondents viewed Republicans as more sensitive to religious conservatives, people in the military and small business owners. That’s not enough for a winning coalition. For everyone else — including the middle class, young adults and Hispanics — Democrats won out. Democrats even scored higher than Republicans among some groups that conventional wisdom associates with supporting Republicans, like retirees and stay-at-home moms. (I wish that the pollsters had also asked about men and racial groups, but unfortunately they did not.)
The second question comes from a Gallup morality poll that was also released on Tuesday. The question read:
Next, I’m going to read you a list of issues. Regardless of whether or not you think it should be legal, for each one, please tell me whether you personally believe that in general it is morally acceptable or morally wrong.
Here are the issues and how people responded:
The New York Times
Of the 18 moral issues, Democrats were more permissive than Republicans on 14. No surprise there. But what was a bit surprising was that on seven issues, independents eked out a small margin of permissiveness over Democrats. (This may be due in part to the fact that some devout Democrats like blacks are rather conservative, socially speaking.)
Republicans were only more permissive than Democrats and independents on three measures and they all had to do with the killing of people and animals — the death penalty, buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur and medical testing on animals. Interpret that as you will.
Independents were closer to Democrats than to Republicans on 13 of the 18 issues outlined. The only exceptions were medical research using embryonic stem cells, the death penalty, suicide and human cloning. (On cloning animals, Democrats and Republicans were both less permissive than independents, and in equal measure).
When people are asked to identify themselves by political ideology, Americans may appear to be center-right, but independents look more like Democrats than Republicans on moral issues.
This does not bode well for Republicans as the composition and conscience of the country continues to change. We are slowly becoming less religious, more diverse and increasingly open-minded.
That is completely at odds with today’s Republican Party.
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Here's another thing to consider: McCain ONLY got 54% of the white male vote. That spells a big loss for McCain. Even the white male vote is changing a bit. Not completely, but I think enough to tip the scales.
The real danger in what I see is all of the non-voting angry or complacent liberals (especially under 50) who've chosen to not have any party affiliation due to a lack of support from the Democratic Party. These are votes the Democratic Party should be courting, but in general, it isn't.
To awaken Women, it is time that women start talking to other women of all color, creed, it is time Women realize that we too will be enslaved.
But it takes all of you to get off here and start organizing and doing what I read you speak of.
No third party candidate I blame everyone on every blog for that..You have the Power. If you are waiting for OWS to do it for you than you are a GOP.
I take polls with a grain of salt...they are like any one being paid to say something. Polls in a Conservative District will favor GOP etc. It is a gimmick, old but works on the sheep.
Let me know how it goes getting organized, there are great organizations out there to help you do it. Without a Fight...then do not expect much in the terms of reward. Ask anyone fighting a disease.
Yep. And so the Republican dream of ten years ago, of a "permanent Republican majority", is doomed, barring the success of the slow coup d'état that Rove and company have been organizing for most of a generation, using corporate money and corporate media, GWOT fear-mongering, politically repressive legislation (from Patriot Act to NDAA), the filibuster, model legislation drafted by corporate interests, judicial activism from the right, Presidential signing statements and executive orders, voter suppression, the introduction of non-secure voting technology, militarization of local police, domestic deployment of surveillance technology . . .
The establishment Democrats have been too busy living large to resist a coup that could put you, me and them out of business, and some of us in permanent detention. They may feel safe with their piece of the action, but ultimately, without the Constitution, nobody is secure.
Yes they love killing, love war, love hate. Many would not know what to do if they had no one to hate, if they really had to live peacefully.
Land lines will be where the people will gather when the communication satellites and unprotected cellphone towers are compromised.
But to the issue of polls- Republican inability to think over the horizon with regard to energy/transpor t policy was never more starkly revealed than 911DAY. Bush told America to go shopping instead of buckle down and get us away from imported transport fuel.
We need to take back the voting booth from the corporations. There will never be any change in this country when the votes are not counted in public.
Hand counted paper ballots for everyone. Period. Not matter how long it takes to count them.
That's not the same as supporting the men/women who serve in our armed forces.
The Republicans have always opposed the men/women who actually serve. They opposed the GI Bill, they oppose VA benefits, they cut funding for medical care for returning soldiers. They do support sending our soldiers out without adequate training or adequate equipment.
Their "support" for the troops is 3" wide, 6" long and won't scratch the paint on their SUV ... plus, it's YELLOW, just like they are.
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