There used to be this myth that the country was shifting conservative. We heard all about it from the mid nineties and as recently as a couple years ago. Now, the first reason to doubt it was it was being, almost solely, propagated by Republicans anxious for voters to just take it on faith that that was the case. Hey, since we're conservative, we should obviously vote for conservative candidates. A lot of folks bought into the myth, including a bunch of Democrats. These hapless Democrats, not known for their fortitude and backbone, allowed the myth to be perpetuated and, in fact, many "modified" their positions to better match up with the new, more conservative, populace.
Yet all the while, public opinion polls were being taken that clearly demonstrated voters would take liberal positions, particularly on social issues. The other day I wrote a post whining about the sorry state of the Democratic party and called for a clear definition of party principles. In the post, I included a summary of polling on domestic issues:
Consider the results of a June 17, 2008, Rockefeller Foundation/Time poll. When "favor strongly" and "favor somewhat" are combined, one gets the following percentages for policies favored by overwhelming majorities: increase the minimum wage to keep up with the cost of living (88 percent); increase government spending on things like public-works projects to create jobs (86 percent); put stricter limits on pollution we put into the atmosphere (85 percent); limit rate increases on adjustable rate mortgages (82 percent); provide quality healthcare to all, regardless of ability to pay (81 percent); impose higher tax incentives for alternative energy (81 percent); provide government-funded childcare to all parents so they can work (77 percent); provide more paid maternity/dependent care leave (76 percent); make it less profitable for companies to outsource jobs to foreign countries (76 percent); expand unemployment benefits (76 percent).
Those are liberal positions favored by large majorities. Yesterday, the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy poll results were released, essentially re-confirming voters liberal tendencies.
...the nation’s middle class displays broad consensus on a range of public policies aimed at easing their economic squeeze: they support a universal national health insurance plan (75%), requiring employers to provide paid family and medical leave (71%), making it easier for employees to join labor unions and allowing bankruptcy judges to change mortgage payments to keep homes out of foreclosure (68% and 62%). A majority of middle-class adults – whether they are Democrats, Republicans, or independents and whether they are supporters of John McCain or Barack Obama for President – believe that these policies represent good ideas for the country.
The survey includes other liberal issues: 61% of those polled favor allowing children who entered the U.S. illegally to apply for legal residency if they go to college or serve in the military and have no criminal record. 78% of those polled favor the expansion of the SCHIP program to cover more children from low and middle class families.
Very clearly, these aren't conservative positions on these issues. They are solidly liberal positions. And supported by big margins.
Maybe the
problem for Democrats is not the evolution of a more conservative
electorate but, rather, the lack of articulate and sincere Democrats
who are capable of effectively communicating core Democratic principles.
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