The Gallup poll finds that Americans describe themselves as having gotten more conservative in recent years:
Americans, by a 2-to-1 margin, say their political views in recent years have become more conservative rather than more liberal, 39% to 18%, with 42% saying they have not changed. While independents and Democrats most often say their views haven't changed, more members of all three major partisan groups indicate that their views have shifted to the right rather than to the left.
Hmm, that does not jive with the recent elections. I have always wondered about the accuracy of Gallup polls. It could be that the electorate was simply fed up with those in power and decided to throw the bums out. The GOP often behaved in non-conservative ways and followed the northeastern liberal Republican thought, which has always gotten them into deep trouble. Nevertheless, the electorate will eventually get tired of those currently in power and throw the bums out. I think the 'eventually' timeframe is going to be rather short in this case. I also think that the Dems know it and that is why they are in such a hurry to pass all these big spending bills and continue with the gravy train to Democrat constituents (a.k.a. ACORN).
4 comments:
If patterns hold, Dems will lose seats in the mid-term elections. I believe that although Americans (according to this poll) may consider themselves more conservative, they are moving more center all the time. What I mean is that one must constantly evaluate what it means to be conservative or liberal. Americans are moving more to the center on many social issues. Because times are tough right now at home economically and internationally (two wars, Korea), we are all more conservative by nature. It is the perfect time for Americans to judge themselves as more conservative.
I believe that today's moderate conservative is tomorrow's centrist. Society itself is becoming increasingly more liberal in its boundaries if not as much in practice. I think continued evolution of this state of affairs will be the way things will go.
Other western countries have all (I think all anyway) followed this path.
Don't forget that the definitions of Liberalism and Convseratism change through the years too. It is hard to keep your thumb on what they really mean in any given decade and indivduals define them each according their own needs/opinions perhaps for convinience reasons too.
I know I am.
Yes, Teresa said in another way, these definitions do indeed change and are nuanced. I find myself to be very socially liberal when it comes to personal choices,
but rather conservative when it comes to fiscal questions. I would cut back fiscally where self-identified conservatives would not and I would spend where these conservatives would not, but I would opt for much, much less spending.
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