Are we closet liberals?
Some commentators have been using a Pew Research Center poll to show that most of the country are liberals but are just too clueless to realize it. Molly Ivins wrote a column on this which listed a slew of items that would lead one to believe that there may be something to this:
What kind of courage does it take, for mercy's sake? The majority of the American people (55 percent) think the war in Iraq is a mistake and that we should get out. The majority (65 percent) of the American people want single-payer health care and are willing to pay more taxes to get it. The majority (86 percent) of the American people favor raising the minimum wage. The majority of the American people (60 percent) favor repealing Bush's tax cuts, or at least those that go only to the rich. The majority (66 percent) wants to reduce the deficit not by cutting domestic spending, but by reducing Pentagon spending or raising taxes.
The majority (77 percent) thinks we should do "whatever it takes" to protect the environment. The majority (87 percent) thinks big oil companies are gouging consumers and would support a windfall profits tax. That is the center, you fools. WHO ARE YOU AFRAID OF?
The above was directed at Hillary Clinton as a challenge to start adopting a more liberal agenda and to leave her conservative ideas behind. If such a huge portion of Americans are so willing to adopt such a progressive slate of ideas, certainly Democrats would be pushing all these proposals, and voters in liberal states would be taking charge and demanding these things.
On the environment, 77 percent believe the nation should do whatever it takes to protect the environment. Sounds like an endorsement for Al Gore and a slap at George Bush. Or maybe it just means that people are full of shit. How many of these 77% own a gas guzzling SUV? I don't know the answer, but I do know that John Kerry's family owns an SUV, and environmental champions like Robert Kennedy, Jr. and Laurie David fly on private planes.
So how many of these responders car pool, have solar panels on their houses, drive a Prius, take the bus, turn off their air conditioners, or follow the "if it's yellow, be mellow" rule when using the toliet? If so many of us answered the question by saying we should do "whatever it takes," these measures should be widely adopted by now.
Californians had a chance in the June 6th, 2006 election to enact a tax increase on only the wealthy in order to provide preschool education to all its citizens. The proposal failed badly, not even getting 40% of the vote in a state that solidly voted for John Kerry in 2004.
The poll also states that 65% of the population wants a single payer system and is willing to pay for it. So you would expect to see this thing moving along. Shouldn't a liberal state adopt something like this, provide its citizens with health coverage for all because a huge majority wants it? Oregon put this on their ballot.
If this country is all for single payer, one would expect a blue state like Oregon to be in full support of this measure, yet 79 % voted against it. Maybe it is easy to be a liberal in a survey, when you don't have to actually write the check, but when you are alone in the voting booth and have the choice to raise your own taxes, it isn't as simple.
None of this is to debate the merits of pre-school education or health care reform, but to show that surveys like this aren't so useful. If Democrats use this as a sign that the country is ready to take a sharp turn to the left, I think they are kidding themselves.
What kind of courage does it take, for mercy's sake? The majority of the American people (55 percent) think the war in Iraq is a mistake and that we should get out. The majority (65 percent) of the American people want single-payer health care and are willing to pay more taxes to get it. The majority (86 percent) of the American people favor raising the minimum wage. The majority of the American people (60 percent) favor repealing Bush's tax cuts, or at least those that go only to the rich. The majority (66 percent) wants to reduce the deficit not by cutting domestic spending, but by reducing Pentagon spending or raising taxes.
The majority (77 percent) thinks we should do "whatever it takes" to protect the environment. The majority (87 percent) thinks big oil companies are gouging consumers and would support a windfall profits tax. That is the center, you fools. WHO ARE YOU AFRAID OF?
The above was directed at Hillary Clinton as a challenge to start adopting a more liberal agenda and to leave her conservative ideas behind. If such a huge portion of Americans are so willing to adopt such a progressive slate of ideas, certainly Democrats would be pushing all these proposals, and voters in liberal states would be taking charge and demanding these things.
On the environment, 77 percent believe the nation should do whatever it takes to protect the environment. Sounds like an endorsement for Al Gore and a slap at George Bush. Or maybe it just means that people are full of shit. How many of these 77% own a gas guzzling SUV? I don't know the answer, but I do know that John Kerry's family owns an SUV, and environmental champions like Robert Kennedy, Jr. and Laurie David fly on private planes.
So how many of these responders car pool, have solar panels on their houses, drive a Prius, take the bus, turn off their air conditioners, or follow the "if it's yellow, be mellow" rule when using the toliet? If so many of us answered the question by saying we should do "whatever it takes," these measures should be widely adopted by now.
Californians had a chance in the June 6th, 2006 election to enact a tax increase on only the wealthy in order to provide preschool education to all its citizens. The proposal failed badly, not even getting 40% of the vote in a state that solidly voted for John Kerry in 2004.
The poll also states that 65% of the population wants a single payer system and is willing to pay for it. So you would expect to see this thing moving along. Shouldn't a liberal state adopt something like this, provide its citizens with health coverage for all because a huge majority wants it? Oregon put this on their ballot.
If this country is all for single payer, one would expect a blue state like Oregon to be in full support of this measure, yet 79 % voted against it. Maybe it is easy to be a liberal in a survey, when you don't have to actually write the check, but when you are alone in the voting booth and have the choice to raise your own taxes, it isn't as simple.
None of this is to debate the merits of pre-school education or health care reform, but to show that surveys like this aren't so useful. If Democrats use this as a sign that the country is ready to take a sharp turn to the left, I think they are kidding themselves.
posted by Doug at 8:30 AM
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