Let's talk polls.

[merrily]

Last edited Mon Sep 28, 2015, 12:48 PM - Edit history (4)

My belief is that Americans tend to be liberal. Both of the two largest political parties have worked to make at least some of them recoil from the word "liberal." (I don't especially love the word myself. Not so long ago, I was a Democrat, period, with no need to worry about where in the Party my views fell.)

However, if you ask Americans about issues, without characterizing them as liberal or conservative, Democratic or Republican, left or right, they will very often choose the liberal position. This is especially so if you somehow manage to ask them before the propaganda machine whirrs up on a given issue. However, bear in mind, that many of these polls were taken even after FOX, Limbaugh, talk radio and all the usual suspects had weighed in again and again.

In the above, Rachel Maddow agrees with me, or I agree with her. (I held my view long before I saw this video.)

http://m.playleets.com/watch/nZi8p7HUH_w (Rachel Maddow)



1. 87% of Americans believe the US should take a role cutting world hunger by half by 2015 even if it costs them.

Should: 83%
Should Not: 13%

Perhaps most significant is how Americans feel about paying for a program to cut
hunger in half. When we asked respondents how much it would cost the average
taxpayer, the median estimate was $50 a year. To find out how Americans would
feel about paying a set cost of $50 a year, PIPA in a different November, 2000
poll asked to assume that "this plan would cost the average taxpayer in the
industrialized countries $50 a year, and that people in the other countries, as
well as the U.S., were willing to pay their share." In this case, 75 percent said they
would be willing to pay $50, and just 19 percent would not. Thus, it is likely that a
near-unanimous majority would be willing to pay the significantly smaller amount
that many experts believe would be necessary for a program to cut world hunger
in half.

http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/us/warf.htm (A date for this story or for this poll did not leap out at me.)



2. Overwhelming majorities of Americans (80%) support Social Security for themselves and for others.

They want it expanded, not cut. http://www.salon.com/2013/11/20/poll_voters_want_social_security_expanded_not_cut/


(And, it works. http://billmoyers.com/2015/01/22/need-expand-effective-anti-poverty-program-america/ )
http://www.nasi.org/learn/social-security/public-opinions-social-security (January 2013)



3. 83% of Americans want student loan interest rates lowered.

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/blog/707-poll-83-of-american-voters-support-lowering-student-loan-rates




4. A majority of Americans albeit a slim one, still supports single payer even though neither Obama (even 2008 Obama) pushed it and Republicans have been attacking any government involvement in health insurance for decades. Let me stress: single payer, Medicare for ALL, not merely a strong public option, which 2009 Obama described as "a sliver."

hehill.com/policy/healthcare/229959-majority-still-support-single-payer-option-poll-finds (January 2015)



5. A majority of Americans favor union collective bargaining rights.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-02-22-poll-public-unions-wisconsin_N.htm



6. 2/3 of Americans believe that the Constitution of the United States mandates separation of church and state.

https://www.au.org/church-state/september-2011-church-state/au-bulletin/constitution-mandates-church-state-separation



7. Americans believe that the evidence for climate change is solid. That is 61% of all Americans, 79% of Democrats, 61% of the ever-wooed Independents and even 37% of Republicans. Plenty of votes there for Democrats to pluck from outside their base.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/09/23/most-americans-believe-in-climate-change-but-give-it-low-priority/ (September 2014)

The same poll showed that, in terms of prioritizing threats, they rank ISIS and nuclear weapons threats higher. (Gee, why do you suppose that is?)



8. Despite efforts by Democrats, Republicans and others to discredit, if not destroy, the United States Post Office, 72% of Americans think it does a good job.

http://time.com/3599665/usps-post-office-gallup-poll-positive/ (November 2014)

They rate it the highest among 13 major federal agencies.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/179519/americans-rate-postal-service-highest-major-agencies.aspx (november 2014

(Not to mention the pivotal role of the USPS in Miracle on 34th Street!)


9. A majority of Americans opposed tying funding of Homeland Security to President Obama's Executive Action about immigrants. 59% said a comprehensive immigration bill would be a better way to handle the issue. This poll may have broken the issue down by agreeing with Democrats or agreeing with Republicans. The story is not clear.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pablo-manriquez/new-poll-shows-americans-_b_6819056.html (March 2015)



10. Americans want taxes raised on incomes over $250K a year. (3 polls)
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/12/06/trio-of-polls-support-for-raising-taxes-on-wealthy/


11. Americans support net neutrality.

http://thehill.com/policy/technology/230226-poll-voters-support-broad-concept-of-net-neutrality



12. 76% of Americans want money out of politics.

http://billmoyers.com/2014/11/21/majority-americans-want-money-politics/

But see the reality of what is entailed: http://www.democraticunderground.com/12776799

See also: http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-09-28/bloomberg-poll-americans-want-supreme-court-to-turn-off-political-spending-spigot?module=TopNews&position=8_headline



13. Almost 70% of Americans would attend a loved one's same gender wedding.

http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/new_poll_today_shows_scalia_s_fear_that_same_sex_marriage_is_unpalatable_is_true_for_very_few



14. 8 out of 10 Americans polled want to get rid of harsh federal drug laws for nonviolent offenders.

http://rare.us/story/8-out-of-10-americans-want-to-get-rid-harsh-federal-drug-laws-for-nonviolent-offenders/



In general, see http://www.people-press.org/2011/05/04/beyond-red-vs-blue-the-political-typology/




Politicians are not confused about what we want. Americans are not forcing this country to the right.

And, although it's a plurality, not a majority, 47% of Americans would vote for a socialist.

http://inthesetimes.com/article/18106/americans-socialism-bernie-sanders

[daleanime]

1. Oh, they're very aware of what we want.....

Last edited Tue Apr 21, 2015, 09:37 AM - Edit history (1)

[merrily]

2. "Truth has a liberal bias." said a character who was a

conservative, played by a centrist.

[RiverLover]

3. Great post!!!

Thanks for posting. Truth.

[merrily]

4. Thanks. It's worth clicking to look at some of those percentages.

I think Medicare for all is the lowest percentage, though still a majority.

Some of the other percentages are over 80%.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. This is a valuable piece of work.

Thank you.

[merrily]

6. You're welcome and thank you.

I try.

[Jackpine Radical]

7. My wife tells me

I'm trying too.

[merrily]

8. I'll leave that to the two of you.

[Enthusiast]

9. If the American people knew about single payer universal heath care they would be all in for it.

If you look at the media closely you would find that there is seldom a word about health care systems around the world.

If you do hear anything it is always from a source dedicated to denigrate single payer universal.

We hear how Canadians come to the United States because they're on long waiting lists for surgery. They tell us that Canadian care in general in somehow less than effective. These are lies. These lies are created and disseminated by US health care system profiteers.

[merrily]

13. That's what I mean about polling before the propaganda machine starts attacking.

It is more marked with single payer because Obama attacked it, as well as the Republicans.

[Enthusiast]

10. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!

[corkhead]

11. If only we lived in a functioning democracy.

[demwing]

12. Excellent Post Merrily!

I've pinned it to the top of the group for 1 week

[sabrina 1]

14. Excellent post merrily. This fact has been known for a long time. May explain also why FDR is still

among the top most respected and admired US Presidents.

But does the Dem Party know this?

Proof that running on the message these polls show such support for, is what to do IF we want to win, was evident in the Mid Terms where Progressives running on this message won, while those who did not, lost.

Also, in local elections where 'liberal/left' issues were on the ballots, they won hands down, across the political spectrum.
'
Now let's see if we can persuade the party leadership to start supporting candidates who run the message the people overwhelmingly want to hear.

If not, it's up to us I suppose.

[merrily]

15. "But does the Dem Party know this?" Yes, without a doubt.

Thanks for the nice words.

[merrily]

16. More on what Americans want:

How can 60 percent of the country agree with Democrats on taxes, Social Security, Medicare, same sex marriage, gun safety, every last plank of the President’s immigration plan, the Cuban embargo, the Iran nuclear weapons deal and the truth about global warming and still vote Republican?

http://www.salon.com/2015/04/19/my_party_fears_a_debate_this_same_nervous_centrism_created_the_tea_party/

How indeed?

But, I am not sure what Curry means by agreeing with Democrats on these issues.

Taxes: What have Democrats done on taxes?
Social Security and Medicare: Did Americans agree these should be cut or "put on the table?"

[NYC_SKP]

18. Super post, glad it's pinned to the forum.

Good stuff, merrily!

[merrily]

19. Thanks, NYC. You are very kind.

[BrotherIvan]

20. GREAT post that goes to the heart of the argument I have been seeing

that the US is a center-right country and candidates must hold conservative positions in order to get votes in Peoria. It's just not true. And if someone gets people to vote based on the ISSUES, not identity politics, then that candidate can go very far.

[merrily]

21. You're kind, too. The polls do not show that America is any kind of a right nation.

That is one of many memes we have been fed as a reason to keep moving the country right for the benefit of the 1%.

PS. Would it be hubris if I recommend bookmarking, in case it ceases to be pinned? I've had a number of occasions to link to it.

[BrotherIvan]

22. Yes I will do it

Because centrists on this board are using the fear of a Republican WH and conservative POTUS forever as the reason to support their candidate. That someone whose views match the majority of the people and who doesn't act like a polished pol just making promises can't win (and that's a good thing?). It is the argument of fear itself and I think once people see that Bernie is supported by people of all ages, genders and colors, they might be able to crawl out of that fear.

[sabrina 1]

23. This is excellent, thank you Merrily!

[merrily]

24. My pleasure.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

25. We need to knock on doors and talk to people about these issues

yet despite agreeing with most of these issue they go and vote republican!

[merrily]

26. Or stay home. Or vote Democratic.

The key, IMO, is to talk issues without labeling them as liberal or Democratic or conservative or Republican. Thing is, people are people. Knowing what they want and need is not rocket science, as our politicians tend to pretend.

Knocking on doors: It may not be a terrible idea to print out my post as most people like to think of themselves as mainstream, not oddballs or "extremists." Then, also print out or compile a handout of quotes from Bernie on those subjects. I'm guessing there is a lot of consonance between the two. Then, let them know these are positions he's held and worked toward all his life, not just primary campaign rhetoric.

[TBF]

27. ...

thanks for the link - I agree

[merrily]

28. You're welcome.

I also have post about a poll saying 47% of Americans have no problem whatever voting for a socialist. Not "Democratic Socialist," mind you, but "socialist." I have forgotten if I reflected that poll in this thread and I'm too lazy right now to check. Let me know if you want that link, though.

[LiberalElite]

29. KICK nt

[merrily]

30. Thanks, LiberalElite, for kicking this oldie.

[MrMickeysMom]

31. K&R this baby...

Here's something that answers many of the questions on DU 6 months later!

Instead of against the wall, I should have linked here!

Thanks, merrily...

[merrily]

32. My pleasure. Shortcutting with a link is one of the main reasons I do OPs

like this one.

Someone pointed out to me that an article that was published a couple of weeks or more after I had posted this looked as though the author of the article had seen and appreciated this OP too. That poster had posted the link, but I don't remember where the article was published. If I did inspire someone with a much wider readership than I have, all the better. (A credit or a link would have been nice, but I'll take what I can get gratefully because I can be a sensible woodchuck, too.)

BTW, searching DU before trying to create an entirely new post can often be a good move. A lot of useful posts have been made here (and 'here" includes the old DU, which often appears when I do a search without limiting the search in time via advanced search.)

[delrem]

33. I think, now, that we all know that.

We know that the majority of opinion is for peace and well being, a fair system of justice.
That's not "statistics", it's just plain common sense.

The majority of people know that the system is rigged, is terribly skewed to the advantage of the rich, the war profiteers, and the hell that they bring to earth. Theirs is an endless cycle of death.

I guess it all boils down to that we have to believe in ourselves.
Do what's right.

[merrily]

34. Thanks. People are people. Most people want similar things. It's not rocket science.

Whatever happened to "First, don't be evil?"