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