So how divided are we really?

[Corlyss_D]

Last year when Newt began appearing to discuss this Natural Majority idea, I accessed his briefings on the web and was dismayed to find that there was no attribution to the data by which he claimed the Natural Majority believed what he said it did. When I contacted his minions, they told me to buy the book, that the data were in the book. I see that in his revised briefing, he now includes the source of the data on which he bases his assertions.

It's important to realize just how divided we really are, and who is divided. It's not the people; it's the political class, including the politicians, the lobbyists, and the activist groups. This assertion was made last fall immediately after the election, when the Dems were shocked and disspirited by their failure to connect with the public sufficiently to get even one branch of government under their control. This Natural Majority idea goes some distance to explain why they didn't connect and why the road ahead for them thru the array of red counties will be so difficult.

In briefing this concept, Newt has said repeatedly that he can't understand why the Republicans, who have been so good at tapping into most of these results, remain unmoved by others, more specifically the the environmental concerns evidenced by these polls, when it would cost them so little to adopt measures that would satisfy the concerns of the pro-environmental conservative majority.
********************************************************

Although The Media Describe a 50-50 Red-Blue Division, America’s “Natural Majority” Is Decisively Center-Right. There is a temporary narrow partisan division among Americans but there is no narrow values division. On a wide number of issues Americans average about four to one in favor of Center-Right values. This is America’s “Natural Majority.”

Responding to Challenge No. 1: The potential for terrorists and rogue
dictatorships to acquire and use nuclear or biological weapons.

• 88% think taking measures to prevent terrorist attacks on the US should be our TOP foreign policy goal (Pew/Chicago Council on Foreign Relations 7/04)

• 87% think that a peaceful solution to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict in the Middle East should be a very/somewhat important foreign policy goal (Gallup, 6/10/03)

• 86% think Suicide bombing attacks against buildings or other public places in the US are likely in the next 10 years (Gallup/CNN/USA Today 8/03)

• 82% of Americans think International Terrorism is one of the Most Critical Threats to U.S. in Next 10 Years (Gallup 2/12/04)

• 67% think that an attack using chemical or biological weapons in the US is likely in the next ten years (Gallup/CNN/USA Today 8/03)

• 65% Agree that the US should be able to attack any country that might use nuclear weapons against us (CBS/NY Times 9/5/02)

Responding to Challenge No. 2: The Effort to Drive God Out of Public Life.

• 93% of Americans Believe in God (Gallup poll, 1/11/05)

• 91% Want to keep “Under God” In the Pledge of Allegiance (Gallup Poll 4/04)

• 90% Approve of "In God We Trust" on U.S. coins

• 85% Say Religion is very/fairly important In their lives (Gallup Poll, 6/6/04)

• 78% Approve of Non-denominational prayer at public school ceremonies

• 78% Favor allowing children to pray on school grounds (Samuel Huntington, Who Are We? The Challenges to America’s National Identity, p.346)

• 74% Oppose Removing All References to God from Oaths of Public Office

• 73% Approve of School Prayer before Athletic games (Samuel Huntington, Who Are We? The Challenges to America’s National Identity, p.346)

• 71% Are Comfortable Saying that the Constitution promises freedom OF
religion, and not Freedom FROM Religion (Pew, 7/24/03)

• 63% Favor a Supreme Court justice to permit Ten Commandments on
government property (WSJ/NBC News (Bill McInturff), 7/05)

• 61% support a moment of voluntary silent prayer before school begins
(Public Opinion Strategies 1998/1999)

Responding to Challenge No. 3: The possibility that America will lose the patriotic sense of itself as a unique civilization.

• 88% agree that schools should make a special effort to teach new immigrants about American values (Public Agenda, 2000)

• 83% are extremely or very proud to be an American (Gallup, 01/14-16/05)

• 81% agree that immigrants should learn English (Samuel Huntington, Who Are We? The Challenges to America’s National Identity, p.166)

• 79% think teaching students to be proud of being part of this country and learning the rights and responsibilities of citizenship should be a priority (Public Agenda, 2000)

• 72% oppose racial preferences (Samuel Huntington, Who Are We? The Challenges to America’s National Identity, p.153)

• 70% say a pro-American point of view is good (Pew, 2003)

• 69% display an American Flag (Pew, July 24, 2003)

• 65% agree that schools should help new immigrants absorb America’s language and culture as quickly as possible, even if their native language and culture are neglected (Public Agenda, 2000)

• 61% say that children are more likely to be moral when raised with faith (Pew, 3/20/02)

Responding to Challenge No. 4: That America will continue to be the most successful economy in the world.

• 85% say that keeping American jobs from going overseas will be very/fairly important in deciding their vote for president (Gallup Poll 3/7/04)

• 88% agree with developing clean, renewable energy resources to protect the environment (Public Opinion Strategies, 2/12/04)

• 85% support education reform that includes tougher teacher standards, more local control over schools, and expands the use of computers and new technology (Public Opinion Strategies; 1998/1999)

• 83% agree with Investing in clean energy technologies to protect the environment and create new jobs through the development of these new technologies (Public Opinion Strategies, 2/12/04)

• 82% support a savings account similar to an IRA that would allow parents to save tax-free for their children's college education (Public Opinion Strategies 1998/1999)

• 82% support requiring teachers to pass a standard test before they can be allowed to teach in a classroom (Public Opinion Strategies; 1998/1999)

• 81% agree with toughening environmental regulations and protections to protect against polluters and preserve the water we drink and the air we breathe (Public Opinion Strategies, 2/12/04)

• 75% support limiting the amount of money personal injury lawyers can claim to no more than 15% of money awarded (Public Opinion Strategies 1998/1999)

• 73% support a state tax credit for poorer and middle-class families to help make their state's community and four year colleges more affordable (Public Opinion Strategies, 2/12/04)

• 72% agree with providing tax benefits to research and biotechnology companies to entice these 21st Century companies to the state to create more high-paying jobs (Public Opinion Strategies, 2/12/04)

Responding to Challenge No. 5: Transforming Entitlement Programs.

• 87% support giving employers incentives, such as tax breaks, if they offer basic health care to their employees to reduce the problem of uninsured families and help small businesses stay competitive
(Public Opinion Strategies, 2/12/04)

• 86% Say the healthcare system needs “to be completely rebuilt” or “fundamental changes” (CBS/NY Times 7/03)

• 85% support cutting taxes on employers who offer health care benefits to their employees to reduce the problem of the uninsured (Public Opinion Strategies, 2/12/04)

• 81% support providing funds for poorer seniors to help pay for prescription drug costs (Public Opinion Strategies; 1998/1999)

• 79% agree that people under age 55 should have the right to choose between keeping all of their contributions in the current system and investing a portion of their contributions (FOX News/Opinion
Dynamics, 4/26/05)

• 75% agree that making sure the health care system supports new technologies should be a major goal of reforming the health care system (Employee Benefits Research Institute, 6/99)

• 73% agree that the government should require health care providers to report all serious medical errors to make sure this information is publicly available (Kaiser/Agency for Health Care 10/00)

• 70% agree that the Social Security program in its present form will run out of money at some point to pay all of the promised benefits (AP/Ipsos 5/4/05)

• 93% believe the public has a right to know the results of evaluations of performance measures for hospitals, physicians, and nursing homes. (America’s Health Insurance Plans, November 2004)

• 72% of Americans support allowing someone living in one state to purchase health insurance from another state, if the insurance is state-regulated and approved (86% of Hispanics and 85% of African
Americans); 82% said they would be likely to purchase a policy across state lines if they were paying very high rates and needed access to more affordable health insurance policies. (Council for Affordable Health Insurance, September 2004)

[Ralph]

Corlyss just socked in her 3,000th post!

An involved owner. We benefit from her charm and wide breadth of interests as well as her engagingly kooky theories and beliefs.

[karlhenning]

Give it up for Corlyss! 8)

[Corlyss_D]

Corlyss just socked in her 3,000th post!

An involved owner. We benefit from her charm and wide breadth of interests as well as her engagingly kooky theories and beliefs.

[Looking for the bowing emoticon] Thank you, Ralph.

[Corlyss_D]

Give it up for Corlyss!

You'd miss me when I'm gone, Karl. You can't fool me! BTW how come your symbols don't make emoticons?

[Alban Berg]

Smaller percentages (and let us remember that the 2004 election was decided on a mere 3% difference), but here's also what the majority thinks:

US majority doubts America will win Iraq war -poll
27 Jul 2005 06:55:36 GMT

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, July 27 (Reuters) - A majority of the U.S. public doubts the United States will win the war in Iraq and believes the Bush administration deliberately misled Americans over Iraq's weapons capabilities, according to a USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll.

It was the first time that the poll found that more than half of Americans -- 51 percent -- believed the administration was deliberately misleading when it asserted that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, USA Today said.

According to the USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll, 32 percent of the respondents said they did not the United States can win the war in Iraq; another 21 percent said it could win but they do not think it will. Just 43 percent were confident of victory in Iraq, the newspaper said.

A 53 percent majority said it was not a mistake to send U.S. troops to Iraq, the strongest support for the war since just after the Iraq elections in January, the newspaper said.

However, 58 percent said they doubted the United States would be able to establish a stable democracy in Iraq, similar to the results in April 2004, USA Today said.

The poll was conducted July 24. It has a margin of error of 3 to 5 percentage points, USA Today said.


http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N27209648.htm

[Ralph]

Lots of polls-like bagel varieties at H&H, there's one for every taste.

[Alban Berg]

Lots of polls-like bagel varieties at H&H, there's one for every taste.

Yes, but some are just plain white-bread insipid, while others are more pungent and flavorful. Just like those who want to put an upbeat face on all the United States's current political escapades, and those who aren't deceived by all the Bushies' happy talk . . .

[Ralph]

Lots of polls-like bagel varieties at H&H, there's one for every taste.

Yes, but some are just plain white-bread insipid, while others are more pungent and flavorful. Just like those who want to put an upbeat face on all the United States's current political escapades, and those who aren't deceived by all the Bushies' happy talk . . .

*****

Between Rumsfeld's stern admonitions to Iraqi satraps this week and GEN Casey's hopeful estimate of when we can begin withdrawing troops, it's hard for anyone responding to a poll to be very sure of anything from day to day.

And now the Army wants to raise the maximum age for recruits without prior military experience. The dam is leaking - badly.

[Corlyss_D]

Smaller percentages (and let us remember that the 2004 election was decided on a mere 3% difference)

Yes, but you guys who think the American public is about to turn on Bush and give him his cumuppance love to ignore the fact that he's the first majority president with 3.5 million votes more than "Reporting for Duty" Kerry.

but here's also what the majority thinks:

As usual the report leaves out the only stat that really matters: fewer than 8% think the US should pull out. Americans' enthusiasm for the war is waning, but not their patience. Even the stones in the street know the Islamofacists' are counting more on American public opinion than they are any other single factor to win their war against the west because if they can beat us there, they can beat you weaker-willed Europeans in a naonsecond. That's why Blair and Burlesconni are in a much, much more precarious position than Bush is.

[Ralph]

There's no way to give Bush his "comeuppance." He'll never run for office again but what a mess President Clinton will inherit!!!

[Corlyss_D]

There's no way to give Bush his "comeuppance." He'll never run for office again but what a mess President Clinton will inherit!!!

Sure there is: midterms.

[Ralph]

There's no way to give Bush his "comeuppance." He'll never run for office again but what a mess President Clinton will inherit!!!

Sure there is: midterms.

*****

I don't think we'll see much of a shift in the coming congressional races.

[Corlyss_D]

I don't think we'll see much of a shift in the coming congressional races.

It's too early to tell really. But I'll tell you one thing: if al Qaeda keeps blowing up Europeans, you can bet real money that there will be more Republicans in congress in Jan 07, I don't care if collectively they are Elmer Fudd.

Alban is hopeful that the American public will punish Bush, otherwise why would he bother mentioning the polls, which really don't mean jack among the cognoscenti anyway, but the chattering class and reporters love to talk about them unless they put Bush in a favorable light, then you cant find them with an earth mover. I don't think the polls are measuring what's important to Americans right now. Iraq is not on their radar screen.

[Ralph]

I think Iraq will be a major issue next fall if there isn't clear progress there including reducing our troop strength.