The percentage of voters identifying themselves as Republicans has steadily declined since 2002 as voters not only reject Bush and the Iraq war but nearly all the positions the Republican Party claims to represent.
Mark Blumenthal with Pollster.com:
Even more striking than the changes in some core political and social values is the dramatic shift in party identification that has occurred during the past five years. In 2002, the country was equally divided along partisan lines: 43% identified with the Republican Party or leaned to the GOP, while an identical proportion said they were Democrats. Today, half of the public (50%) either identifies as a Democrat or says they lean to the Democratic Party, compared with 35% who align with the GOP.Pew Poll: Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007 Summary
.... the authors see in their various measures an improved "political landscape for Democrats" stemming from "increased public support for the social safety net, signs of growing public concern about income inequality, and a diminished appetite for assertive national security policies."
Political Landscape More Favorable To Democrats.
Complete study PDF.
LA Times:
What's more, the survey found, public attitudes are drifting toward Democrats' values: Support for government aid to the disadvantaged has grown since the mid-1990s, skepticism about the use of military force has increased and support for traditional family values has decreased.
The findings suggest that the challenges for the GOP reach beyond the unpopularity of the war in Iraq and Bush.
"Iraq has played a large part; the pushback on the Republican Party has to do with Bush, but there are other things going on here that Republicans will have to contend with," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Center. "There is a difference in the landscape."
No comments:
Post a Comment