Everyone knows that Americans want someone who is socially liberal and fiscally conservative

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

I have been hearing that analysis for years from the beltway CW crowd, who are, and have always been, a bunch of Country Club/Rockefeller Republicans... greedy and militaristic, but uncomfortable with religion and preeningly 'tolerant,' even when they are not.

From todays Rasmussen polling on fiscal and social attitudes:

...The largest segment of the population—24%--consider themselves to be both fiscally and socially conservative. Seventeen percent (17%) say they are both fiscally and socially moderate.

Fourteen percent (14%) are fiscally moderate and socially liberal. Eleven percent (11%) are fiscally moderate and socially conservative. Ten percent (10%) are fiscally conservative and socially moderate. Nine percent (9%) are both fiscally and socially liberal. Six percent (6%) are fiscally conservative and socially liberal.

Among Republicans, 47% are both fiscally and socially conservative.

Democrats have no such dominant base. Twenty percent (20%) are fiscally moderate but liberal on the social issues. Nineteen percent (19%) of Democrats consider themselves moderate on both fiscal and social issues. Sixteen percent (16%) of Nancy Pelosi’s party say they are liberal on both fiscal and social issues.

http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/general_current_events/24_are_both_fiscal_and_socially_conservative_9_fiscally_and_socially_liberal

6 frikin' percent. As usual, the media centrists who always know 'what Americans think' are a freakish, irrelevant minority.

[bluestateguy]

1. You are right. That's MSM drivel

And that's why a lot of Northeasterners and Californians are fooled into voting for so-called "moderate" Republicans.

I call them RINO-INO's: Republican In Name Only's In Name Only. Or maybe RINO-EWIC: Republican In Name Only Except When It Counts.

They always end up cooperating with Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay when the chips are down, or if Karl Rove makes a phone call. They talk a good game, but end up voting (and in the end it's the vote that really matters most) with John Boehner and Duncan Hunter.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. How did they arrive at this?

...The largest segment of the population—24%--consider themselves to be both fiscally and socially conservative.

[DaveinMD]

3. yep

I've always thought that socially moderate and economic populism was the recipe for success. Social moderation doesn't mean giving away the right to choose. It means speaking in language that middle America agrees with. This was the genius of Bill Clinton in 1992. He always used to talk about running to fight for the people who worked hard, played by the rules but were falling behind. He talked about rewarding work. That's why he won.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

6. If rights are not infringed the stance cannot be socially moderate

A moderate position on the right to chose that does not infringe the right to chose is a logical impossibility. For 'moderate' to mean anything it must represent some policy differences with the other two options.

That's the problem with the centrist myth... all rights are maximalist by nature.

Revoking the right to chose in only a few instances is equivalent to only beating confessions out of a few prisoners, banning only a few books, or making a man a slave for only a few months out of the year.

[DaveinMD]

7. its not about the position

its about the framing the position in language that appeals to the broadest swath. Clinton was firmly pro-choice, but talking about keepin abortion safe, legal and rare by reducing unwanted pregnancy.

[bluestateguy]

8. That's exactly it

And a growing economy that provides opportunities for all people, not just the wealthy few. THAT reduces abortions too. When people feel good about the economy and their prospects for success they are more likely to have kids or to follow through with an unexpected pregnancy.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. From what I've observed, the key is to be

economically populist ("I favor ordinary people instead of fat cats") and socially laissez-faire (i.e. "Why is it any of your business what people do in their private lives as long as they're not hurting anybody?")

[Basileus Basileon]

5. Only 16% of us are liberal/liberal? Jesus.

How utterly, utterly unexpected. Wow. No wonder we don't get anywhere.

[tsuki]

9. And what push poll produced these results? nt

[snowbear]

11. Scott Rasmussen is one of the strangest loonie-tunes on the planet...

And yeah, yeah, I know there are a handful of DU'ers who stand by his polls.

But consider his background when you read his data. He lives in a bizarre conservative religious compound on Ocean Grove, NJ and they are verrrrrry mean-spirited, anti-gay, anti-Democratic, strange membership.

Rasmussen's main employer is WorldNetDaily for cyring out loud!!!

There are polls.... and then there is Scott Rassmussen.

"Independent" pollster my ass.


Scott Rasmussen, Ocean Grove
WorldNetDaily - Scott Rasmussen
Scott Rasmussen

[Basileus Basileon]

12. That might be meaningful, if not for the fact that his polls

do not differ on a statistically-significant level from anyone else's.

[Perry Logan]

13. I think they're all biased for the Republicans.

[Adelante]

15. I lived for seven years in Ocean Grove

It's not a religious compound, it's a town started by a religious organization in the 19th century, but as a modern day town, it's part of the municipality of Neptune NJ. It's actually quite a liberal place and lots of gays and artists live there. It's been live and let live in Ocean Grove for a long time, in fact, and several local officer holders there have been openly gay, as are very many leading business owners. The *private* Methodist camp meeting association, which did own the town years ago and still owns the beach, does not want to hold gay marriage ceremonies in the structure they own at the beach, that's true. The whole town shouldn't be vilified for that.

[monmouth]

16. The Larisson family in Ocean Grove were great friends. He was a Monmouth County Freeholder...

[Adelante]

17. It's a lovely town

And Paul Robeson performed in the Great Auditorium in 1928.

[monmouth]

18. I lived in Freehold and Manasquan, remember back when the paper guy

was the only one allowed to drive in OG on a Sunday. I agree, lovely town.

[Adelante]

19. I actually liked that rule

I thought they should bring it back. Nice and peaceful and clean for one day a week. But the residents won a law suit against it. The beach was still closed to the public on Sunday mornings when I lived there, it probably still is. You could walk on it, though, and it was so nice and empty, just beautiful. There's a whole history of this back and forth with the camp meeting association on the remnants of when it was the town government, but it's also managed to keep the place very special in terms of Jersey Shore beach towns. I like the honky tonk of the Shore, too, but OG is like a museum exhibit of the Civil War era. I'm so glad it has survived.

[dugggy]

10. Ineresting analysis...n/t

[mrreowwr_kittty]

14. No shit. That's why Repubs usually run on their socially conservative credentials

There'll be a little bit about tax cuts but for the most part, it's God, Gays, Guns, and Get the brown people all the way.