Gallup released the results of a poll today, showing that 40% of Americans identify themselves as “conservative,” with 9 percent identifying themselves as “Very Conservative” and 31 percent saying they are just “Conservative.”
Americans identifying themselves as “Very Liberal” comprised 5 percent of those polled, with 16 percent saying they were “Liberal.” Moderates made up 35 percent of those polled
These are important numbers to remember come 2012. We can support another candidate like John McCain, who embraced the middle and tried in vain to reach out to the conservatives, or we can support a candidate who already has 40 percent of the voters in his or her camp.
The idea that your base is in the squishy middle that can’t make up its mind about whether they are a conservative or liberal is asinine. You get the support of the base and reach out to the middle, picking off what you can. With conservatism being twice as popular as liberalism, it tends to figure that more of the middle will lean more right than left.
Where would libertarians fall in this poll? Most support limited government, which is conservative, but advocate drug legalization, which is considered a liberal position (which is interesting considering William F. Buckley, a conservative icon, was for it as well.)
I would be interested in seeing this poll with “Libertarian” being an option. I wonder what impact it would have on the “Moderate” numbers.
Photo Credit: kramerhawks
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