Is America Moving Leftward, Becoming More Socially and Economically Liberal?...

Rational Nation USA
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America is becoming more liberal, or if you prefer less conservative. For many more liberal actually means more libertarian, especially in the social sense. Even when it comes to economics America seems to be moving towards more moderate to liberal and less conservative. Certainly news that will have the old guard ideologically pure conservatives scratching their balding heads and wondering what went wrong. Of course their virulent and obnoxious rants about how America is going to hell in a hand basket (thinking Levin, Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, Coulter, et all here) will increase reaching fever pitch as the 2016 election grows closer. After all that is what conservatives do and do well; for the most part anyway.

We can rest assured that conservatives will never give a serious thought to, let alone analyze just why the trend is moving away from conservatism. Nope; they will continue to talk about how liberalism has ruined the country because of the liberal socialist agenda (and worse yet, Marxism) and how Obama has caused single handedly the decline of America and that respect for our country as declined globally because of the current president. Of course for the most part it is bunk but why would conservatives look to their own failed policies, hypocrisy, and dogged determination to remain as non inclusive as possible? Conservatives apparently never question themselves, they just know they are right because the Founding Fathers and God said so.

Anyway, this dude is socially liberal (or libertarian) and fiscally conservative (which is something republicans decidedly are not), and whatever anyone else happens to be IS just fine by me as long as they don't try and tell me what is the right thing. And yes, that goes for you too Dervish Sanders. And now, from POLITICO...

Democrats have been running away from the “liberal” label for a long time, but recent polling shows that rank-and-file Democrats are increasingly happy to pin the scarlet “L” on themselves. It may seem counterintuitive, but the rise in liberal pride is crucial to liberals building a long-lasting relationship with moderates and cementing a post-Obama leftward trajectory.

“Forty-seven percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents now identify as both socially liberal and economically moderate or liberal,” Gallup’s Frank Newport announced on Thursday. That’s up eight points since 2008 and 17 points since 2001. Earlier this year, the NBC/Wall Street Journal polling team deduced that 26 percent of voters overall self-identify as “liberal,” a four point spike since 2011. These new numbers are in line with longer-term trends: last year Pew found a 26-point increase since 1994 in “mostly or consistently liberal” Democrats.

As a candidate in 2008, Barack Obama suggested he wished to emulate Ronald Reagan in how he “changed the trajectory of America.” Is this surge of liberal pride evidence that Obama has succeeded in moving the center of American politics leftward? Or has Obama, aided and abetted by the Bernie Sanders road show, unleashed an epidemic of delusion inside America’s deep blue dots?

Former Bush Administration aide Peter Wehner last month argued in a New York Times op-ed that Obama moved the Democratic Party too far to the left. While acknowledging that the country is more socially liberal, Wehner points to polls showing Republican edges on the economy and foreign policy. ...

More BELOW THE FOLD.

Via: Memeorandum

Comments

  1. IMO, one result of the 'political pendulum' is that the center gets nudged. It is instructive to review
    Eisenhower's observations. Although he was a small government president, he inherited much of
    the New Deal and in addition to his prescient views on the military-industrial complex, he considered
    the reactions of dismantling that which he inherited:
    "Now it is true that I believe this country is following a dangerous trend when it permits too great a degree of centralization of governmental functions. I oppose this — in some instances the fight is a rather desperate one. But to attain any success it is quite clear that the Federal government cannot avoid or escape responsibilities which the mass of the people firmly believe should be undertaken by it. The political processes of our country are such that if a rule of reason is not applied in this effort, we will lose everything — even to a possible and drastic change in the Constitution. This is what I mean by my constant insistence upon "moderation" in government. Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H.L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid." Perhaps if there is a leftward swing, it is in reaction to a
    'tiny, negligible, stupid splinter' group that was no longer tiny and negligible?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eisenhower has become more brilliant as I've gotten older. My respect for his views has grown and my own seem to parallel his, although I am no doubt more liberal (or libertarian) on social issues that he was.

      Yes BB I believe you are right the "stupid splinter group" is still stupid but it is no longer small. And, it seems to be getting more vocal and stupid even as we speak.

      Delete
    2. Man, you hit that on the nose!

      JMJ

      Delete
    3. Libs sure as hell have their share of questionable leanings too and sometimes can be annoying as well Jersey. But on balance the scream team seems to have lost the ability to reason whereas there are more liberals who can carry on rational discussions.

      Conservatives have become their own worst enemy. A great shame really.

      Delete
    4. It was the Southern Strategy, Les. It was doomed to come to this. It's not like there are any "Dixiecrats" around anymore.

      JMJ

      Delete
  2. There is at least one point of agreement between moderate conservatives and moderate liberals: Confrontational politics, hostage taking, and extremism has cost us dearly. I find no disagreement on core values and principles. We want to preserve our freedoms, traditions, and constitutional form of government. If there is disagreement, it is usually in the details. If you accept the gist of my comment, then I ask: In which direction is the pendulum swinging? To the left, to the center, or to a time when government and the legislative process worked better than it does today?

    I think the regulars of this forum (meaning BB-Idaho, dmarks, Jersey, RN, Shaw, among others) have discovered a newfound camaraderie -- friendly, healthy, and constructive. This is very gratifying. But the country as a whole is a huge and lumbering creature that moves very slowly. Only time will tell.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Speaking of The Sothern Strategy. There is a large number of folks who are still in denial. Rally unfortunate methinks.

    ReplyDelete
  4. RN: Libs sure as hell have their share of questionable leanings too...

    Such as?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Find you parties own flaws dude. I'm too busy working on conservatives, my political preference of choice and I'm pissed hey screwed it up.

      I, unlike YOU, work to help clean up the backyard I'd rather live in. Try sometime cause YOURS is truly a mess.

      Now, I have much better things to do than to entertain the likes of you.

      Delete

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