There's an interesting dichotomy right now in how Democrats and Republicans feel about their own parties. Democrats are much more likely than Republicans to think their party is headed in the right direction. But at the same time unhappy Democrats are much more likely to abandon their party at the polls this year than unhappy Republicans. So even though there are a good deal fewer of them, angry Democrats are a much bigger threat to their party's prospects in 2010 than angry Republicans are to theirs.
On our most recent national poll just 54% of Republican voters said they were pleased with the direction of their party. The 46% who fall into the unhappy or not sure camps though still say they'll vote for the GOP by an 82-9 margin this fall.
By contrast 83% of Democrats are happy with their party's direction. But among those who aren't 48% are planning to vote for Republicans this fall to 36% who are planning to vote Democratic. So despite the fact that there are far more GOP voters mad at their party than Democrats, the number of angry Democrats planning to vote Republican is actually larger than the number of angry Republicans planning to vote Democratic. It's just one more thing the party is going to have to cope with for this fall.
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11 comments:
Most voters that are unhappy with their party are unhappy because both parties are too far to the LEFT.
Conclusions like this seem surprising only to Democrats. Part of the reason the Republicans have gotten their posteriors kicked in 2006-2008 was because a lot of Republicans were angry at their party for their incompetence and spending. That's not going to change until the Republicans do something right. They just dislike the Democrats so much more now that they'll vote for a party they are unhappy with.
Democrats are just happy that after all the years Republicans had the majority their party is doing something. They've set the bar really low.
I wonder how many of those Democrats are former Independents and Republicans who switched in 2008. It would certainly explain why they are so much more likely to be disloyal to the party.
The Dems are more likely to think their party is headed in the right direction because they are far more likely to blindly follow their leader, no matter what he says, than to analyze the situation and think for themselves.
dprosenthal: Get over yourself. Republicans are just as likely to NOT think for themselves as are Democrats. It is not a partisan trait. Look at Sarah "Hockey Mom" Palin and Republican devotion to her. The same could be said about our current President and near-blind Democrat devotion to him.
anon @ 11:12 - I hate to say it, but you are disproving your own point. Several polls and other research papers have been published in recent years that disagree with your premise. Dems are more likely blind followers, Reps are more apt to analyze the issues before choosing a side. Than again, posting as anonymous says it all to me. Typical "drive by" tactic - say something, true or not, without having to claim responsibility and then move along to the next target. Typical.
I would love to see the data that "Sim" basis his/her opinion upon when stating, "Dems are more likely blind followers, Reps are more apt to analyze the issues before choosing a side. " This brings to mind the phenomenon that is Fox "News" One need only to look at the popularity of Fox "News" and the near pathological dishonesty in their "reporting". Case in point, look at Fox's most recent smear campaigns of prominent African Americans, in which blatant lies are told about people of color to narrate their latest "talking points". The most recent example, the creative editing of Shirley Sherrod's speech to the NAACP. They needed to trot out a new story about a black "racist", in a position of power, and with a nip here and a tuck there, viola! A black women speaking about an epiphany about racism in America, was now a speech "boasting" about denying services to white farmers. No matter that the white farmers she spoke of "credit her with saving" their farm, and they consider her to be a friend to this day, (incidentally, nearly 25 years after she gave that speech!) Now Fox did not do the editing, but they didn't to a bit of research on the information they began running nonstop, nor ask a single question of the woman in the video, before hanging her out to dry.
If your statement were true, would "fiscal conservatives" continue to vote for republican Presidents when each new Rep. President tops the last in govt. spending and the size of the deficit? I am certain that most republicans are unaware that their guru Ronald Reagan actually increased the size of government, AND left us with a whopper of a deficit. The "new" republican platform is the same as the old republican platform, cut social services to the poor, tax the middle class, and tax CUTS for the wealthiest few among us, and we all saw how well THAT worked out last time! You may recall that is was a democratic president who gave the longest period of economic prosperity AND left us with TRILLIONS, (DO YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH MONEY THAT WAS!?!), in budget surplus!
However "Sim", in my heart, I really wish that you were correct, for I truly DO want republicans to examine the issues, to take time to actually research something, rather that believing everything they hear on Fox. Here's a fun fact for you: a new study by Pew Research, shows that viewers of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report have the highest knowledge of national and international affairs, while Fox News viewers rank nearly dead last. Yes, you can find this study online, please do check it out.
I close with the hope that ALL PEOPLE, NO MATTER THEIR POLITICAL STRIPES, would please take a little time to get the facts, Ma'am, just the facts....
PS...I really would like the names of any of the "polls and other research papers" that support your claim..I'll check back.....
Actually, per a psychological study from 2007, we do know that conservatives tend to be more close-minded and more driven by fear and intolerance.
So Sim, the actual research sort of completely disproves what you claimed. :-)
People are angry about ObamaCare and they will vote accordingly. The proof is in the silence on the Dem side WRT this "great achievement" which no one wants to discuss. So it must not be great. Otherwise it resembles would be like a football team winning the Superbowl and then not wanting to talk about it, a ridiculous proposition.
People voted for Obam's "change". They DID NOT vote for a socialist Peoples' Republic! So now they see the error of their ways and they vote REPUBLICAN!
It's a great thing to watch :-)
News from our wonderful Peoples Republic of Ann Arbor! Where the rules apply to the non-libs only!
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Good morning all –
I just have to share something to all of you independent minded thinking people – something that happened to me this morning that I have never experienced before in my 28 years of being able to vote. This morning I went to vote before work and when I got to the polling place, there was a woman sitting within 25 yards of the entrance, passing out literature that instructs voters how to vote straight democratic. I passed her and went inside and promptly reported her. They shoo’d her off the grounds (actually to 100’ away from the door – which is required by law). I was so very disgusted with the entire thing that I must admit I in complete outrage voted a straight republican party ticket – which is unusual because I typically vote a split ticket.
I am so angry with these people thinking that the masses are so stupid that they actually need instructions on how to vote a democratic ticket – it’s called a straight democratic ticket and it is the second bubble down from the upper left part of the ballot and its labeled ‘straight party - democratic.’ When will these people learn? Get out and show them that we are fed up and we’re not going to take it anymore!!!!!
Then I remember I live in the socialist republic of Ann Arbor.
GO VOTE!!!!
Have a nice day all!
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