Conservative Sector Growth Reported

Gallup reports that “Conservatives” Are Single-Largest Ideological Group now. But also that: “Percentage of ‘liberals’ higher this decade than in early ’90s.” The number of self-professed “Moderates”, they report, has dropped some as more now admit to being conservative.

Anyone actually believe this stuff? Those of us who have worked political campaigns over the years do not. Not really, anyway.

Generally speaking, about 35% of the voters can be classed as hard core liberals. That is, they will vote for any Democrat on the ballot, no matter what. Conversely, almost another 35% of voters are hard core conservatives and will always vote for Republicans. Of the remaining 30%, about 20% think of themselves as moderate and nearly 10% just don’t give a damn. This means, any good politician must conform their campaign rhetoric to woo that 20% straddling the middle of the road.

That often presents a problem for liberal politicians because most of those moderates actually have some very conservative tendencies, if questioned. They will vote for a Democrat, when there is no Republican attractive enough to them. But, as soon as that Democrat goes liberal, they will drop that candidate at the next opportunity.

We have not seen an administration steering the nation to the hard left, as the Obama administration is, in our lifetime. Folks are noticing . . . and worrying about it. So, even some self-expressed moderates are now claiming their conservative tendencies.

Obama wooed the moderates to get elected. But, in office, he immediately took a hard turn to the left. Therefore, support from that 20% of the moderate electorate needed to stay in office is starting to vanish. And, rather than continue calling themselves “middle-of-the-roaders” and being associated with Obama, they now admit to their conservative tendencies.

It’s as simple as that.
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