By the numbers: Where tea partyers, liberals agree

[DonViejo]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Liberals and tea partyers finally have something to agree on.

They strike remarkably similar themes when asked about National Security Agency programs that sweep up ordinary Americans’ telephone and Internet data. Highlights from a recent Associated Press-GfK poll about NSA surveillance:

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Q: Which is the more important goal for the government: Protecting the rights and freedoms of U.S. citizens or making sure that U.S. citizens are safe from being harmed by terrorists?

Percentage who say protecting rights is more important:

Tea party supporters: 69 percent

Liberals: 67 percent

Republicans who don’t support the tea party: 54 percent

Democrats who aren’t liberals: 51 percent

U.S. overall: 61 percent

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Q: Did former NSA contractor Edward Snowden do the right thing or the wrong thing in revealing classified information?

Percentage who say he did the right thing:

Tea party supporters: 52 percent

Liberals: 49 percent

Republicans who don’t support the tea party: 28 percent

Democrats who aren’t liberals: 36 percent

U.S. overall: 40 percent

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Q: Do you approve or disapprove of the way the NSA is handling its intelligence-gathering mission?

Read more: http://www.salon.com/2014/02/17/by_the_numbers_where_tea_partyers_liberals_agree/

[Blue_Tires]

1. For the last time, the "Tea Party" doesn't exist

They are just re-branded Republicans under a new, trendy name and schizophrenic viewpoints...

Since the "tea party" platform doesn't officially stand for anything, I can easily dig up polls showing their support for any side of any issue...

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. Ditto!

[Comrade Grumpy]

3. I think "Tea Party" represents a faction of the Republican spectrum.

They are not just "re-branded Republicans;" they represent what I call a curdled populist element within the party. They are correct in their feeling that something is wrong in America, but way off the mark in their analysis of what it is.

[freshwest]

5. Add to that, they don't mind using corporate or public databases to harrass Democrats! n/t

[mwooldri]

6. Yup. Far Right, Extreme Right or Hardline Right isn't exactly great marketing.

But what a Liberal is... I think that's up for debate too. I'm biased because I come with an outsiders' point of view, but I view Liberals as centre-right, the traditional Republican (if one still exists) as right wing, and the Republicans that identify with the so-called "Tea Party" as extreme right wing. This creates a void on the left that I think should be filled with Social Democrats that are centre-left, Greens and Socialists that are left wing and very left wing. Militant Socialists would be extreme left wing.

I would like to think myself as being more of a Social Democrat these days.

[A Simple Game]

7. Your statement explains a lot about what is wrong with DU lately.

but I view Liberals as centre-right

It would be very interesting if you could please provide a link to support your definition of liberal.

If people that are right of center consider themselves liberals...

[Bandit]

9. It is very difficult to define center when it changes constantly

What is considered center today was far right wing just a few decades ago. What was considered right wing back in fifties would be considered very liberal today. in a few more years "centwer" will change even more.

[mwooldri]

13. Let's start with the Political Compass.

The link: http://www.politicalcompass.org - a 2-dimensional description of a person's political philosophy, rather than the 1-dimensional left/right. That's a good link point to analyse what can be considered wrong with DU.

What is wrong with DU? Maybe it has to do with the general rightward shift in politics in general but I think this graphic will demonstrate it more clearly... I took their 2008 US Presidential Candidate compass and their 2012 compass and superimposed the two over the top of each other, and showed the shift.



2012 President Obama is much more right wing than 2008 Candidate Obama. Since Barack Obama is the de-facto leader of the Democratic Party, it is safe to say that along with him, a significant part of the party shifted right. I can also presume it is safe to say that those who called themselves liberals within the Democratic Party and support the President fully would have also changed their ideology rightwards too.

As an Englishman, my eyes often look east as to what's happening in the UK. In the 1990's I was a card carrying member of the Liberal Democrats, campaigned for candidates, etc. I was happy with the party's position on a lot of things. Fast forward to 2010 and I'm seeing a Conservative-LibDem coalition government. I again point to the Political Compass to show how the main UK political parties have changed over the years.



Notice a swing to the right economically here as well?

As to my definition of liberal? I'm glad you said my definition, because liberalism has two main strands - classical and modern - people like FDR would be fully in the modern liberal camp, and people like Reagan would be fully in the classical liberal camp. I'm in the modern liberal camp - more accurately as a social liberal.

It could be me that has moved left. I don't perceive myself moving left... I perceive everything moving right so that the traditional liberal label just doesn't seem to fit me any more. My politics are more aligned with the Green Party if anything. I suppose I'd better label myself as a Green Democrat instead.

[A Simple Game]

14. Thanks for the explanation. I haven't moved in my beliefs and think the center

should be static, but concede that the way you view it is most likely the correct way.

[thesquanderer]

4. Reminds me of how Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich agreed on some things

There are areas where the left-left and the right-right can find more common ground than either does with the middle.

It would be interesting, if the Democrats put up a genuinely liberal candidate in 2016, if s/he might pick up some support from the far right, if the Republican candidate is the typical hawkish corporate type that we would typically call "centrist" or moderate.

[A Simple Game]

8. It's not surprising that the left and the right have much common ground.

A liberal making $40,000 per year in Anywhere USA has the same problems as a conservative making $40,000 per year in Anywhere USA. The differences would be in their proposed solutions to the problems.

[Beartracks]

11. +1 Yep. n/t

[Jimbo S]

12. Good thought eom

[Ash_F]

10. "revealing classified information" is a loaded question

Should be "revealing civil rights abuses". See how the numbers land then.

bias poll