Poll: Bush governs as a moderate (83% believe * not governing as cons)

[sabra]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/?feed=TopNews&article=UPI-1-20051008-23431700-bc-us-bush-poll.xml

Poll: Bush governs as a moderate

MANASSAS, Va., Oct. 8 (UPI) -- A poll by ConservativeHQ.com of 83 U.S. conservative leaders shows that 83 percent of them believe President George Bush is not governing as a conservative.

Fifty-four percent of those polled said the president is governing as a moderate, 18 percent said Bush was governing as a conservative, 15 said they were undecided or confused and 14 percent said the president was governing as a liberal.

The poll gave the president an overall grade of D-minus on controlling government spending.

The online poll also showed that almost three-quarters of the respondents felt "abandoned" by Bush and Republican leaders, and might not feel motivated to work, contribute or vote for Republicans in the 2006 elections.

[Barrett808]

1. Funny that "governing as a fascist" isn't on the list

I wonder what the numbers would be with that option.

[Oerdin]

13. Most of these conservatives.

Believe that everything bad is liberal and everything good is conservative but they can't really define their own positions other then they want their version of god in everything and they want to outlaw abortion. They happily vote for neo-cons who say they hate big government but who actually expand government bigger then ever just as they demand tax cuts (although most of them get next to nothing) and then wonder why schools don't get funded.

The short anwser is Bush is unpopular and since bad - liberal/moderate in their little minds they figure Bush must be a moderate.

[HockeyMom]

31. Corporate Base versus Religious Base

That is what I think it comes down to. It's his Religious Base who are angry. As one Freeper put it, he's only thrown them a bone - PBA. They will not be satisfied until: abortion/birth control is banned, there is a constitutional amendment against gay marriage, there is a monument of the 10 commandments in every public square and prayer back (preferably Bible readings) in the public schools.

The "corporate" base is more pleased. Still work to do they say, but things are moving along.

Didn't many of KNOW that Bush would be out to protect the MONEY over the RELIGION???

[eleny]

2. "83 U.S. conservative leaders"

I'd sure like to see that list!

[expatriot]

17. "83 S.S. generals don't believe Hitler governs as Nazi" nt

[...of J.Temperance]

3. Junior is about as "moderate" as Adolf Hitler, but what the heck

These people are borderline morans anyhow, so WTF do they know.

[NewJeffCT]

28. You'd be surprised

A lot of Republicans think Bush's problem is that he is not conservative enough.

One of the people that brought Nixon down was part of a group of Republicans that thought Nixon was not conservative enough, too. And, Nixon looks like a liberal compared to Bush.

[...of J.Temperance]

52. Oh I know

It's demented isn't it? That sections of fringe society think the Monkey King isn't Right-Wing enough.

I'd like to think that Junior would be brought down from within, but I remain as much as in reality as possible. Let's face it, he could kill and eat a baby on the WH lawn on live TV and the nutjobs would still support him.

I agree about Nixon.

[samdogmom]

4. C-R-A-C-K! Did the Republican block just break?

Wow--a "D-"? You can't get much lower than that. One question, who are they going to vote for in 2006? A conservative sure isn't going to vote for a Democrat! Are they just going to stay home? I wonder how this will play out.

[Hekate]

8. It'd be nice if they stayed home -- so disillusioned -- so sad

But yikes, where do they get those descriptions of Bush's governing style???? "Moderate" and "Democrat" are not even in the ballpark. Why not just spit it out and call him a lunatic?

But I have to say I like the part where they said they felt "abandoned." Join the club guys; it's a big one.

Hekate

[MrBenchley]

19. Yup....the GOP pandered to the lunatic fringe too long

and now the inmates think they run the asylum...

"One question, who are they going to vote for in 2006?"
Maybe this will force GOP incumdents even further toward the fringe...alienating the moderate voters in droves.

[melody]

5. These clowns are spinning faster than a hamster on acid

"U.S. conservative leaders" - which means there isn't a genuine conservative in the bunch. But the conservatives have to distance themselves from the Boy King somehow. Since they can count on their "base" to not know what the hell a "moderate" is, they tilt that way instead of telling the truth.

[ngGale]

6. Gee, whatever gave them....

that idea? :sarcasm:

[punpirate]

7. W'all, what can I say?

Bush is solidly in the middle of fascist policies, but 68% of ConservativeHQ.com visitors think he's a moderate or a liberal?

There are more than a few folks visiting that site who are completely unclear on the concept, I think. :)

Likely time to stay well clear of Bakersfield, CA. :)

[Blasphemer]

9. 14% think he's governing as a liberal?

I know it's the overall spending that has them ticked off but taking into account the uncontrolled military spending and tax cuts that eroded the surplus, just what kind of crack are they smoking to think that his overall record is liberal? I'd hate to be in a room alone with those 14 percenters.

[Why Syzygy]

11. The OP calls them "leaders"

that's pretty damn scary. LIBERAL? Get a clue and a clue stick.

[Lilith Velkor]

51. They associate big, expensive govt w/liberalism

Knuckleheads...

[electricray]

10. My favorite stat is 15% confused.

I personally think that you could call them all confused.

[dkofos]

40. More like 85% confused

The 15% that picked confused were only confused
because Fascist Dictator wasn't on the list.

[Supersedeas]

58. 15% with an intellectual conscious - when will they awaken

[MADem]

12. His legacy in their minds will be as a do nothing frat boy

Ran to the right, governed on vacation. They're pissed. They wanted to see R v W "resettled" by now, they wanted prayer in school, they wanted Jesus in the courthouse, the Ten Commandments in every church, school, flop house, whore house, outhouse, and police and fire station, they wanted full funding of religious schools, mandatory prayer on TV, you name it! What did they get? That lame ass stem cell announcement, which resulted in a massive WHOOOOOOOSH! which was the sound of qualified government researchers hauling ass to private and state-run labs and foundations. The work continues, and the funding probably would have been cut anyway to pay for this stupidass war.

They bought his bullshit, gave him a ton of their money, voted for him twice, and all they've gotten is a bunch of backslapping bullshit and "Now watch this drive."

[TheFarseer]

16. All they got was that stem cell thing

and the partial birth abortion ban which was thrown out by the Supreme Court, oh and some of them probably got their job outsourced to China and it takes twice as much money to fill up their gas tank and some of them probably got a loved one killed in Iraq. Will these people ever get a clue? These Supreme Court nominations have got to be the last straw. Republican politicians don't give two shits about your little abortion hard-on or your homophobia. All they care about is getting their hands on your money.

[Lorien]

14. Funny how repugs didn't care about spending until the hurricanes hit

200 billion plus for an unnecessary war-love it! $50 billion for rebuilding America-horrors!

And these delusional nutjobs claim that they "love America" :eyes:

[high density]

15. I'd say that's mostly because of his spending policy

A conservative with out of control spending habits doesn't equal a moderate, so the poll seems flawed to me.

[aquart]

18. Was "radical" on the list? Fascist? Corporatist?

Thieving crook?

[phiddle]

20. This disarray in their ranks is a great opportunity for us:

1. To define conservatism as all con-, and no serve.
2. To claim the mantle of fiscal responsibility---stop using our children's credit card!
3. To govern for the benefit of the majority of Americans, not only the corporate donors.

To the degree that the problem is not only Bush, but rather that mutant strain of american reactionary politics which passes itself off as "conservative", we have an opportunity to discredit their entire movement.

[CGrantt57]

21. You know, y'all should read stuff...

before you go jumping on the "fascist conservative bastard" mantra:

To wit:

Obligations of Conservatives

Commentary— Richard Viguerie

If you’re a conservative who believes in limited government, lower taxes, and modest spending - you might be experiencing a serious case of buyer’s remorse these days when you look at Republicans in Washington.

The highway bill just passed by our Republican Congress (with the President’s blessing), at $286.4 BILLION is the most expensive public works legislation ever passed. The National Taxpayers Union put it best when describing one of the more offensive projects in the bill,

“$220 million for a 5.9-mile bridge connecting Gravina Island (population 50) to the Alaskan mainland. The cost of the bridge alone would be enough to buy every island resident his own personal Lear jet.”


It has become increasingly clear that Republicans in Washington care little or nothing about grassroots conservatives and the values they hold dear. After we spent decades defeating the Rockefeller wing of the Party it seems we have a new enemy - the Washington wing of the GOP. They’re not just wasting money; they’re actually massively growing government in direct contravention of everything Republicans purport to stand for.

Check out the website. This guy is a true conservative, not a Christo-conservative.

I, for one, can deal with this kind of loyal opposition.

:dem:

mikey

[tomg]

22. You're right about Vigurie. I saw a great interview

between Viguerie and Moyers on PBS awhile ago. While they profoundly disagreed, the level of mutual respect was pretty obvious. In fact, if I am not mistaken, Richard Vigurie was instrumental in developing the direct mailing and the early data bases that were so successful for growing the conservative movement back in the mid-70s I believe.

[CGrantt57]

23. Thanks, tomg

"While they profoundly disagreed, the level of mutual respect was pretty obvious."

It's the lack of respect that's really the problem, here. I have a lot of true conservative friends and we argue all the time about the direction the country's going. It can get heated, but, it never gets nasty, personal, or vindictive.

We desperately need more reasoned discourse over the direction this country is headed. However, given the bullies that seem to find haven in the current Republican leadership, I'm not hopeful.

:shrug:

[tomg]

35. Nor am I nt.

[Piscis Austrinus]

50. Well phrased...

...and welcome to DU!

I agree on several fronts.

First, Bush and the Congress are spending like drunken sailors on shore leave. The problem is that it's the American people who will wake up dazed and disoriented and realize that there's no money in their pocket, they have numerous injuries that they don't remember sustaining, and a huge thug will be beating on the door, threatening to break it down.

Second, I have no issue with true conservatives (as opposed to the nominal conservatives who currently inhabit Congress and the White House). Reasonable people can disagree, negotiate and compromise. A President who threatens a veto on a defense appropriations bill in wartime because of an amendment to the bill that disallows the torture of enemy combatants is not a reasonable man, especially when that bill was passed by a ten-to-one majority in a legislative house controlled by his own party.

Third, it should be pointed out that not all Republicans fall into the far-right, Christian demi-fascist wing of the GOP. Some obviously do; they're easy to spot given their propensity for regular, ill-considered statements that can only be described as howlers. There are a number of Republicans who are literally paralyzed. If they speak out against their party, not only will they lose their jobs; their party leadership will make certain that someone "more suitable" runs against them (with preferential treatment and funding). Their best hope is that they remain quiet, go along as little as they can, and wait for the mass of scandal building in the far right to reach critical mass (it's nearly there now). John McCain is a fair example of this type of Republican. I wouldn't be thrilled with a McCain president, but I doubt very much that this nation would be in a tenth of the mess it's in if Karl Rove's dirty tricks in South Carolina in 2000 been brought into the light and shown to be what they were.

I don't feel much pity for anyone who continues to support this administration of thieves, liars, false prophets and fools, but I do pity people who have seen their party hijacked and flown into destruction. (This is a perfectly just analogy for this particular state of affairs in the GOP.)

Peace
PsA

[Minstrel Boy]

24. He isn't. The Bush regime is the most radical in US history.

Fascism is not a conservative ideology.

[Cary]

25. What is the average IQ of these people?

I'd bet that 83% of them tend to be below 100.

[Zhade]

41. 83% have an I.Q. of...83!

:D

[FlaGranny]

26. It scares the bejeebus out of me -

if conservatives think * is governing as a moderate. He might be mdoerate to the cons, but the cons want a Taliban-like government. He certainly couldn't be considered moderate by a real moderate. Have to agree with them on the spending, though. Actually, Bush is neither a conservative, a moderate, or a liberal. He's a disaster.

[sandnsea]

37. It's not good news

I wanted Bush to be shoved in with the right wing nuts, not the moderates. If the conservatives manage to paint Bush as a moderate who betrayed the fundie base, then WE get labeled with his horrible policies and they can try again another day. I knew I didn't trust Ann Coulter on Bill Maher, we're being seriously played. They're doing what I thought we should have done a long time ago, split the fundies from the moderates, but they're sticking US with Bush policies.

[TheCowsCameHome]

27. How about as a dictator? Which is what he is doing now.

[ck4829]

29. Maybe we shouldn't be so concerned about Bush...

Maybe we should be more worried about these 83 Fascist Leaders.

[leesa]

30. These people are completely out of their minds! Governing as a moderate

or liberal?? How evil are THESE people?

83% can't believe that what they are seeing is conservatism in action...and it's ugly and destructive. THIS is the world you want folks! This IS conservatism.

[IChing]

32. I think this is a propaganda tool "hitler was a moderate" type poll use to

catapult the bullshit


They polled 83 people and it was 83% that thought he was a moderate.
Come on, look at the statistical odds of that.

83 people is a sample??
Sorry, totally bogus not worth the time.

[President Kerry]

33. It's about where you set the benchmark. Compare him to the mainstream,

not to the James Dobsons and Jerry Falwells. These "Con Leaders" are fringe loons that I'm not worried about. Bush can have their support all he wants, but he's lost the middle America vote and trust. Now when he loses some of the loonies' support... That's when I feel his numbers sinking into the 20's folks!

[0007]

34. Whatever type of new drug that's out these days, I sure hope

they keep taking 'em.

75% of the respondents felt renounced by junior and the repukes.

[supernova]

36. Whom did they poll? The congration directtory of

Rev Wildmon's church?

God, these people are insane.

[nickgutierrez]

38. If * is a D- on spending...

What would it take to get him to an F in the eyes of conservatives? Would he have to literally bankrupt the government? :shrug:

And I'd like to know just what 14% of the polled people were smoking that made them think he's governing as a liberal...

[Bob3]

39. I'd agree with the not governing - the rest is damage control

"he's not a Conservative - he's a dreaded moderate."

Yeah right. He's not a Conservative - he's an incompetent knee biter

[agincourt]

42. 14% think he governs as a liberal????????????

Are these the same ones who think the earth rotates around the sun once a day?

[JerseygirlCT]

43. They're right and they're wrong

He's no conservative, that's for sure.

But jumping to the conclusion that that means he's a moderate or (it is to laugh) a liberal is pretty stupid.

The man is a radical ideological corporatist.

Don't even think of trying to blame him on the liberals -- or even the moderates!

[zanne]

44. They didn't survey people.

The surveyed conservative leaders. Big difference.

[VegasWolf]

45. The clown is spending money like a drunken sailor!! No wonder!! nt

[Julius Civitatus]

46. A Conservative Poll to prove Conservative Points

Pay attention, folks. The KEY WORDS in the article are in the very first sentence:

A poll by ConservativeHQ.com of 83 U.S. conservative leaders shows that 83 percent of them believe President George Bush is not governing as a conservative.

This is a poll by Republicans, to Republican, for Republicans.

It has the same validity as used toilet paper. Flush it down.

:hurts:

[IChing]

47. Do the Math...x/83=83/100=68.89 persons out of 83 WTF 68.89???

[Prodemsouth]

48. Folks, these Conservatives were his rock solid supporters just

months ago. This is another tactic, along with making noise about Miers to pull away from Bush by claiming he is not one of them.

Why are they doing this?

Because they know the ship is sinking. All progressives should not let them get away with it, he should remain an albatross around their neck.
BULLSHIT!!!

[Cary]

54. As bad as he is, Bush is just one man.

What truly needs to be hammered home is how badly their ideology has shown over the past 5 years.

Bush may be a lame duck (except for appointments) over the next 3 years and he will not be President after that. Our goal has to be to discredit the spin that seeks to legitimate their radical ideas.

We all know it. We all see it. The polls are showing that others are seeing it too. Now we have to translate that into elections so that we can start cleaning up the mess that is the implementation of their ideology.

We have a huge problem to consider though. As bad as it really is under their ideology, it still seems that it isn't bad enough to get many of them to accept us. Many people will readily accept the smearing of a John Kerry, hold their nose, and vote for a GWB just because he isn't one of us.

[truthisfreedom]

49. no, bush governs as a degenerate.

there's a difference.

[Peace Patriot]

53. Your subject line should include "Conservatives say" --that Bush...

governs as a moderate. It is a misleading subject line.

All other opinion and issue polls, involving a cross-section of Americans, greatly contradict this opinion (except on the deficit--on which right and center/left are agreed). You name it. The Iraq war. The use of torture. Social Security. Women's rights. The great majority of Americans disapprove of every major Bush policy, foreign and domestic, way up in the 60% to 70% range, and not because they are "conservatives" (except on the deficit where disapproval of Bush soars to 90%), but because they are PROGRESSIVES and disapprove of unjust war, and the injustice and illegality of torture UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES (so say 63% of Americans), etc. The great majority of Americans are, in essence, left of center. Read the issue polls. You will be amazed!

These dinosaurs say they "might not feel motivated to work, contribute or vote for Republicans in the 2006 elections." The Republican leaders and their puppet masters don't care. They have Bushite corporations--mainly Diebold and ES&S--controlling the vote tabulation now, with SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code, not even a meager paper trail (let alone a real ballot) in one third of the country, and miserably inadequate auditing and recounting everywhere.

They. do. not. care. When are these last bastions of the brainwashed going to realize that they have been had, along with the rest of us?

[CJCRANE]

55. Does that make Prez Clinton a conservative?

Seeing as he balanced the budget and was fiscally responsible.

[superconnected]

56. hard to believe there are ppl worse than bush.

But it's not hard to believe they're republicans.

[javadu]

57. Conservatives Trying to Disassociate Themselves

before the next election cycle. The message must be:

Bush = Conservative !!!!

The L-word is avoided by politicians like the plague. I am looking forward to the C-word.