The Progressive Majority: Why a Conservative America is a Myth

[BurtWorm]

June, 2007

Progressive Majority Report Cover

# Read the Full Report (Adobe PDF)


For anyone interested in where the American public really stands on the big issues that distinguish progressives from conservatives -- including the issues at the forefront of today’s political debates -- “The Progressive Majority: Why a Conservative America Is a Myth” offers hard facts and analysis based on decades of data from some of the nation’s most respected and nonpartisan public opinion researchers. This is the evidence that political leaders have a mandate to pursue bold, progressive policies.

This report by the Campaign for America’s Future and Media Matters for America shows that in study after study, solid majorities of Americans take progressive stands on a full spectrum of issues, from bread-and-butter economics to the so-called “values” issues where conservatives claim preeminence.



REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

On Health Care: 69 percent of Americans think it is the responsibility of the federal government to make sure all Americans have access to health coverage; 76 percent find access to health care more important than maintaining the Bush tax cuts; three in five would be willing to have their own taxes increased to achieve universal coverage.

On Energy Policy: 52 percent of Americans believe "the best way for the U.S. to reduce its reliance on foreign oil" is to "have the government invest in alternative energy sources"; 64 percent are willing to pay a higher energy tax to pay for renewable energy research; 68 percent of the public thinks U.S. energy policy is better solved by conservation than production.

On the Economy: 77 percent of Americans believe Congress should increase the minimum wage; 66 percent believe "upper-income people" pay too little in taxes; 53 percent feel the Bush administration's tax cuts have failed because they have increased the deficit and caused cuts in government programs.

On Government's Role: 69 percent of Americans believe the government "should care for those who can't care for themselves." Twice as many people (43 percent to 20 percent) want "government to provide many more services even if it means an increase in spending" as want government to provide fewer services "in order to reduce spending."

On Immigration: 62 percent of Americans believe undocumented immigrants should be given a chance to "keep their jobs and eventually apply for legal status." 49 percent believe the best way to reduce illegal immigration from Mexico is to penalize employers, not more border control.

[EFerrari]

1. K&R

[plcdude]

2. we need to forward

this to all talk radio right wingers. Of course, they will ignore it or lie. How can this information be widely disseminated?

[BanzaiBonnie]

3. Most people want to do the right thing

If we can tame the monster of the military industrial complex and pull back on that budget, we could accomplish much of what the majority of the US citizens want.

We need to stop all empire building.

As one who believes in "minding one's own business" I am of the conservative bent.

[Madspirit]

4. k&r

...though I sure as hell wonder where all these progressives are when election rolls around or why, if we are so progressive Bush is our president. Or why, if we are so progressive, I can't marry my girlfriend and I have no medical coverage. Or why, if we are so progressive, the death penalty still stands. Or why, if we are so progressive...WE AREN'T MORE PROGRESSIVE. ...and it was a Democrat who decimated food stamps and AFDC.

Where are all these majority progressives hiding and why?
Lee

[BurtWorm]

5. One possible answer to the question, where are they at election time?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1101847

[NMMNG]

6. I definitely need to print this out

Thank you! :thumbsup:

[EFerrari]

7. I'm so GLAD somebody wrote this because I don't have the focus

to do it but have been knowing it and it's been gnawing at me.

Let's send it everywhere!

[NMMNG]

12. For that much text I really prefer hard copy

Plus I can then make extras and spread them around. :thumbsup:

[EFerrari]

19. Whatever works, let's do that.

:thumbsup:

[lostinacause]

8. It may be beneficial to view these results with a grain of salt given

the sources they are coming from. Policy think tanks that profess to be representing a group of thought are generally unreliable sources for unbiased information.

There are a number of ways to intentionally and unintentionally sway the results. Even seemingly trivial things such as the gender and attractiveness of the person asking the questions (if questions are asked in person) can be shown to give differing results. Males are significantly more generous when it is an attractive female asking the questions.

[jaksavage]

9. divide we fail

We argue over abortion and guns and gays and immigrants
The appearance of a closly divided electorate 49/51% gives the powers
the plausability that our elections are fair.

70 years of Bushite manipulations

The only leaders that spoke truth to power
were assasinated.

time for talk is over

[mediawatch]

11. what do you mean "time for talk is over"

Your title says it all. Divided we fail. We should all join together and reach our goals, but we need to talk.

[jaksavage]

14. Talking is what our elected leaders do.

We the people are being misrepresented...
We the people should stop payin lip service to the "issues"
and realize that we are being played by military industrial interests
divided like so much cocaine, chopped and snorted.
Excessive consumption anestitizes the masses

the politicians are on ONE team
we are the other team.
the few real citizens, Kucinich, Dean etc are marginalized.
Follow the Bushites history and learn that GW is one in a long line of
world class racist, nazi/capitolist, manipulators. They have gotten extremely rich
whilst the little people are ground to a squishy pulp under their jack boots.

Strike
stand on street corner with signs
turn off the media, (it is all bad)
change your buying habits
change your consuption habits

a little change isn't nearly enough

[mediawatch]

10. This only means

Most of us whether we are conservative or progressive want the same thing. It is how we go about getting it that is different. It is about those we trust in power to do this that is different.

[EFerrari]

13. I tend to disagree. We have been bathed in rightwing propaganda

to the degree that many people buy into the idea that the US has gone conservative -- to the degree that people don't think about issues but buy into the categories they are being sold. To the degree that we just accept that "most people" agree with the Noise Machine.

It's not true. It's just noise.

We need to be smarter consumers. :)

[RufusTFirefly]

16. Exactly.

What better way to convince us that only a Democratic candidate who is "centrist" (what we might've called "conservative" a generation ago) is "electable."

If we continue to move right as a party, we will not win. Why? Because, although Americans are more progressive than the MSM will have us believe, they may value "genuineness" above all. If both candidates are espousing conservative views, why not vote for the authentic candidate instead of the disingenuous one?

Assuming we have voter integrity (and, granted, that's a big "if"), a genuine unapologetic progressive can win. We should be proud of our progressive views, not embarrassed by them. After all, they are America's views.

One of the reassuring things about these results is that many people support progressive views despite a constant barrage of conservative news. In other words, they are still able to see through the thick haze of corporate media propaganda.

[bullwinkle428]

15. The site must be getting deluged - I tried to look at the

.pdf file, and got an error message. I'll have to give it a try later...

[benEzra]

18. Try downloading it directly to your hard drive instead (worked for me). (n/t)

[benEzra]

17. The section on guns is a rehash of the DLC position from the early '90s

that the DLC abandoned in '06 because it bombed so badly in 1994, 2000, and 2004.

Howard Dean's "50-state strategy" in '06 played far better, and the results of the '06 election bear that out.


-----------
Dems and the Gun Issue - Now What? (written in '04, largely vindicated in '06, IMO)

[Amonester]

20. Another kick for the night crowd.

Up from the Greatest Page.

[lildreamer316]

21. Been saying this. The biggest victory Fox & Repugs have is they've convinced us otherwise.

The mass delusion is the crime. I know-I can feel that what this report says is true.

[entanglement]

22. We are also VERY far from having a genuine progressive majority

Something to think about.