America is more progressive than you think

I'm posting this piece from the Prospect mainly because it's something I've believed all along. In short, most Americans aren't in line with the Republican platform-- they're actually pretty big fans of the New Deal. They might not like to pay taxes (who does?), but they also want to see fellow citizens have things like access to education and health care (who doesn't?). I hope DLC fans are taking notes on this article. People aren't voting Republican because of their values. It's because they've been sold a bill of goods. Not a must-read, but interesting.

In fact, the people who call themselves "moderates" aren't midway between the two parties. When you examine them as a group, you find that they look much more like liberals than conservatives. In every presidential election since 1988, the Democratic candidate has won more votes among moderates than the Republican candidate. According to National Election Studies (NES), 56 percent of moderates in 2004 associated themselves with the Democratic Party, while only 31 percent leaned Republican.

And it isn't just party identification; on issue after issue, moderates have opinions almost exactly mirroring those of liberals. In the NES survey, 64 percent of liberals say we should increase spending on Social Security, as do 68 percent of moderates -- while only 47 percent of conservatives agree. Eighty-eight percent of liberals and 84 percent of moderates say federal funding on education should be increased, compared to only 58 percent of conservatives. Seventy-three percent of liberals and 66 percent of moderates want more spending for child care -- but only 38 percent of conservatives agree. Sixty-two percent of liberals and 57 percent of moderates want to spend more on aid to the poor, compared to only 39 percent of conservatives.