Viewpoints

 

It has been difficult for conservatives to find much to be encouraged about lately but recent polling data indicate there may be hope for a conservative comeback.

 

With the liberal Democrat oligarchy now controlling our government and after four months of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid version of liberal big government, it appears the American public is waking up on a wide spectrum of issues.

 

A Gallup Poll conducted May 7-10 found that for the first time in fifteen years a majority (51 percent) of Americans now consider themselves pro-life. This is a significant shift in public opinion from last year when 50 percent identified themselves as pro-choice and only 44 percent as pro-life.

 

The Gallup Poll validates another recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center which found a significant drop in the percentage of Americans who say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. There has been an eight percentage point drop – from 54 to 46 percent – in those who think abortion should have few restrictions, according to the Pew survey.

 

The increase in those who now identify themselves as pro-life was significant for both Protestants (up eight points) and Catholics (up seven points.) The pro-life gains were among both men and women and among young adults (18 – 29 years old.) In terms of political identification, the Pew survey conducted in April found an astonishing 24 point pro-life swing among liberal-to-moderate Republicans from August 2008 to April 2009 and an 11 point swing among independents over the same time period.

 

In regard to gun control, another sacrosanct issue for liberals, public opinion is also trending away from them. As on abortion, the swing is most notable among those who identify themselves as political independents where there has been a nine point gain for protecting the rights of gun owners. Independents now support gun rights (48 percent) over gun control (45 percent.) Support for gun ownership is up in every region in the country except the East.

 

According to another Pew Research Center survey taken at a time when the Obama Administration and the Democrat-dominated Congress are attempting to push through a massive climate change bill, global warming ranks dead last among the top twenty issues that Americans rank as most important to them. Perhaps one of the reasons that global warming ranks last on the public’s list of policy priorities is that the American public is not buying liberal global climate scare tactics. According to a Rasmussen survey, 44 percent of U.S. voters now believe that global warming is primarily the result of natural planetary cycles and not human activity.

 

Not only has there been a substantial shift in the public’s perception of the cause of global warming, but 46 percent believe passing legislation against climate change such as the cap and trade bill being pushed by the Obama Administration and the Democrat Congressional leadership will have negative economic consequences. Among independent voters who share this view, there is a gap of 16 percentage points. Given that the top two issues for U.S. voters are the economy (85 percent) and jobs (82 percent) according to the Pew survey, it should be of great concern to Democrats in Congress that almost half the voters believe that climate change/cap and trade legislation will hurt the U.S. economy. Democrats should be even more concerned given that the number of people who believe global warming is a natural occurrence continues to grow.

 

Democrats are also on the wrong side of public opinion on energy issues. Fifty-six percent of American voters believe finding new sources of energy is more important than reducing the amount of energy we consume. According to the survey, 53 percent of independents, 66 percent of Republicans and 50 percent of Democrats hold this view.

 

More evidence of a shift in voter opinions can be found in a Fox News poll released earlier this month. According to that poll, a majority of U.S. voters (54 percent) believe the Obama Administration is spending too much, including 61 percent of those who identify themselves as independents. The same poll found that overall, 60 percent want more cuts in spending (66 percent of independents) and 71 percent say they want less government in their lives.

 

Finally, another Gallup poll taken in April exposes a major difference between the views of Republicans and Democrats when it comes to whether voters believe big business or big government poses a bigger threat to our country. Now that they are in power, 52 percent of Democrats believe big business is a bigger threat than big government, a complete reversal of their opinion from 2006. Among Republicans, a whopping 80 percent believe big government is a bigger threat to our country than big business, a view shared by 59 percent of independent voters. Overall, 55 percent of Americans believe government has grown too large and too powerful.

 

It is too early to tell whether these polls reflect a sustainable shift in public opinion which will impact the 2010 elections. But it does appear that people are beginning to realize that our nation is headed down a path on a wide range of issues that a growing majority does not want to follow.