Comments on: America Is Still A Conservative Nation

Weekly Standard: Despite Obama's Election, Exit Polls Show Conservatives Still Outnumber Liberals

[eus109937]

This certainly depends on his definition of conservative. America is certainly the most liberal nation on Earth. Women are equal here. No where else in the world are there laws and protections afforded to women and minorities. In this respect we are the most liberal nation in the world and hopefully always will be.
Conservative - think Saudia Arabia, think any number of nations in Asia and Africa.

[gmancubfan]

Franc''s article boxes people into neat airtight containers labeled either "liberal" or "conservative". In doing so he ignores the political complexity of most individuals and Americans as a whole. One example would be the person who opposes both abortion and the death penalty. What box does he belong in? Another example is someone who prays and attends church regularly, has sgtrong family values and beleives in Gay rights. There are many other examples that could be sited to illustrate this point. Let''s not forget the strong sense of individuality that defines us as Americans and let''s stop trying to conveniently categorize people.

[chalres-2009]

Their is a difference in Conservative, neo con, and tree hugger. I am none of the above. What is a social liberal ,fiscal conservative. No one seams to want to represent me.

[incog-nito]

This article altogether ignores independents, which make up a substantial, and growing, part of the electorate. And they tend to be younger and left-leaning. Add to that the growth of minority populations, also left-leaning.

That''s fine with me if the right wants to keep up with the rosy scenario. Why worry if everything is going great?

[atpay1]

the weekly standard is full of ***!!!

[troutfisher4]

kershaw, 55 million voted for McCain, more than was needed to elect the last four presidents, a 3% margin of victory is not being "spanked".


Ahem, presidents are elected by electoral votes, not popular vote. And the cons did get a bloody spanking in those.

Even that most thickheaded man of all time (Rush Limbaugh) admitted they were "taken to the woodshed, no question".

[troutfisher4]

My prediction is the conservatives will continue to fade away. Bush has demonstrated the huge gap between IDEOLOGY and what they actually DO when in power. It was ugly, and we will not forget it anytime soon.

[notblue]

kershaw, 55 million voted for McCain, more than was needed to elect the last four presidents, a 3% margin of victory is not being "spanked". The youth and minority vote were unprecedented, it''s great they finallay participated, too bad the uninformed made the differance.

[kershaw_31]

Before even reading this article I knew by the headline that it came from the Weekly Standard. What I will say to them is that America is not conservative. You folks are out of touch with mainstream America and no wonder you got spanked during the most recent election. Keep hoping!

[cbs_oliver]

This meme of the center right nation was started by those on the right just after Obama was elected.

It is propaganda not research.

The election speaks for itself.

It does not need pig headed interpretion by the losers.

[bfranknow]

Ahem, 34%+22% does not equal 100% does it now? Mr. Franc, you left out something, didn''t you now, a little fact that says 44% do not classify themselves as either conservative or liberal, but instead consider themselves independent or moderate. Therefore the US is if anything a CENTRIST country and the party that acknowledges that fact wins elections. A party that denies the existence of centrists cannnot win.

But it seems that the rightwingers cannot see the world as anything but black and white and they then must lump moderates in with their sworn enemy, the "liberals".
Thus the moderates are driven out of the GOP.
Thus independent centrists will vote with Democrats.
Thus right wing will keep losing.

[Razzl]

NPR did a good expose on this issue of how people label themselves after the 2004 election, pointing out that Republican operatives had spent the last 3 prior decades trying to demonize certain key words and concepts, especially the word "liberal", in order to make their propaganda more effective. Opinion polls throughout the period showed that while people began to mislabel themselves as "conservatives" in order to avoid calling themselves "liberals", opinion polls showed their views on important issues such as abortion rights invariably leaned to the left and was "liberal" even if they didn''t want to be labelled as such.

So Franc and the crew at Weakly Stranded can keep on wearing the "conservative" labelling fig leaf for a while longer, but by this time next year you can be sure that the public will be adamantly labelling itself "liberal" by 2-1 margins...

[centerfall94]

Poor Michael G Franc thinks that today''s republican party is conservative. Evidence proves that it is bigoted, small minded, vindictive and prejudiced. But fiscal conservatism? Not for the last eight years it isn''t.

Conservatism isn''t bad. But republicans have taken the word on as their mantra, even when it has NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH THEM. Bigotry and prejudice are not conservative practices. Needless and pointless warmongering is not a conservative practice.

Be careful of that word, "conservative". It means different things, to different people, and in Michael Franc''s case, he''s just trying to push his dead agenda.

[ubrew12]

Sure Americans are conservative. They just don''t think doubling the national debt thru tax cuts while INCREASING government spending is necessarily conservative.

If you''re a true fiscal conservative, you SHOULD be voting Democratic right about now.