This can't be good news for Republicans.

[ProSense]

Considering the surge in conservative voters that helped Republicans to huge gains:

The proportion of self-described conservative voters increased by nearly a third from 2006 -- from 32% to 41% -- and is the highest percentage of conservative voters in the past two decades.

...the post-election polls show people a lot of voters are closer to the Democrats' position on the issues.

Greg Sargent

Many commentators have responded to Tuesday's bloodbath by arguing that Obama now needs to "pull a Clinton." This appears to mean that in order to engineer his comeback, he needs to tack to the middle the way Clinton did with welfare reform and school uniforms, and maneuver GOP leaders into betraying their extremism.

But on a conference call with reporters, two top Dem thinkers made a counter-intuitive case: Clinton's comeback, they argued, was also driven by his success in persuading struggling voters that he was "on their side," by drawing bright lines in defense of popular programs like Medicare and Social Security, and clearly articulating an expansive vision on the economy. "Pulling a Clinton" is as much about populism as it is about centrism.

On the call, Dem pollster Stan Greenberg unveiled a post-election poll designed to show that -- despite the public's deep dissatisfaction with Dems on the economy -- there's no mandate for conservative economic ideas. The poll, he said, shows the public is still receptive to an expansive government role in job creation -- provided it's articulated better than Dems did this year -- particularly on infrastructure spending and reviving manufacturing.

For instance: Greenberg tested messages asking 2010 voters whether they could support Congressional action to rebuild infrastructure via a National Infrastructure Bank that would use public and private money. He also asked whether they'd support Congressional action to "launch a five year strategy to revive manufacturing in America, providing companies incentives to make it in America" and "ending tax breaks that reward moving jobs abroad." Both had solid majority support.

Greenberg also tested various GOP and Dem messages on how to deal with the deficit. A majority supported ending the high-end Bush tax cuts, while only a bit more than a third supported huge cuts in domestic programs, raising the retirement age for Social Security, and turning Medicare into a voucher program.

<...>

And from Pew



Given that conservatives comprised the largest bloc of voters, a one-point advantage for repeal isn't surprising, but this is:

• 14 percent of Republican voters and 84 percent of Democratic voters want to expand health care law.
  
  
• 31 percent of Republican voters and 66 percent of Democratic voters was to leave it as is.

[tularetom]

1. Doesn't help as long as the Democrats allow the opposition and the media

to define their agenda.

They have to stand up for themselves and let the voters know that the policies they agree with so overwhelmingly are in fact Democratic policies.

The republicans aren't gonna tell 'em.

The liberal media aren't gonna tell them.

Democrats must do it themselves. Name names, point fingers, attack, attack, attack.

And forget this bipartisanship bullshit. That just isn't going to happen in the current climate.

[LiberalFighter]

2. Democrats need to clearly express themselves.

And call the opposition out every time they lie. By standing in the back without challenging the opposition effectively they look fucking weak and give too much credence to them.

[raven42]

3. I think a large part of the problem is that

a lot of "low-information" voters like to think of themselves as conservative--e.g., balanced budgets, less spending, low taxes, less government. It all sounds so neat and clean. Unfortunately, the real world isn't like that. Which is why they favor social security, medicare, higher tax rates on the rich, etc., when polled on specific issues. And yet when they enter the voting booth that simple, idealized conservative vision is the one that they too often choose. It's almost like they're in denial, not willing to face reality. It's not as appealing.

[LiberalFighter]

6. That is the problem

They believe that when it comes to finances that the Republicans are fiscally conservative when in reality it is the Democrats.

[Beartracks]

4. Tack to the right? Dems haven't tried THAT before!

First thought:
A lot of Dems tried tacking to the middle over the last couple of years. GOP does not seem to desire giving up extremism in order to get anything accomplished, even when they're the minority.

But my second thought:
Wow, this study shows that people really do vote against their own interests -- or, as the case may be, fail to vote (in their own interest).
Good to know that people WANT progressive things, but.... y'know, they're going to have to VOTE to make that happen, or at least to produce the kind of Congressional environment in which it is more LIKELY to happen.

------------------------------

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. It'd be awesome if he tacked to the middle.

[PurityOfEssence]

7. What, you mean turn left?

Works for me. Don't see any real hope of it, though...

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

8. Yep.

[socialshockwave]

9. If Obama "pulls a Clinton"

he'll be pulled all the way out of the White House in 2012.