Posted on 02/23/2008 1:02:31 PM PST by OnRiver
Hillary Clinton, long regarded as politically liberal by more voters than any other presidential candidate, must for now cede that status to Barack Obama. The most recent Rasmussen Reports survey indicates that 53% of all likely voters see Clinton as liberal but 55% see Obama that way.
The new numbers represent a trivial fluctuation for Clinton but a moderate uptick for Obama. In December, just before the primaries began, 54% perceived Clinton as liberal and 47% perceived Obama as liberal. In twelve previous Rasmussen Reports surveys, the share of the electorate seeing Clinton as liberal slipped below 50% only once.
The new numbers represent a trivial fluctuation for Clinton but a moderate uptick for Obama. In December, just before the primaries began, 54% perceived Clinton as liberal and 47% perceived Obama as liberal. In twelve previous Rasmussen Reports surveys, the share of the electorate seeing Clinton as liberal slipped below 50% only once.
Clinton is currently seen as moderate by 30% of all voters, as conservative by 9%; Obama is seen as moderate by 26%, conservative by 11%.
A plurality of Democrats sees Clinton as moderate (47%) rather than liberal (33%). The reverse tendency obtains for Obama: 29% of Democrats see him as moderate, 47% as liberal. Unaffiliated voters and especially Republicans tend to see both Democrats as liberal.
John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, is the candidate most often regarded as moderate, so labeled by 51% of likely voters. That's the highest number in the campaign so far.
Eleven percent (11%) of all voters currently see McCain as liberal, while 28% see him as politically conservative. Only 23% of GOP voters see him as conservative, versus 32% of Democrats and 27% of unaffiliated voters.
Mike Huckabee is thought conservative by 55%, moderate by 24%, liberal by just 7%.
Thirty-nine percent (39%) are still Not Sure what ideological label they would give Ron Paul. Thirty percent (30%) say he is conservative, 17% say moderate, and 13% say liberal.
There's a punch line in there somewhere.
“John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, is the candidate most often regarded as moderate, so labeled by 51% of likely voters. That’s the highest number in the campaign so far.”
As I’ve said before, if Obama gets the nomination I think that a lot of the union blue collar gun-toting democrats that would have gone for Hillary will not go for Obama. They will go to McCain who they will view as closer to their ideals.
To a Democrat voter, liberal means “moderate”, and socialist means “liberal”.
“55% see Obama that way.”
And that number will go up in the months to come.
He can’t hide it.
The other 40 % of us think he is nuts!
Voters elected Congress and now the mess we are in. Voters in America can’t see what they are doing to destroy America.
If Obama can’t come up with something else besides “hope and change” before November, he’s a doomed socialist!
The punch line is even Ron Paul does not know what he is. Unless in fact he accepts the fact he is a screaming idiot.
thats the way I see it and to me its good news but we will see Obamas liberal numbers go up over time when he is vetted properly. Real Conservatives know that an Obama win would be catostrophic for the movement. This notion that a loss will bring forth the conservative messiah is as dum as the koolaide drinkers for Obama REASONING. 2 young liberal 40 year old justices replacing GinsguRG AND WHATS HIS NAME WOULD BE DISATRIOUS INDEED.
Agreed, it is good news, both for McCain and Republicans. In this race, the perceived moderate will win.
McCain wasn’t my first choice, nor my second...maybe not even my third choice, but I’m not drinking the Rush/Coulter cool-aid.
“Real Conservatives know that an Obama win would be catostrophic for the movement.”
I’m still really on the fence on that and looking at all views. The Supreme Court issue is one, but as another poster on another thread mentioned - Obama would probably only get to put 2 liberals in when the 2 liberal judges leave. Hmmmm?
The scary one for me with Obama is the war on terror, Iraq and Iran. (That will perhaps? put me over the edge for McCain). Also - those Executive Decisions or whatever they are. Like the ones Clinton left us with on his last day - I think the roadless wilderness areas was one that locked out a lot of natural resources in Utah(?), his pardons, etc.
I agree and won’t vote for any of them.
I also think that McCain can use Obama’s “unity” crap and spin it to his “...long experience in Washington to reach across the aisle to do what is best for the American people regardless of one’s politics....”
That said, I don’t like having to pick from a Communist, a Socialist and a liberal.
Scalia and Kennedy will be 73 in 2009 when Obama is sworn in. You want to roll the dice that they’ll last 4-8 yrs?
If he replaces even one of them, conservatives can forget about the Court for the next 25 years.
OTOH, if McCain wins and gets a chance to replace the 89 and 76 yr old Stevens and Ginsburg, and mayve replenish Scalia/Kennedy with younger Justices, the Court is ours for the next 25 yrs.
That’s a pretty big difference
That’s one persuasive argument first, to vote; second, to vote for McCain. I simply don’t understand the purists on FR who are throwing “I’m not going to vote” tantrums because McCain is the nominee (presumptive).
actually Rush told a caller he was voting for the REPUBLICAN NOMINEE at the end of the week. Rush also told us again and ahain that Hillary was going to ne the next President...he was 80% sure many many times...
those were just two...there could be more. Not to metion the war and the war on terroism...McCAIN SAYS NO NEW Taxes... so thats the whole democratic line...stop the war...rasie taxes and spend more on programs, be more friendly with terroists.
Well, I would expect that, in the final analysis, Rush would vote for the nominee. There is a lot at stake after 2009.
And given the Clinton’s history, I wouldn’t rule her out yet, for sure.
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