posted on January 7, 2004 04:21:38 PM new
Americans are as deeply divided over party, ideology and values as they are over the legitimacy of the presidency of George W. Bush, a new poll shows.
The splits are so profound that Mr. Bush and his Democratic challenger might as well be campaigning in two different, but parallel, worlds, said John Zogby, who conducted the survey for the O'Leary Report, published by political analyst Bradley S. O'Leary.
The survey also found that the most important "gender" gap is not between male and female voters, but between married women and single women, Mr. Zogby said.
"That gap is enormous — married and single voters live not on different planets, but different solar systems, when it comes to their politics and values," Mr. Zogby said. "Republicans have a problem with single voters, especially single women. The Democrats' problem is with married people, especially married women."
Among other survey findings, married voters approved of the Bush tax cuts by a margin of more than 2-to-1 — 51 percent of married voters said the tax cuts were a good idea and 20 percent said they were a bad idea. By comparison, single voters said the tax cuts were bad by a 34 percent to 25 percent margin.
The Dec. 15 to 19 survey compares the views of 1,200 likely voters on abortion, same-sex "marriage," religion, gun rights, tax cuts, Social Security reform and other issues.
The results highlight the division of views between the 30 so-called "red states" won by Mr. Bush in 2000 and the "blue states" (20 states and the District) carried by Democrat Al Gore.
The views in the red states and blue states are so divergent that they can be considered as two nations, Mr. O'Leary said at yesterday's press briefing with Mr. Zogby.
Mr. O'Leary said the poll revealed the most meaningful divisions emerged not in the usual geographic categories of East, Midwest, West and South familiar to political strategists and the press, but in groupings he called "precincts," where there are concentrations of voters who share the same social and economic interests and the same values.
"Within this poll, we identified 10 very important social and economic precincts that deliver money, votes and volunteers in the presidential election and live within the blue and red states," Mr. O'Leary said. "We identify the issues that divide these precincts. The results demonstrate that each of these precincts split the American electorate almost evenly, or at worst between 42 [percent] and 52 percent."
"The poll is an attempt to get at the core of this division," says Mr. Zogby. "We see significant demographic and ideological differences between ... blue and red states. The blue states have fewer Republicans, 55- to 69-year-olds (the most conservative age group), rural dwellers, conservatives, born-again Christians, daily or weekly attendees at a place of worship, local sports fans, gun owners, investors, military veterans and married voters."
"These differences portend a harder sell for Republican candidates [in blue states]," Mr. Zogby said. "On the other hand, red states have fewer younger voters, single voters, college graduates, liberals, Catholics and Jews, union members, and non-prayers. In short, the two regions think and vote differently because they are different."
In red states, he noted, 62 percent of voters said Mr. Bush is the legitimate president, while 32 percent said the election was stolen from Mr. Gore.
posted on January 7, 2004 05:00:40 PM new
The poll's reference to the division in this country comes as no surprise to me. It's been getting worse each election cycle, imo.
But I would appreciate hearing the views of others as to what they think would be behind this group of results:
The survey also found that the most important ...gap...is between married women and single women.
and
"Republicans have a problem with single voters, especially single women. The Democrats' problem is with married people, especially married women."
posted on January 7, 2004 10:02:22 PM new
I've always thought that the bigest group of people that despised Clinton were suburban housewives.
An affair by their husband and a subsequent divorce is the quichest ticket to poverty for this demographic. Bill and Monica's activities presented quite a threat to them. It would seem that the survey supports this notion.
posted on January 7, 2004 11:09:16 PM new
Nope, I'm not buying that one, Reamond.
I don't believe that married women find the Monica types a threat nor 'their quickest ticket to poverty', if a husband cheats on them.
Mainly because most married women work now-a-days, as do single women. So a woman, whether married or single can either take care of herself or she can't. And secondly because most cheating, lying husbands don't leave their wives and families....they just cheat.
I think it's a matter of values/morals, rather than because of financial reasons. And whether married or single, cheating would bother both a married and a single woman if that's a value they hold. If it's not it wouldn't bother either.
Single having not made a committment and being interested in what's best for only "me". Married having made a committment and being interested in what's best for "my family and I" and for the institution of marriage.
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I watched Mr. Zogby being interview by O'Reilly tonight after I had responded to your post. What I took, in large part, from what he said about the red vs blue states pretty much boiled down to religious practices/beliefs, in those regions, forming our opinions on the different issues. More secular vs religious.
If it wasn't so expensive....I'd pay for the subscription so I could read all their findings and learn what 'basis' they use to support these statements.
posted on January 8, 2004 12:04:09 AM newMainly because most married women work now-a-days, as do single women. So a woman, whether married or single can either take care of herself or she can't. And secondly because most cheating, lying husbands don't leave their wives and families....they just cheat
If the women work they make less than men and if they divorce and have children, their standard of living drops dramatically. That is a proven fact- the quickest way for a wife and children to become impoverished is through a divorce.
And if the cheating husband doesn't get divorced when the wife finds out about the affair(s), what kind of relationship is that ? One like the Clinton's ? That is exactly what the wives fear.
posted on January 8, 2004 12:39:13 AM newImpoverished? Not all by any means.
I can only speak from my own personal experience. Over the years my friends have divorced and some of my sons friends have now divorced. The women were educated and had careers/training of their own. Whether they worked or not during their marriage, they had a career to fall back on when the divorces happened.
Yes, they had children, but when they divorced their husbands paid child support. So their 'standard of living' didn't change very much....especially those wives who weren't working before they divorced.
And some of those women were even democrats who voted for clinton.
I still think it has to do with one's morals/values.
posted on January 8, 2004 06:47:56 AM newIf the women work they make less than men and if they divorce and have children, their standard of living drops dramatically. That is a proven fact- the quickest way for a wife and children to become impoverished is through a divorce. Reamond
It's been getting worse each election cycle, imo.
