Poll: GOP losses big in many demographics

In essence they've lost ground in every category except weekly churchgoers and dedicated wingnuts....

Poll: GOP losses big in many demographics
Published: May 19, 2009 at 12:31 PM

The U.S. Republican Party is hemorrhaging members in nearly all demographic subgroups, a study of Gallup Poll results released Tuesday indicates.

Since the first year of former President George W. Bush's first term, the Republican Party has maintained its support only among frequent churchgoers, conservatives and senior citizens, where membership decline is minimal, Gallup said.

Aggregated Gallup Poll data indicate the chasm between "leaning toward" party identification is 53 percent for Democrats and 39 percent for Republicans. Respondents who identified with a political party indicated 36 percent identified themselves as Democrats, while 37 percent said they were independents and 27 percent said they were Republicans.

The GOP losses were substantial among college graduates, with aggregate results showing a decline of 10 percentage points, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said. In general, Gallup said the GOP lost followers in subgroups in which it wasn't strong initially.

The GOP generally avoided huge losses among its most loyal groups, including frequent churchgoers and self-identified conservatives, Gallup said.

Results are based on telephone interviews with 7,139 adults in polls conducted January-April 2009. The margin of error is 1 percentage point.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/05/19/Poll-GOP-losses-big-in-many-demographics/UPI-32221242750709/

Personally I don't understand what the big deal is over the GOP's losses. Everyone keeps saying it's a dying party, but this is what happens. Political parties fall out of power for awhile. After Carter it took 8 years of Reagan and 4 years of Bush before another Democrat made it to the White House. The Republicans were defeated and they will remain defeated for awhile, but that doesn't mean they are done for. Maybe they wont see the White House again until 2020, but that doesn't mean they are gone for good, and if the Democrats start behaving like they are that will bring the Republicans back into power a lot faster than you'd like.

paul87920 wrote:

Personally I don't understand what the big deal is over the GOP's losses. Everyone keeps saying it's a dying party, but this is what happens. Political parties fall out of power for awhile. After Carter it took 8 years of Reagan and 4 years of Bush before another Democrat made it to the White House. The Republicans were defeated and they will remain defeated for awhile, but that doesn't mean they are done for. Maybe they wont see the White House again until 2020, but that doesn't mean they are gone for good, and if the Democrats start behaving like they are that will bring the Republicans back into power a lot faster than you'd like.

Paul,I think it's a whole lot worse than you make it out to be. Here are my reasons...

1)Moderates within their party are being driven out as if they're traitors. There is no excuse for how they've treated Colin Powell and others.
2)They have no "rising stars".
3) They are unable to attract minorities,which are probably the fastest growing demographic.

The only real hope they have is if the Dems screw up big time,but hey...2020 sounds good to me

1) That's right now. We're not even a year into Obama's 4 year first term.
2) Once again I think your assessment is being made too soon. Give a star a chance to rise. Know what I mean?
3) Time Artie, Time. I'm not rooting for the Republicans or anything, but I'm not going to count them out just because they lost an election.

paul87920 wrote:

1) That's right now. We're not even a year into Obama's 4 year first term.

Yes,but who do the Repubs have out in front every week? Cheney,Rove,Gingrich,and McCain. All tied to the past.

Quote :

2) Once again I think your assessment is being made too soon. Give a star a chance to rise. Know what I mean?

I hope you're not talking about Palin. She's the future of the Dems and one of the best things that's happened to us. I mean that sincerely!

Quote :

3) Time Artie, Time. I'm not rooting for the Republicans or anything, but I'm not going to count them out just because they lost an election.

Paul,It's just not the Pres election. It's 2006,almost the entire Northeast and reliable red states like Indiana and Virginia.

I also forgot to include the youth vote,another demographic where they're screwed. Meanwhile the Repubs only answer is to try to figure out a way to attack Obama and that hasn't been working too well. The wheels are now starting to come off their latest stunt attacking Pelosi and just may completely blow up in their face in a few days.

The only thing that concerns me is the job market and unemployment numbers,although right now they are all a product of Bush failed policies. We have to find a way to create new jobs for those industries like car dealerships that won't be coming back.

1) Yes but a "rising star" may not be someone who has made it to the media yet. Hence the rising part.
2) Absolutely not. I'm talking about no one in particular. It could be a popular Republican governor, senator, or congressman. Take Mitch Daniels for example. He kept his office, and that speak volumes considering the Democratic gains in Indiana that you mentioned.
3) I'm not denying any of that. I'm just saying that I still don't think that's enough to do them in permanently.

Bill Maher sums it up best:

Quote :

The conservative base is absolutely apoplectic because, because ... well, nobody knows. They're mad as hell, and they're not going to take it anymore. Even though they're not quite sure what "it" is. But they know they're fed up with "it," and that "it" has got to stop.

Here are the big issues for normal people: the war, the economy, the environment, mending fences with our enemies and allies, and the rule of law.

And here's the list of Republican obsessions since President Obama took office: that his birth certificate is supposedly fake, he uses a teleprompter too much, he bowed to a Saudi guy, Europeans like him, he gives inappropriate gifts, his wife shamelessly flaunts her upper arms, and he shook hands with Hugo Chavez and slipped him the nuclear launch codes.

Do these sound like the concerns of a healthy, vibrant political party?