Poll Suggests That Americans Want GOP To Move Toward Obama

Since Election Day, the key argument between pundits and politicians on either side of the political divide has been over what point on the political spectrum Obama can, will, and should govern from, with progressives pointing out that the electorate has embraced many of their policy positions as mainstream, and the defeated GOP insisting that America remains a fundamentally "center-right" nation. ThinkProgress has a nice compilation video of how this argument played out on Fox News Sunday this morning, with John Podesta explaining that the electorate had rendered a mandate for "real change" and "progressive philosophy," and Republican Congressmen Mike Pence and Eric Cantor arguing to the contrary:

Which side is right? Well, a poll conducted by Campaign for America's Future (CAF) and Democracy Corps in the wake of the election garnered results that should aid Podesta's point of view:

US voters want the Republican Party, which took a beating in this week's general elections, to embrace progressiveness and work with Democratic president-elect Barack Obama to get America back on track, a poll showed Friday.

More than three-quarters of 2,000 people surveyed on Tuesday, the day of the historic election which saw Obama become the first African-American elected to the White House, and on Wednesday, said the US has gone "pretty seriously off on the wrong track" and needed change.

Only slightly fewer -- 71 percent -- said Republicans "should give Obama the benefit of the doubt and help him achieve his plans," against 24 percent who said it should oppose the progressive changes proposed by Obama, said the poll by the Campaign for America's Future (CAF) and Democracy Corps.

Comments

[Pacific231]

Required Reading on the future of the Republican Party: Is history about to repeat itself? Sure hope so for America's sake:

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/11/10/echoes_of_fillmore_and_the_gop_know_nothings/

[EdgedInBlue]

Ok, I must admit to be snookered when I read this, and I blame it on my horrible hippie roots... I saw Fil(l)more and immediately thot of the concert. I am so decrepit! In reading the article, I think you are absolutely right... a hard read by the grand old party is in order and a re-consideration of repeating history.

Thanks for the great read!

[wagthedog1001]

Clearly Obama's platform is centrist and progressive, not socialist. The right wingers label it socialist but it isn't. Obama's agenda is what most Americans want.

The GOP has an uncanny way of denying what happens. To say Obama's win is not a victory for socialism is true. Obama never claimed to be a socialist. To say the election did not show that the American people want progressive policies is false. Clearly they voted in favor of Obama's progressive agenda which is mainstream.

Conservatives want this country to be like them so much they can't let the truth seep into their tiny brains. They do this at their own peril.

[dumboldfarmer]

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the GOP to move towards the middle. They seem to be unable to change themselves. They just can't shed the lack of ethics and morality and be like normal citizens. They think it is more fun to act like neanderthals.

[ENOS]

Yeah Yeah... these "moral majority" so-called Christian Republicans have in the last eight years, killed hundreds of thousands of civilian lives in an unjust and illegal war, they've sold us into bondage to China by doubling our national debt, doubled the size of government with Homeland Security and so on, and they have stripped away our freedom by robbing us of Habius Corpus.

How Chrisitan is that really? How "ProAmerica" is that really?

Shame on them for bending over for the War Profiteering campaigners of Empirical ambition. The country has declared, No More Crusade... An Empirical Crusade makes us no better than the Christians of the middle ages, and makes us no better than the radical Muslim Jihadists.

Should we Progress past this? YES!!!!!, and I Pray that we do!

[ENOS]

Yeah Yeah... these "moral majority" so-called Christian Republicans have in the last eight years, killed hundreds of thousands of civilan lives in an unjust and illegal war, they've sold us into bandage to China by doubling our national debt, doubled the size of government with Homeland Security and so on, and they have stripped away our freedom by robbing us of Habius Corpus.

How Chrisitan is that really? How "ProAmerica" is that?

Shame on them for bending over for the War Profiteering campaigners of Empirical ambition. The country has declared, No More Crusade... An Empirical Crusade makes us no better than the Christians of the middle ages, and makes us no better than the radical Muslim Jihadists.

Should we Progress past this? YES!!!!!, and I Pray that we do!

[richdoll]

the gop is still on the track of 1964- 68 they are the diehards that do not want to let go. the cultures wars are over this country has been center left for quite a while. "leave it to beaver time is over" reganism is over. people want action obama said we need smarter govt

[independent32955]

well, what exactly are the republicans fighting for?

a continued war effort in iraq that is bankrupting our treasury?

a continued fattened calf for the banking firms on wall street?

not raising taxes on those making $250K a year or more?

not giving healthcare to children or making the same type of healthcare plan that government officials get available to the general public?

The GOP is simply wrong and that's fine, the whole party doesn't need to see it, let them be as f'ed up in 2, 4, 6, 8 years as they are now. If you didn't support the GOP, now is the time to forget about them and simply look to the future.

[elmoor]

Still, the Republicans just don't get it. I encourage them to continue their obsession with 'low taxes, anti-governmen, pro-snarkt' agenda. It will ensure that a progressive agenda for this country will continue to advance. Amen!

[LoyalOpposition]

That darned 20-25 percent! They just will never get it! Why pundits want to kowtow to these few is beyond human understanding. What the media should be examining are the finer points to this new political landscape, stay on the issues, and the ratings will stay high. But if they continue to try to make the arguments for those 20-25 percent, the negativity still sounding like and reminding us of the Bush years, their ratings will fall. Wise up media . . . the country already has and is ahead of you.

[Icantbelieveher]

It was a victory for Barack Obama -- but why did we vote for him if we didn't want change? What they say makes no sense!

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, baby!!!

[Horus45]

Denial is the First of the 'Five Stages of Grief'.

[luke150]

FOX crowd keeps asking "does Obama has a mandate"? Well, for a news organization they are a little bit slow on the recent news. Let's remind them - Obama won the electoral vote, the popular vote (by significant margin), the Dem party increased majorities in Senate and House. When you win more than 50% of the votes, you have a mandate. The simple majority rules and the majoritiy gives you a mandate. The bigger the margin, the stronger the mandate. Obama's margin is bigger than Bush's in both 2000 and 2004. So, enough with the mandate depate.

[viewfromuphere]

does Obama have a mandate...­well....le­t's see...has the White House..check...has the Senate..ch­eck....the House ...check....50+ % of the popular vote...check...

The FOX crowd asks stupid questions, don't they???

[independent32955]

what I found really annoying from the Fox people (post election) was all the tripe about how obama barely won, 52-46...6% (they said) is hardly a mandate.

and I would agree except that he got 364 out of 538 electoral votes. Getting over 2/3 of the electoral votes is a pretty substantial mandate. But they should feel free to continue castigating obama, seems every time they do, more Americans move to his side.

like the whole argument that they will support the president, but respectfully disagree when they don't...and I recall how all of us who were respectfully disagreeing with bush these past 8 years were called un-patriotic andanti-American. Truly amazing the hypocrisy on the political right.

[bronceye]

Macane got 46%!!!!! We need to stop patting ourselves on the back and figure out how the hell 46% of the people voted for repubes. What would have happened if they would have had a viable vp, what would have happened if they had talked about resolving ANY issues instead of just using personal attacks. Maybe we didn't win, maybe the repubes just blew it. We need to plan ahead and leave the mind high of winning just one election. They will be back in 2 yrs. and they will maybe find some qualified people who know how to scare and enrich the electorate. I'm happy thay we won but concerned that a pair of virtual non-candidates can garner 46% of the vote.

[Seattlelite]

I think the republicans are going to find out just how feed up the American people are with their obstruction at all cost attitudes. The American people aren't going to tolerate this nonsense anymore, or at least that's what I'm hoping. Name and shame should be O's weapon.

[Icantbelieveher]

I agree -- they need to make it public each and every time they block any kind of legislation that will help the middle class -- and they need to name names. That way we can get rid of a few more republicans in 2010!!

They just don't seem to be able to learn a lesson!

[Horus45]

Reid must force them to filibuster if they threaten to block a bill.

[mymomma2]

The demise of the Republican Party is still on the fast-track. I love that they don't listen, they hear people, but they don't want to listen. By all means, believe what you want to believe. Believe that the demise of John McCain's campaign centered around the failing economy. Believe that Sarah Palin will be a major player in 2012. Believe that there is nothing wrong with the GOP and that they just are having an unlucky streak.

By all means DON'T FIX ANYTHING... Seven lost GOP states awarded to O and the Dems. An increase of red districts voting democratic and there is no problem. Canter is a genius. Michelle Bachman is a genius, Liddy Dole is a genius.

By the way... What happened to Joe the Plumber, has he gone to McCain's ranch for some R&R also????

[Icantbelieveher]

He's busy trying to make an excuse for the welfare checks he accepted from our socialist government!

[smoovejef]

Baby, its tough when your 15 minutes are up...

[Pacific231]

Old unlicensed plumbers never die, they simply flush away.

[wagthedog1001]

I totally agree with you. The longer they believe whatever makes them feel all giddy, the farther the rest of the country moves away from them. If they don't change they'll be more and more obsolete as time goes. As far as I'm concerned they should do that. Sarah Palin in '12 baby.

[majorteddy]

Wait until the actuarial table bites their butt over the next for years in the age 55 on up age bracket where they will lose 18 million voters over the next 4 years to death. This group will be replaced by a larger group of 14-18 year olds . Guess who they will vote for?

[gotovt]

No doubt all of that 18 million listen to Rush Limbaugh.

[JayeSF]

Um...yeah....that's why the repoobs got their a##es kicked....

have you figured that out yet, gop ?