GOP Dominated By White Conservatives: Gallup Poll

As the GOP struggles to define itself in the face of its own considerable image problems, a new poll indicates that the Republican party's base fundamentally lacks diversity.

The poll, released today by Gallup, shows that a staggering 89% of the GOP is white, and that 63% identify as conservatives. It is, in the words of the poll's author, "first and foremost a political entity dominated by white Americans."

In contrast, the poll found that around 36% of Democrats are non-white. Of the 64% of Democrats who are white, the poll found that about half lean toward a moderate or liberal ideological position.

The poll also suggests that Republicans are more religious than either Democrats or Independents, with about half of those polled identifying as "strongly religious."

The poll is particularly significant given the increasingly weak position of the GOP itself. As the author writes:

A great deal of attention has been paid to the plight of Republicans who at this juncture in history find themselves not controlling the presidency, the House, or the Senate....

The data reviewed here highlight an essential dilemma the Republicans face as they ponder their future. The Republican Party's constituency is overwhelmingly white -- and the significant majority of those whites are ideologically conservative, while a majority are highly religious, as defined by church attendance...

Does the Republican Party in essence "stick to the knitting" and cling to its core conservative principles? Or should the Republicans make an effort to expand their base -- among whites who are moderate or less religious, and/or the various nonwhite groups who to this point are largely ignoring the Republican Party in favor of the Democrats? The decision the party makes in response to this question could be pivotal in helping determine its future.

Republican Pat Buchanan acknowledged recently that there is a "real demographic problem with the Republican Party. It is a heavily white party."

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Comments

[LooktotheLeft]

I posted this earlier but, unfairly, failed to disclaim: Please read at own risk; may cause E.D. and wretching. Thank you:

To try to shake his image as a d*isgusting, f*ilthy, p*erverted, white man, Mitch McConnell will be appearing this afternoon, on the Mall in D.C., dressed in nothing but Speedo mini bathing shorts. He will then commence to jumping into the Reflecting pool, doing two laps and, afterwards, will rendevous with Lindsey Graham and Jeff Sessions to the privacy of his favorite D.C. steam bath where he, and aforementioned Senators and other members of the GOP, will partake in their weekly lewd and lascivious activities. The last part WILL NOT be open to the public....for obvious reasons.

[jubei]

And in other news the earth is 6000 yrs old,its flat and dinosaurs roam the earth with Adam and Eve!!

[chaz]

I think you mean white HYPOCRITES!

Speaking of a so called authority on what it is to be a conservative (HYPOCRITE) today. Morning joe said just this morning that a conservative is a person who conserves. He also said the conservatives are people who are realistic and that President Obama isn't a conservative because he is spending to much money. But if a conservative conserves and is a realist then wouldn't a conservative realize that President Obama isn't spending money by choice but by necessity brought only by the incredible failures of George W. Bush (who in fact morning joe use to praise as to being a great conservative) and Reaganomics. Reagan of course is a huge hero to morning joe.

Bring back the fairness doctrine and fire morning (liar) joe

[Yurdelite]

That is the lie the conservatives are pushing on the people. Morning Joe and his gang are constantly saying President Obama is spending all the money but never acknowledge why he is spending all the money. The republi.cants are a lying bunch of sycophants and hypocrites. They would not know integrity if it smacked them in the face. They deserve to be marginalized for years to come until they weed out the evil that is in their party.

[JA01]

No Way!!

[breakingnews3]

Way.....

[Openeyes]

Spoiler alert - New Gallup poll:majority agree water is wet.

[LittlePurpleUSA]

That's one of 'em "The Sky Is Blue" headlines.

[OKnight]

standard eveyday fact. is all...

[bluerednot]

GOP remains optimistic as they point out that they are only 11% away from their ultimate demographic goal.

[ctman47]

Yes this was the Steele Master Plan so he would know who was with them and who was agin them.
The Plan is almost complete

[WasteNJ]

Zing! They are well on their way to achieving that goal, but can never get to 100% until they fire Steele... Well maybe 99.5%.

[green108]

duh.

[ctman47]

Perfect comment. We need a poll to tell us this?

[LeftisBetter]

This proves Darwin right: If you don't adapt to your ever changing environment, you will start to die out and hopefully in the G.NO.P's case, become extinct.

[BlackWidowPilot]

No!! You've got it all wrong! The GOP is "the party of conservative Christian family values:"

http://www.armchairsubversive.org

No, really! They are!!

Just ask them...

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[hapiday]

Wow I didn't know "that a staggering 89% of the GOP is white". Last summer Palin was campaigning in my State. I happened to drive by and became stricken with fear. I thought I had come upon a k.l.a.n rally. The crowd was angry, shaking their fists at cars and holding up signs. There were loud boos echoing through the car as I sat waiting for the traffic light to change. So no I didn't know 89% of the GOP was white. I do suspect that 89% of the GOP could easily transition a campaign rally into a l y n c h mob.

[OKnight]

and that was the elementary skool rally to boot...

[dgh94104]

Go to youtube and search "P alin rally" or "P alin rallies" - truly frightening. Especially in light of the murder of George Tiller, we need to step up our vigilance against them. Where did P alin make her only major appearance this year? At an anti-choice rally!

[realpolitic]

Yes, and she is always so busy talking about her Christianity. If Jesus strode through Wasilla, she would have him arrested for vagrancy.

[stonelaw]

Now please tell me - exactly what are we supposed to do with this information?

The more I think of it, the more I believe that a new 3rd party of breakaway Republicans won't happen in the next few years - it won't happen at all.

A new political party will be formed many years in the future with Democrats breaking away from each other forming a new 2nd party - by that time the Republcan party and its members just an afterthought.

[Buddy McCue]

I've thought that too.

Besides, the Democrats have proven themselves perfectly capable of being their own opposition party; the "circular firing line" is almost a defining characteristic of the party.

If all the GOP were suddenly raptured up to heaven, the Democrats would probably split immediately. Maybe they will anyway... a more progressive, society-oriented group versus a more corporate-friendly pro-business group. I suppose the corporate media will call these "Radicals" and "Moderates," respectively.

[hardlyhikin]

It probably also means that there won't be another white male President in this country for a long time unless he's a Democrat!

[steppenwolfsayshi]

That's pretty insightful. Most of the current politicians are still white males, so I don't think that will be the case quite yet, but I think we getting there very soon. I know there's something I find familiar and comforting about having middle-class and ethnically and gender diverse lawmakers.

[KIMBER]

I think it's time we stop justifying these people with the use of the term "conservative." They are right wing extremists. Conservative implies that something is being conserved, and these people conserve nothing; not our environment, our natural resources, our legal system, our Constitution, our personal rights. They see the world entirely in black or white/all or nothing way and take an extremist approach to everything, which is the opposite of "conservative" action. They impede the progress of our government simply for the sake of their own power at the expense of general welfare. All we do by using that term is make them sound somehow legitimate, and their behavior on a broad sweep of issues is anything but legitimate.

[green108]

And they're certainly not fiscally conservative as well. Reagan claimed to be and look what he did to the deficit. And of course, let's examine Dubya's fiscal legacy.

You're so right that they are not conservative at all in their mindset. They're mostly extremists.

[justchill]

and i have a belly button

[OKnight]

inny or outy ?

[mergina]

Is there lint in it?

[OKnight]

lol