Republican Base Heavily White, Conservative, Religious
Democrats are more likely to be moderate or liberal, Hispanic, or black
or other races
by Frank Newport
The Gallup Poll

PRINCETON, NJ -- More than 6 in 10 Republicans today are white
conservatives, while most of the rest are whites with other ideological
leanings; only 11% of Republicans are Hispanics, or are blacks or
members of other races. By contrast, only 12% of Democrats are white
conservatives, while about half are white moderates or liberals and a
third are nonwhite.

These data reinforce the basic challenge facing the Republican Party
today as it ponders how best to remedy a situation that finds Democrats
in control of the White House and both houses of Congress. Republicans
have a clear monopoly on the allegiance of white conservative Americans,
but the GOP's challenge is figuring out whether this is enough of a base
on which to build for the future. The alternative is for the GOP to
broaden its base to include more minorities and/or more whites who are
moderate or liberal in their ideological outlook -- groups now
predominantly loyal to the Democratic Party.

The current analysis is based on a sample of more than 26,000 interviews
Gallup conducted May 1-27, 2009. Each of the three major political
groupings -- those who identify themselves as Republicans, as Democrats,
and as independents -- was decomposed into five mutually exclusive and
exhaustive categories:

1.
Hispanics
2.
Non-Hispanic blacks
3.
Non-Hispanics who identity their race as something other than
white or black
4.
Non-Hispanic whites who identify themselves as conservative
5.
Non-Hispanic whites who identify their ideology as something
other than conservative -- including moderates, liberals, and those who
don't express an ideological preference

The results show clearly that the Republican Party today is first and
foremost a political entity dominated by white Americans. Eighty-nine
percent of rank-and-file Republicans are non-Hispanic whites, leaving
just 5% who are Hispanic (of any race), 2% who are black, and 4% of
other races.

Further, by well over a 2-to-1 ratio, whites who identify as Republicans
claim a conservative, rather than a moderate or liberal, ideology (or
have no opinion when asked about their ideology).

Democrats have a significantly more diverse party composition. Well over
a third (36%) of Democrats are nonwhite (Hispanic, or black or some
other race) and the 64% of Democrats who are white are strongly skewed
-- by more than a 4-to-1 ratio -- toward an ideological position that is
moderate or liberal rather than conservative.

Independents, as would be expected, are somewhere between Republicans
and Democrats in terms of their racial, ethnic, and ideological
composition. Twenty-seven percent of independents are Hispanic, or are
black or identify with another race, and, by about a 2-to-1 ratio, white
independents split toward the nonconservative ideological position.

Religiosity

A similar pattern is found when the three partisan groups are broken
down into segments based on race, ethnicity, and religious intensity
(among whites, as measured by church attendance).

About half of Republicans are non-Hispanic whites who are strongly
religious, defined as those who attend church about once a week or more
frequently. Forty percent of Republicans are whites who attend less
frequently.

Democrats, on the other hand, comprise only 20% highly religious whites,
with more than twice as many whites who attend church less frequently.
The pattern of church attendance among independents is similar to that
among Democrats, but independents have higher percentages of whites in
both the religious and the nonreligious categories.

Implications

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. Plus, numerous surveys conducted
by Gallup and other firms have shown that the GOP appears to be
suffering on a number of perceptual dimensions compared to the Democrats
(as measured by Gallup and by other recent surveys).

*****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. The Democratic Party, on the
other hand, has more than three times the percentage of nonwhites among
its identifiers as does the GOP. And white Democrats are much more
likely to be moderate or liberal than conservative, and are much more
likely to be infrequent church attenders rather than frequent church
attenders.*****

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.

----------

Glug, glug, glug is the noise you hear while the GOP goes down the drain
of demographics.

HK wrote:
Republican Base Heavily White, Conservative, Religious
Democrats are more likely to be moderate or liberal, Hispanic, or black
or other races
by Frank Newport
The Gallup Poll

PRINCETON, NJ -- More than 6 in 10 Republicans today are white
conservatives, while most of the rest are whites with other ideological
leanings; only 11% of Republicans are Hispanics, or are blacks or
members of other races. By contrast, only 12% of Democrats are white
conservatives, while about half are white moderates or liberals and a
third are nonwhite.

These data reinforce the basic challenge facing the Republican Party
today as it ponders how best to remedy a situation that finds Democrats
in control of the White House and both houses of Congress. Republicans
have a clear monopoly on the allegiance of white conservative Americans,
but the GOP's challenge is figuring out whether this is enough of a base
on which to build for the future. The alternative is for the GOP to
broaden its base to include more minorities and/or more whites who are
moderate or liberal in their ideological outlook -- groups now
predominantly loyal to the Democratic Party.

The current analysis is based on a sample of more than 26,000 interviews
Gallup conducted May 1-27, 2009. Each of the three major political
groupings -- those who identify themselves as Republicans, as Democrats,
and as independents -- was decomposed into five mutually exclusive and
exhaustive categories:

1.
Hispanics
2.
Non-Hispanic blacks
3.
Non-Hispanics who identity their race as something other than
white or black
4.
Non-Hispanic whites who identify themselves as conservative
5.
Non-Hispanic whites who identify their ideology as something other
than conservative -- including moderates, liberals, and those who don't
express an ideological preference

The results show clearly that the Republican Party today is first and
foremost a political entity dominated by white Americans. Eighty-nine
percent of rank-and-file Republicans are non-Hispanic whites, leaving
just 5% who are Hispanic (of any race), 2% who are black, and 4% of
other races.

Further, by well over a 2-to-1 ratio, whites who identify as Republicans
claim a conservative, rather than a moderate or liberal, ideology (or
have no opinion when asked about their ideology).

Democrats have a significantly more diverse party composition. Well over
a third (36%) of Democrats are nonwhite (Hispanic, or black or some
other race) and the 64% of Democrats who are white are strongly skewed
-- by more than a 4-to-1 ratio -- toward an ideological position that is
moderate or liberal rather than conservative.

Independents, as would be expected, are somewhere between Republicans
and Democrats in terms of their racial, ethnic, and ideological
composition. Twenty-seven percent of independents are Hispanic, or are
black or identify with another race, and, by about a 2-to-1 ratio, white
independents split toward the nonconservative ideological position.

Religiosity

A similar pattern is found when the three partisan groups are broken
down into segments based on race, ethnicity, and religious intensity
(among whites, as measured by church attendance).

About half of Republicans are non-Hispanic whites who are strongly
religious, defined as those who attend church about once a week or more
frequently. Forty percent of Republicans are whites who attend less
frequently.

Democrats, on the other hand, comprise only 20% highly religious whites,
with more than twice as many whites who attend church less frequently.
The pattern of church attendance among independents is similar to that
among Democrats, but independents have higher percentages of whites in
both the religious and the nonreligious categories.

Implications

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. Plus, numerous surveys conducted
by Gallup and other firms have shown that the GOP appears to be
suffering on a number of perceptual dimensions compared to the Democrats
(as measured by Gallup and by other recent surveys).

*****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. The Democratic Party, on the
other hand, has more than three times the percentage of nonwhites among
its identifiers as does the GOP. And white Democrats are much more
likely to be moderate or liberal than conservative, and are much more
likely to be infrequent church attenders rather than frequent church
attenders.*****

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.

----------

Glug, glug, glug is the noise you hear while the GOP goes down the drain
of demographics.



Whoops...forgot this part:

urvey Methods

Results are based on telephone interviews with 26,314 national adults,
aged 18 and older, conducted May 1-27, 2009, as part of Gallup Poll
Daily tracking. For results based on the total sample of national
adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of
sampling error is ±1 percentage points.

Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones (for
respondents with a land-line telephone) and cellular phones (for
respondents who are cell-phone only).

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical
difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the
findings of public opinion polls.


26,000+ adults...a huge sample.

On Jun 1, 12:28*pm, HK wrote:
HK wrote:
Republican Base Heavily White, Conservative, Religious
Democrats are more likely to be moderate or liberal, Hispanic, or black
or other races
by Frank Newport
The Gallup Poll

PRINCETON, NJ -- More than 6 in 10 Republicans today are white
conservatives, while most of the rest are whites with other ideological
leanings; only 11% of Republicans are Hispanics, or are blacks or
members of other races. By contrast, only 12% of Democrats are white
conservatives, while about half are white moderates or liberals and a
third are nonwhite.

These data reinforce the basic challenge facing the Republican Party
today as it ponders how best to remedy a situation that finds Democrats
in control of the White House and both houses of Congress. Republicans
have a clear monopoly on the allegiance of white conservative Americans,
but the GOP's challenge is figuring out whether this is enough of a base
on which to build for the future. The alternative is for the GOP to
broaden its base to include more minorities and/or more whites who are
moderate or liberal in their ideological outlook -- groups now
predominantly loyal to the Democratic Party.

The current analysis is based on a sample of more than 26,000 interviews
Gallup conducted May 1-27, 2009. Each of the three major political
groupings -- those who identify themselves as Republicans, as Democrats,
and as independents -- was decomposed into five mutually exclusive and
exhaustive categories:

* *1.
* * * Hispanics
* *2.
* * * Non-Hispanic blacks
* *3.
* * * Non-Hispanics who identity their race as something other than
white or black
* *4.
* * * Non-Hispanic whites who identify themselves as conservative
* *5.
* * * Non-Hispanic whites who identify their ideology as something other
than conservative -- including moderates, liberals, and those who don't
express an ideological preference

The results show clearly that the Republican Party today is first and
foremost a political entity dominated by white Americans. Eighty-nine
percent of rank-and-file Republicans are non-Hispanic whites, leaving
just 5% who are Hispanic (of any race), 2% who are black, and 4% of
other races.

Further, by well over a 2-to-1 ratio, whites who identify as Republicans
claim a conservative, rather than a moderate or liberal, ideology (or
have no opinion when asked about their ideology).

Democrats have a significantly more diverse party composition. Well over
a third (36%) of Democrats are nonwhite (Hispanic, or black or some
other race) and the 64% of Democrats who are white are strongly skewed
-- by more than a 4-to-1 ratio -- toward an ideological position that is
moderate or liberal rather than conservative.

Independents, as would be expected, are somewhere between Republicans
and Democrats in terms of their racial, ethnic, and ideological
composition. Twenty-seven percent of independents are Hispanic, or are
black or identify with another race, and, by about a 2-to-1 ratio, white
independents split toward the nonconservative ideological position.

Religiosity

A similar pattern is found when the three partisan groups are broken
down into segments based on race, ethnicity, and religious intensity
(among whites, as measured by church attendance).

About half of Republicans are non-Hispanic whites who are strongly
religious, defined as those who attend church about once a week or more
frequently. Forty percent of Republicans are whites who attend less
frequently.

Democrats, on the other hand, comprise only 20% highly religious whites,
with more than twice as many whites who attend church less frequently.
The pattern of church attendance among independents is similar to that
among Democrats, but independents have higher percentages of whites in
both the religious and the nonreligious categories.

Implications

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. Plus, numerous surveys conducted
by Gallup and other firms have shown that the GOP appears to be
suffering on a number of perceptual dimensions compared to the Democrats
(as measured by Gallup and by other recent surveys).

*****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. The Democratic Party, on the
other hand, has more than three times the percentage of nonwhites among
its identifiers as does the GOP. And white Democrats are much more
likely to be moderate or liberal than conservative, and are much more
likely to be infrequent church attenders rather than frequent church
attenders.*****

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.

----------

Glug, glug, glug is the noise you hear while the GOP goes down the drain
of demographics.

Whoops...forgot this part:

urvey Methods

Results are based on telephone interviews with 26,314 national adults,
aged 18 and older, conducted May 1-27, 2009, as part of Gallup Poll
Daily tracking. For results based on the total sample of national
adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of
sampling error is ±1 percentage points.

Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones (for
respondents with a land-line telephone) and cellular phones (for
respondents who are cell-phone only).

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical
difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the
findings of public opinion polls.

26,000+ adults...a huge sample.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

What's an "urvey"? Can't you even cut and paste correctly anymore?

What's an "urvey"?


An "urvey" is an Ivy League graduate who, because of a mistake made by
the college administration that inadvertently omits the graduate's
name from the alumni rolls. Known to cause great stress amoung all
uveys, but has been observed to be particularly devastating to Yale
graduates.

On Jun 1, 11:14*pm, GC Boater wrote:
What's an "urvey"?

An "urvey" is an Ivy League graduate who, because of a mistake made by
the college administration that inadvertently omits the graduate's
name from the alumni rolls. *Known to cause great stress amoung all
uveys, but has been observed to be particularly devastating to Yale
graduates.

Hmmmm, very interesting. I wonder if this devastation to Yale grads
would make them lie about every aspect of their lives?