FEATURED CONTENT | strategy and research | May 5, 2008
A new survey of young voters, the first in a series of “Youth for the Win” projects, confirms that this emerging group is deeply engaged in the 2008 election. The report, released in cooperation with Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, finds that not only will young people vote in record numbers this year — 54 percent say their likelihood of voting is a 10 on a 10-point scale — but that the Internet plays a critical role in both how they get their information, and how they participate in the campaign.
Tbilisi, Georgia, May 5, 2008 - A survey of Georgian voters, which fielded April 14-20, shows the… Read more»
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A new survey of young voters, the first in a series of “Youth for the Win” projects, confirms that this emerging group is deeply engaged in the 2008 election. The report, released in cooperation with Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, finds that not only will young people vote in record numbers this year — 54 percent say their likelihood of voting is a 10 on a 10-point scale — but that the Internet plays a critical role in both how they get their information, and how they participate in the campaign.
A new Democracy Corps survey shows that to capture voters’ support on economic issues as they have on health care, Democrats should pursue a strategy that begins with cleaning out the corporate special interests from Washington, and returns focus to the squeezed and disappearing middle class. Focusing on policies that address rising costs and outsourced jobs as the central economic problems, and offering tax cuts as a “for whom” proposition rather than a “for-or-against” will demostrate a an openness to break with convention and gridlock and get things done for the country.
A new national survey from Democracy Corps highlights seven imperatives for Democrats in the ongoing national security debate. To win the battle, the analysis shows they must go on the offense on national security, show Senator McCain’s policies to be a continuation of the failed Bush policies, and stress Iraq and America’s dependence on foreign oil.
View More Focus Groups
Recent focus groups conducted by Democracy Corps around the country reveal an environment of serious economic doubts with major political implications. Swing voters in the battleground — Orlando, Fla. and Columbus, Oh. — are scared about making ends meet, worried about the housing crisis, and see increasing income inequality putting a painful squeeze on a declining middle class. As the 2008 election approaches, the candidates and party that offer a real break from the Bush economic agenda will be speaking directly to what drives the desire for change in our country.
In this Democracy Corps focus group analysis, Karl Agne discusses the pessimism driving today’s political environment, voters’ intense opposition to the Iraq war, reactions to some of the latest political advertising hitting the airwaves, and attitudes toward the new Congress and the political parties.
Democracy Corps’ first wave of focus groups since the historic election of 2006 suggests that Democrats have several opportunities to solidify their gains with swing voters, and expand their support as they define themselves in the new Congress. These focus groups were conducted the day before and the day after President Bush’s national address on the Iraq war, and were heavily devoted to understanding attitudes about the war and reaction to the President’s initiative. We also explored voters’ takeaways from the 2006 election and their priorities for the new Congress.
View More Reports on Public Polls
After nearly a year of remarkably consistent numbers in key metrics of the country’s political environment, we are seeing significant movement as rapidly deteriorating attitudes toward the economy drive ratings of the country’s direction, consumer confidence, and President Bush’s job approval marks to new lows. Approval of Congress has also fallen, but the anger is not directed at the “Democratic Congress” which has seen a decline in its negatives this year - in fact, the country’s profound change dynamic has resulted in the massive Democratic advantage in the generic congressional ballot growing even larger in March.
Despite recent coverage of shifting attitudes toward the war in Iraq and the Democratic Congress, the latest public polls show the country’s political environment remains fundamentally unchanged, with President Bush and Republicans in Congress still deeply unpopular and Democrats maintaining a significant electoral advantage at the congressional level one year before the next election. Broad disapproval of Congress as an institution reflects the massive change dynamic still driving the electorate and is not directed at the new Democratic leadership.
Three new surveys released immediately prior to the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the progress reports of Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker show that the country’s political environment remains essentially unchanged - bad news for the White House and congressional Republicans. Most important to the current moment, attitudes on Iraq are unmoved and voters indicate little receptivity to reports of progress from Petraeus and the Bush administration. The wealth of data on Iraq in these new polls reveals a great deal about public attitudes on Iraq and how inflexible they are. Key findings include a clear sense that the surge is not working, skepticism of the Petraeus report, unwavering support for withdrawal and a clear deadline, and a clear belief that the war in Iraq is not making us safer.
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