Here's a different story on the same Pew poll, minus the Moonie Times slant. Your main problem, Cummings, is that you rely too much on the Moonie Times and Newsmax.com. You can get away with such tactics on this board, but they won't fly in real life.
Poll: Democrats Want Louder Leaders
Wednesday May 22, 2002 9:20 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats are less enthusiastic about their party's leadership than Republicans are about theirs, a new poll says. One-third of Democrats say their leaders are not speaking out enough about the policies of President Bush.
``At minimum, it's a communication deficit for the Democrats,'' said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. ``Their own constituents don't feel they're standing up for their core principles as much as the other party does.''
Kohut acknowledged the Republicans have an advantage because much of the public focus is on national defense and fighting terrorism, areas where the GOP has an edge.
Four in five Republicans approve of their party leaders' job performance, while almost two-thirds of Democrats approve of their own, according to a Pew poll out Wednesday. Half of Democrats think their party leaders are speaking out enough on Bush administration policies, while a third think they aren't speaking out enough. The Pew poll of 1,002 adults taken from May 6-16 has an error margin of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Independents have a more mixed view of the stance Democratic leaders have taken toward the administration, with one in five wanting them to speak out more and about the same number wanting them to say less.
Several leading Democrats have questioned the wisdom of President Bush's tax cut and routinely differ with him on domestic matters such as spending, health care and the environment. They've recently started speaking out on handling of issues like foreign affairs and the war on terrorism.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., says the Democrats' will work to broaden the definition of homeland security and will raise questions when necessary about the war on terrorism.
``We need to find out what breakdowns happened before Sept. 11, so we can make sure they never happen again,'' Daschle said Wednesday at the National Press Club. ``If that requires questions, we'll ask them.''
Republican spokesman Jim Dyke said the GOP leadership is getting high marks because they are passing measures through Congress, while Democrats' most visible role is blocking action.
The congressional matchup is generally even in the latest Ipsos-Reid poll done for the Cook Political Report, even as the percentage of people who said they would definitely vote to re-elect the president has dropped below half since January.
On the question of who they would prefer to see in control of Congress, Democrats led in the Northeast, while Republicans had the advantage in the South and Midwest. The West was extremely competitive.
Democratic pollster Mark Penn told others in his party this week they need to tailor a message that will appeal to men, especially upscale suburban men - generally husbands of the ``soccer moms'' who were targeted so effectively by Democrats in the late 1990s. Penn said a forward-thinking economic message focused on ``growth and opportunity'' would appeal to this moderate group of men, many of them independents, he describes as ``office park dads.''
GOP pollster Matthew Dowd said Democrats' problems attracting support from white men have grown over the years, especially among young men.
``They have a significant problem with white males,'' Dowd said. ``That's what created their gender gap.''
guardian.co.uk |
