US politics has changed dramatically, even if some politicians & pundits don\’t realize it. Old labels like \”left\”, \”right\” & \”center\” are meaningless. Ideas once viewed as \”progressive\” & sometimes derided by the GOP as \”radical\” are actually the view of a New American Majority.
Just look at the data. In area after area-guns, higher taxes on the rich, the climate crisis, healthcare for all, a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, higher pay for teachers, student debt forgiveness or even gov\’t spending-big majorities support progressive views.
Here\’s a sampling:
- A Reuters/Ipsos 2019 poll showed 69% of Americans want \”strong or moderate restrictions on guns\” with nearly 9 in 10 wanting to expand background checks and two-thirds wanting to ban assault weapons.
- According to a Politico/Morning Consult 2019 poll 76% of Americans want higher taxes on the wealthiest and more than six in 10 favor a wealth tax like that proposed by @ewarren. Even a Fox poll showed 70% of Americans supporting higher taxes on those earning more than $10 MM.
- On climate a poll late last year from Yale and George Mason U. showed 70 percent of Americans believe global warming is happening. Two thirds of all Americans according to an NBC/WSJ poll believe it is a serious problem needing more action (up 15 percent since 1999).
- These climate findings remain steady across all regional/ethnic groups. And while 71% of Dems see it as a serious problem needing more action (up 42% since \’99) nearly half of all independents also do (up 22% since \’99.) (FYI, 71% of us wanted US to remain in Paris Accord.)
- As of last year 70% of Americans support Medicare-for-all. That\’s 85% of Dems but also 51% of the GOP and only 20% of Americans oppose the idea. According to a Kaiser poll, 71% support a guarantee of healthcare for all Americans & 67% support a plan eliminating premiums.
- According to Gallup more than 6 in 10 Americans consider healthcare a government responsibility.
- 81% of Americans want a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants according to a recent Gallup study.
- Even a 2017 Fox poll showed nearly 8 in 10 respondents supporting citizenship for Dreamers and 83% supported a pathway to citizenship.
- On education, a 2019 Morning Consult poll showed 6 in 10 registered voters supported @ewarren\’s student debt forgiveness plan. And an Education Next poll late last year showed two-thirds of Americans favoring higher teacher wages as @KamalaHarris has done.
- Half of all Americans polled would pay higher taxes to give teachers higher pay.
- Support for student loan forgiveness included majority support among people who never had loans and among those who have paid off their loans.
- And for those who are concerned about spending levels, a Pew study this March showed that majorities (often v. substantial ones) favored increasing spending on education, veterans benefits, infrastructure, medicare, environmental protection, healthcare & scientific research.
- In fact opposition to increased spending in these areas was very weak with the biggest anti-increase groups clocking in at 17% opposed to increased healthcare spending and 14% against increased spending on the environment and scientific research.
In other words the so-called \”center,\” as defined by where the bulk of Americans find themselves–has shifted. The New American Majority is much more progressive than the centrist policies of the past and completely disconnected from GOP obstructionism and extremism.
The reason that @KamalaHarris and @ewarren have started to resonate among voters is that they are the best at articulating the new agenda supported by this new majority. They\’re not extreme in any way. To the contrary, they are doing what good politicians must–they\’re listening.
They know that it is not compromise with a right that has no agenda except litmus test issues and scorched earth defenses for the agenda of the 1% and corporate interests that will win in 2020–it is listening to where the bulk of Americans are, Americans from both parties.
Also, attention pundits, this is the agenda that wins independents, not caving to the DC establishment to protect policies that have been proven to foster inequality for 40 years now. Follow the numbers. They will lead you to the winners in November 2020.
(Of course this all builds on the points I made in my @thedailybeast column over the weekend. Which you can find here.
