Is America's Future Liberal?

Under-30s like government and other liberal stuff, says a new Pew study

Conservatives are doomed, claims left-friendly pundit Jonathan Chait. He's basing that claim on a Pew study of young voters, who are getting less white and less Republican all the time.

And those young, unwhite voters express liberal views broader than the stereotyped issue-focus that allegedly motivate the youth vote, a heady cocktail of Obama's cool factor and gay-marriage-friendliness.

In a nutshell, younger voters like government. "By a 59 percent to 37 percent margin, voters under 30 say the government should do more to solve problems," writes Chait. That's utterly different to voters over 30, of whom only 44% have the same faith in government.

Another pattern: in the general electorate, 35% call themselves conservative, and only 25% liberal. But in the under 30s, those trends are reversed.

Via Jonathan Chait, NYMag.

Posted Nov 29, 7am PST.

Do you think young Americans will continue to trend liberal?

[Hireman]

So the study proves the wisdom and maturity tend to come with age ...

[srs606791163]

Or that old people believe everything they here and are easily scared by people not like them like gays and muslims.

[Hireman]

@srs606791163 or the converse with the young believing self-serving politicians actually think about them.

[hybridlment]

Along with grey hair, wrinkles, decreased mental capacity and motor skills, cynicism and intolerance for change.

[Realthinker]

@Hireman You are right, they have not yet learned to watch what politicians do, versus what they say. The smart ones among them will learn, the not so smart will continue to believe the msm twenty years from now, still blaming the Republicans for the Dems. out of control spending.

[woodtick57]

@Realthinker

Didn't we double our national debt under the last republican president?

facts are fun!

[PNWest]

Yes - there is hope for the future. Society advances when liberalism prospers.

[DyingBreed]

Yep, advances right off a cliff.

[methinks]

Really? I believe the European economies that are failing show the reality of liberalism at work...and it ain't good.

A liberal utopian society is only a pipe dream...a dream from a hookah. The hippies from the 60's have come home to roost.

[PNWest]

@methinks Please name for me ANY country on this planet that is run by conservative principles that you would like to live in.

[PNWest]

@methinks Top 10 countries by highest quality of life:
Norway, Australia, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Canada, USA, South Korea.
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/worl... #
Seems to me to be an awful lot of those "socialist" countries above the USA. Every one of them has socialized medicine and higher taxes than the USA if I'm not mistaken.

[methinks]

@PNWest Hmmm. Germany and Ireland are both going into the shitter right now, along with Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. You can't maintain their easy lifestyle if more people are in the cart than pulling it, which is why the European economies are falling like dominoes.

[srs606791163]

Yes. I am almost 30 and I am as liberal as they come. It has to do with the access to information. We now have computers that keep us up to date with the corruption in Washington. Not only that but we younger people are not against any groups. Older people tend to lump groups of people together, while we look at the individual. I think it is an enlightenment. I think this is what the country needs to be saved.

[bizaroWorld]

It's bizarre how I see things exactly opposite. I find that it is the liberals who are obsessed with groups and race and class and divide people up accordingly. The entire Obama campaign came across to me as a divisive one. First he makes it clear that he sees distinctions between gays, and woman, and blacks, and Hispanics and then tells them that rich white guys are against them. How did you not see this?

[methinks]

Remember, corruption comes from BOTH sides of the aisle, deluded one.

I guess the "older people" from your party are the ones doing the lumping:

Rich v Poor
War on Women
Black v White v Hispanic v Asian.

This is what you get with multiculturalism; a gaggle of distinct groups vying for power, rather than a single group who assimilated in American culture, adding their own traditions to our own.(The Borg had it right all along!)

Someday, you'll realize that you liberal college professors were selling you a line of bull and you'll wake up and realize you were duped.

[srs606791163]

@bizaroWorld Because he never said rich white guys were out to get them. He is a rich black man. He is willing to pay more taxes. I think that you are looking at things through your filter, and that's fine. I mean Obama won, so suck it up.

[srs606791163]

@methinks I think you are wrong. They are a part of our culture now. You want to erase their individuality. Why is that important?

[bizaroWorld]

@srs606791163
Sorry friend, you're seeing through your filter. Whether Obama won or not, it doesn't matter as I don't hitch my identity to who is president. I also don't see my individuality as "white heterosexual." Anyone who classifies themselves by race or their sexual orientation must not have a lot lot going for them.

[Jean]

The liberal "trend" will continue until the working "conservatives" run out of money to pay to taxes to "fund" the freebies they feel the government "owes" them. Then it will be every man for himself. The other way this "trend" will end...is if God steps in and we have a catastrophic event and the "government" just can't handle it and the people as a whole witness that. one small example is the lady that they interviewed for the photo op at election with Obama still being without electricity when "government" was going to take care of that right away. the pendulum will eventually swing back only God knows when and how.

[Zazziness]

I'm confused. The conservatives definitely want it to be "every man for himself." It's what all their political screeds are about. So why would you not want that to happen?

[woodtick57]

th reason you have come to tis false conclusion is that you are starting from a false basic premise; that it is only conservatives that pay taxes and work hard, and that it is only liberals that are on welfare or gov''t assisstance of some kind.

[Jean]

@Zazziness
There is quite a difference in what you describe as every man for themselves. the Conservatives believe that you should see the benefit of your own hard work and not "take" from the work of others without working. the every man for himself I am speaking of ...is when the middle class working class can no longer can afford the "taxes" the government inflicts on them and in so doing...the funding of the "freebies" comes to an abrupt stop because there is no money. because the "loans" from other countries are called in. then the middle class will be in the same line as all of you who expect the freebies as we will have no other choice. there will be no jobs that the wealthy have always invested in and provided. we (the middle income conservatives) will no longer have to work either as there will be no job to go to in order to fund those "freebies". but at that time there will be no freebies.

[Jean]

@woodtick57

not true...it is coming from the stance that "liberals" and "youth" are not acknowledging that "government" can not run anything properly. you only need to look to how they raided funds from medicare and social security that were never to be raided and see the failing of those systems due to them "running" them. when the numbers on the "systems" outnumber the number of people working....it will fail.

it IS failing. we only need to look to other countries to understand the path we are on that the "liberals" and the "youth" are supporting did not work there? why would you ever dream in your wildest dream it will work here?

[Zazziness]

@Jean Who is this "You" you speak of, Jean. Please don't tell me you buy into the myth that only the Republicans are hard-working Americans. The wealthy don't provide jobs. That's another myth and exactly why "Trickle down" economics have gotten us to this point. The consumer is the job creator. That's Economics 101. The consumer creates jobs by creating a demand for goods and services. Business merely reacts to supply what they demand. Our biggest problem isn't politics - it's the consumer himself. As long as Americans keep spending all the dollars on goods manufactured overseas, we will continue to decline here. What's the "conservative" solution for that? So far it has seemed to suggest we should all spiral down and work in the same conditions and for the same slave wages that third-world countries impose.

[Ashstop]

Yes, most want the government to take care of them, don't care how much they have as long as their neighbor doesn't have more,

[MIDutch]

Only 4% of the USA's population have "the government take care of them" to the tune of around $7500 per year. In what dictionary is 4% defined as "most"? BTW, this information is EASILY found on the internet. As a matter of fact, I already provided you with this information on the Patriotic Millionaires thread. Is it that you didn't understand the link I provided or is it that you don't want to let facts sway your (incorrect) preconceived political notions?

http://www.statisticbrain.com/welfare-statist...

[Ashstop]

@MIDutch
There are more people on food stamps than the combined population of 22 States! You are probably referring to the 4 % that really need help and I agree those people need help

[MIDutch]

@Ashstop How many people and which states? Odd that you don't provide a link to information for this assertion.

[MIDutch]

@Ashstop Helping people with food stamps is NOT the same thing as "want[ing] the government to take care of them". BTW do you know what the income requirements for receiving food stamps is ($2500 gross per month/$2000 net per month for a family of 4) and how much the food stamps are worth ($133 per month)? I don't know about you, but I KNOW that my family could not survive on $2000 per month. Heck, my health insurance premium is close to $2000 per month all by itself. Further,$133 doesn't buy much food.

[Ashstop]

@MIDutch
Sorry, didnt realize I was suppose to provide a link, here is one of many, just the first one on google search , I was wrong, it's 24 states
http://m.townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/...
( I can send more links if you like?)

[jpforte]

No. There no future for any socialist country. Duh!

[woodtick57]

how then do you explain the many successful socialist countries with less debt than the US and healthier, better educated citizens?

[jpforte]

Name one. That matters. Not Canada, France, Greece Italy etc. the number one place on planet earth for education and health care is the US.

Canada is a sad place, I am a political refugee from there.

[woodtick57]

@jpforte

no, the US is not #1 in healthcare or in education.

facts are fun!

(how 'bout Norway, or Sweden or the Netherlands, Canada's economy is doing better than ours right now...)

[NormalFlora]

@woodtick57 Yes, and Swedes don't whine like turbines about paying enough in taxes to ensure health for all citizens!!

[MongoAPillager]

@woodtick57 because these countrys don,t have to support the rest of the world,most of them owe their very existence To the American taxpayer and military.we bankroll,rebuild,give grants,defend etc most of the free world,most of europe would be a tarpaper shack if we had not rebuilt it after ww2.baby sitting the world is an expensive and tiring jojust think how far ahead we would be if not for that

[Republican5001]

"Liberalism" will be the death of America. Other countries around the world forming new governments look at our system and say no thanks. All democrats want equal outcomes, or they wouldn't be trying to redistribute the wealthy's money through taxation. All republicans know your equal opportunity was from the first minute you were born in America it was on you to determine your outcome, not the governments.

[hybridlment]

I can't count the number of "Republicans" I've met who are on welfare, sitting on their front porch smoking all day and flying their Confederate flags lol.

[Republican5001]

@hybridlment everyone says that same thing about democrats where I am from. I tell them that's funny, because a republican, I make it my duty to not know a democrat personally. Not all democrats take entitlements, but all who take entitlements are democrat.

[hybridlment]

@Republican5001 Really?? You make it your duty to not know a democrat personally - an entire segment of society you avoid completely? And you truly believe that only democrats are welfare recipients?

[martydotcom]

@Republican5001 You're not doing too well selling your message. Losing the national popular vote election after election, I guess the majority isn't buying what the GOP is selling

[Zazziness]

@martydotcom It's hard to understand how that happens. I mean, the GOP fans wander the internet calling everyone who isn't a Republican a loser parasite who will be the downfall of all as we know it and yet it doesn't win them new fans.

[lovemycountry]

Yes...it's obvious when someone like Obama can be elected and then reelected after a horrible 1st showing. Morals are out the window and common sense is dying in this country. Our country is sliding down the path of no return and we have lost our greatness due to so many who expect something for nothing.

[woodtick57]

how are moral 'out the window'? we are far more moral of a country than when i was growing up...

[lovemycountry]

@woodtick57 Just my opinion as no one seems to "draw a line" in the sand...everything is OK these days. People having sex out of wedlock is now ok and common; the gay agenda is out of control meaning it's becoming "OK" now as well; tv shows are explicit w/ their language and content; music continues to slide in the same direction. The line between good and bad is fading. With this comes immoral behavior. It's as if every generation continues to push the limits but will we go too far. Being liberal is not bad but being too liberal w/o boundaries will kill this country. It's happening right before our eyes.

[woodtick57]

@lovemycountry

people having sex out of wedlock has been going on since day one.

how is treating all our citizens, including gay ones, equal not more moral? have you heard the phrase all men are created equal? It was all the rage at one time...

[lovemycountry]

@woodtick57 I see your point but what I'm saying is "it's no excuse". Just b/c people have been having sex out of wedlock forever is no excuse to promote and push it. What makes it so bad today is technology and the access. Certain things being reported in the news may not truly be anything new but the fact that such acts or news is basically ubiquitous due to technology makes it worse. I have a daughter and the Internet is a scary place.

Btw, I don't judge anyone who is gay or having sex out of wedlock. It's not my place. I simply don't support it and don't believe our society should support it as it does. I can't stand these groups that are ugly about such issues. However, it should not be promoted. Jesus was the most tolerant man on the face of the earth but he stood his ground on certain issues and we're fools to think we are above Him. Either follow God's rule or deal w/ the consequences. It's hard lesson for most of us. Trust me...I've made a mess of my life and have no place to judge anyone and won't. Just saying...;)

[woodtick57]

@lovemycountry

who ever said sex out of wedlock is bad in the first place?!?!

Sex is fun! and if it isn't , you need to get a new partner...

Actually, it seems you already have judged those things by using them as examples of the US being less moral. Hmmmm...

[martydotcom]

All one has to do is review the GOP's inability to win the national vote in past elections since Reagan era. If the conservatives couldn't win in a year with a real unemployment figure of 12% to 15% there is a problem. To lose seats in the HR and Senate in what should have been a slam dunk year there are a lot of people not buying the message the conservatives are selling.

[RobertJHarsh]

It's not that the conservatives are not buying the message, it's because there are far fewer conservatives now. Who would of thought that 55% of the country voted for Obama to maintain their welfare lifestyle and gimmedat benefits they rely on for a living? I'd never thought I would see a majority non-producer class in this country, but we do. That is what is the most shocking outcome of the election. It has nothing to do with old white men hating blacks and gays. The population of this country has decided they want a nanny-state with gimmedats and all the trimmings. How do the Republicans counter that? I would like someone to answer that because I cannot.

[RobertJHarsh]

Also, I can honestly see white conservatives basically stop voting in the next 10 years. Sooner or later you have to ask, "what's the point?".

[martydotcom]

@RobertJHarsh The answer your question is quite simple. Given that your basic premise is false you are typical of the right wing of the conservative party that believes as you do. Being the "base" of the party the extremist element, forces the candidate so far to the right during the primary process your candidates this year were just unacceptable to the vast majority of voters. You guys blew an election you "couldn't lose"
55% percent of the country who voted for Obama are not gemmedats.
What happened to the 47% now it's 55?? Statistically the red states are far lower income states than blue states. Did the red state gimmedats vote for Obama?
According to a Pew Research study based on polls conducted in 2012," Democrats are, indeed, slightly poorer than Republicans. 18 percent of Democrats make less than $20,000 per year compared to 11 percent of Republicans, although some of the difference might be attributable to age. But an overwhelming majority of self-identified Democrats and Republicans belong to the middle the class or higher, and the two parties generally resemble the broader profile of registered voters."
The majority of the voters rejected the GOP platform for starters. Including a Total ban on abortion, total rejection of the separation of church and state, tax favoritism to the wealthy and corporations, rejection of regulations free market will correct everything.
It's more about the national rejection of the conservative republican message on a national popular vote basis ever since the Reagan era that has caused the party to lose Part of it is your party's being comfortable using terms like gimmidats (a descriptive phase referring to AA's?? or is the " 'dat" the way all welfare recipient's speak?

[RobertJHarsh]

@martydotcom Ok...overall I can agree. The GOP did blow an election that should have won on the basic level that Obama screwed the economy more. However, I believe 55% is more realistic that 47% based on the Ohio numbers here. In fact, the gimmedat class here is closer to 60%. Scary I know. On your point that red states of course have gimmedat dwellers, they are fewer than blue states, far more restricted, and the unemployments rated are far lower than blue states on average. Now I knew that Ohio was going Obama. Ohio is a welfare trash state. Kasich & Co may have rigged the districts to be Republican, but that doesn't mean anything to the non-producers. Only central Ohio is growing and the rest of the cities are going under. The surprises are FL and VA. Why? Because of their more conservative values, lower unemployment numbers, and far greater restrictions on welfare gimmedats. The GOP is trying to figure out how to win those gimmedaters. They won't succeed because they completely conflict with the gimmedat class of voter. As for those claiming to be middle class? What is middle class. If you're making your living by being underemployed and welfare and pull in 45k a year...hey you're middle class! Also, the bulk of gimmedaters are white, but whenever the GOP does point out cutting the welfare rolls the Democrats immediately cry racist even though the majority of gimmedaters are white.

I honestly do not see a Republican party competing on the national level in 10-15 years. The GOP is going to die (or become niche) because even if they welcome all races and the gays with open arms, they simply cannot convince non-producing welfare freeloaders to vote for them. It just isn't going to happen. America IS a majority welfare state...today...right now at the near 50/50 area. The younger conservatives, like myself, are in the severe minority for my age group. Under 30 the numbers are even more skewed. In 20 years, it'll be 70/30 welfare. Do you see a Republican party even existing at those level of govt gimmedats? America is screwed, dude. Who will be the new opposition for the Dems? CPUSA?

[RobertJHarsh]

@martydotcom Here is an article that proves my point.

http://townhall.com/columnists/patbuchanan/20...

Is the GOP dead in the long run? Answer is: It is. Why would the anyone in the gimmedat class vote for a party the lowers the taxes they don't even pay in the first place? Or vote for the party that deregulates and promotes small businesses? They're not. Because the majority of this nation does NOT pay taxes and lives off of guvment gimmedats. It has nothing to do with race or gender, at the end of the day. And angry white women and gays are statistically insignificant as to be able to swing any national election in any direction.

As a result, the original article posted is correct, and ultimately proves my point. NOW the real question is what happens when there is only a Democrat Party. You've been around a lot longer than I have to know that single-party nations don't work very well.

[Thunderchicken]

Probably, till the system crashes.

[FollowTheMoney]

Once again, you've beat me to the punch. You posted my sentiments exactly.

[Penn1699]

Sooner or later people will wake up and come to their senses. The looming inevitability of a devestating terrorist attack in our country will force Americans out of their government sponsered coma. When you preach there are no terrorists, everyone loves us and open borders are great it's inevitable. Anarchy. Hopefully our military, our Constitution, our economy and our health as a nation won't be gutted at that point. I would love to look through rose colored glasses all day, every day and exist on kool-aid but that is not the reality of our world.

[martydotcom]

Hope you're all prepped to survive the impending doom

[Penn1699]

@martydotcom no, not prepped. Just aware that our elected leaders are not looking out for their sponsers best interests. I'm taking of both sides here. It's an invidious degradation of the American system of government that been going on for multiple decades. "Borrowing" from Social Security now has it teetering on insolvency is just one example.

[martydotcom]

@Penn1699 suggest reviewing this and/or the 100's of other articles on the subject
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/04/27/1086...

[Penn1699]

@martydotcom just read it. Interesting. Perhaps it can be tweaked. I just don't trust our officials to do what is necessary. .

[martydotcom]

@Penn1699 I think that there is universal agreement on that! We all lack trust in Congress's willingness to do anything for "we the people" unless their vote has been bought and paid for.

[jessejaymes]

There is a natural progression in politics for those who are reasonably intelligent. In Theory the liberals appeal to the young because in theory liberalism is good government. But as we age we realize that the term "liberal" is just a term and nothing more. That the so called liberals are not doing what they claim and simply lining their pockets and those of their puppet masters. So we become conservative. We gray and we don't high jump anymore and we realize that the word "conservative" is nothing more than what the Liberals were except they placate us with monuments and hate against those not GOP. And they line their pockets and those of their puppet masters. The rational among us one day wake up and look around and say Holy Cow this government is corrupt to the core on both sides. And we become Libertarians or Green party or some other party. We don't delude ourselves into believing the new party will take power or that they would be any different if they did. But we have some pride, some intelligence and some caring about out grand kids. So we leave both the Dems and GOP and we wonder just how bad does it have to get before the majority of voters stop blaming "the other party" and stop voting for either one of the corrupt to the core Dems or GOP?

[David944]

They will realize a socialist utopia is not attainable someday and blame Bush for it.

[RobertJHarsh]

America is so very screwed. Most of these under-30s are outright idiots and expect a living to be handed to them, via the government welfare nanny state. This is why Democrats are going to win more elections and by 2100, 20% of the producers will be supporting the 80% non-producer class. This article is the reason why China will win. China need not fire a single shot, we're bringing the nation now via these welfare and gimmedat programs.

[Keyjo]

Most of those under 30 are far more enlightened than you. They are the ones whohave been left with a bleak future because of the truce down greed introduced by Bonzo Reagan.

[hybridlment]

I live in a state that is hugely comprised of welfare recipients, most of whom are in their late 30s and 40s and it always votes red.

[RobertJHarsh]

@Keyjo I like to have dreams too, Keyjo. But the reality is these people WANT to be taken care of...the complete opposite of Reagan. I am teaching my kids to be self-realiant and not depend on govt or anyone else for anything. Of course my kids will become producers supporting your kids and everyone else's. Most of these under 30 people have no interest in becoming anything more than collecting a welfare check and have shiny trinkets from Apple. I look at these losers and know America is done for. It is sad the country that lead this planet for almost two centuries will die in my lifetime...and the world will look to Asia and the BRICS for the leadership. I guess the US Empire was nice when it lasted.

[Keyjo]

@RobertJHarsh
"These people!?"
Who are "these people?" Everyone under 30 who attends college? Everyone whose job was eliminated and shipped overseas by Bain Capital?
Everyone in the ghetto who'd like to go to college but simply can not afford to?
How about the father of 4 who works two jobs but still qualifies for assistance because the cost of living continues to supersede what greedy capitalists would have you believe is a fair and living wage?

[Jeff_Woehrle]

Youth has always trended liberal. That's not new. What IS new is that those who get from government now can outvote those who contribute to it.

Welcome to Greece, Baby! I've been saying this for years. We have arrived!

[Keyjo]

In order for America to survive and thrive, we Need to find a happy medium. We seem to have become a nation divided by liberal and conservative extremes.
A nation divided can not stand.

[MongoAPillager]

Is America's Future Liberal? inverse:: does America have a future if it continues Liberal?not likely

[DARSB]

Oh, I dunno. It was only because of the insanely liberal Founding Fathers that thirteen colonies were able to create a future for what was to become America.

[MongoAPillager]

@DARSB Wow,i can tell you ain,t waiting for pot to be legalized

[NormalFlora]

Yes, they will. Conservatives try to paint themselves as being "God's Chosen People." Young voters aren't likely to fall for that mythology.

[LGRepublican]

This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. People tend to be more "liberal" when younger anyways, but add in the indoctrination over the last 20 years that government is good and you should let government take care of you and this is the result. Most of us over 40 have the sense that if you didn't work you wouldn't have a pot to p*ss in or a window to throw it out of. That lifestyle was looked down upon and scorned. Now, the younger generations have seen family and friends make a pretty good living by not doing a damn thing. Living off government is not only a lifestyle, it's considered a career choice. I'm sure in their minds not having as much is a more than fair trade off for never having to do anything......

[Zazziness]

"Make a pretty good living" on the government dole? Please tell me you're kidding. Have you actually looked at what people get in welfare or with food stamps. To be jealous of that or call it "a pretty good living" is just insane.

[LGRepublican]

@Zazziness Let's see. Free healthcare, food stamps, housing "assistance", utility "assistance", free phones, etc. etc. Covers most of the basics the rest of us have TO WORK in order to have. When the basics are paid for by someone else, that lifestyle of not working and doing your "own thing" isn't all that bad. Some of us demand more of ourselves than having enough money to buy weed and the new World of Warcraft.....

[Zazziness]

@LGRepublican I think you need to examine how much those programs pay before you go getting all jealous of the poor.

[LGRepublican]

@Zazziness I have looked into it thanks to past debates. The fact is for doing NOTHING they make out pretty good. And please, don't confuse disgust for jealousy....

[Zazziness]

@LGRepublican You do sound jealous, though. You've built up this fantasy where people on the dole are living a great life but they are not. If you've looked up the figures, you know that food stamps, for instance, barely cover enough to get by on. They certainly don't provide a luxurious diet. Not at all. As for public housing? Have you ever been to a public housing project? Would *you* want to live in one?(I'll bet you wouldn't.) Why would you think anyone lives there unless they feel they have no other options?

[Bobolinsky]

When you're dancing with the devil you're likely in hell and "You know you got to go through hell before you get to heaven."

http://www.metrolyrics.com/jet-airliner-lyric...