On the surface, the new Gallup poll is a little disturbing.
Thus far in 2009, 40% of Americans interviewed in national Gallup Poll surveys describe their political views as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal. This represents a slight increase for conservatism in the U.S. since 2008, returning it to a level last seen in 2004.
My first reaction was, of course: WTF?! Don't these people realize that conservatism has totally screwed us? After everything we've seen in the last eight years, don't they realize that it's failed miserably?
But then I recalled that, when questioned issue by issue, Americans are actually more liberal and center-left than conservative and the word "liberal" continues to carry a stigma after 40 years of active demonizing of the word, aided by spineless congressional Democrats. The conservative pollster Rasmussen reported that, on social issues, Americans are vastly more moderate and liberal than conservative.
Regardless of the large polling sample, presenting the ideological labels without defining the general meaning of each is bound to be misleading. Does Gallup mean socially conservative? Fiscally conservative? Christian conservative? Neo-conservative? A mixture of all?
I put this poll in the same category as that abortion poll from a few weeks ago. What is "pro-life"? What is "pro-choice"? Can one be pro-life and pro-choice and anti-abortion (yes)?
Polls in which people are asked about vague generalizations tend to be, you know, vague.
Adding... Digby and Ed Kilgore weigh in here.