Chrkeller said:
the-pi-guy said:
Most people do want these things depending on how they're asked. What the exact question that gets asked is important. If you ask if Americans want more gun restrictions for mentally ill people, the vast majority of Americans support that restriction. If you ask for universal background checks, the vast majority of Americans (Republicans and Democrats, both above 70%) support that. If you start asking about blanket gun bans, then you start getting a lot more pushback against that, especially amongst Republicans. Gallup polling Vox polling on Republicans and Democrats It's a similar trend with healthcare. It depends on what question you actually ask. If you ask about a single payer system, there's a lot more pushback for that. If you ask if there should be a medicare/medicaid option available for everyone, there's substantially more support for that. A bigger issue at hand is that when you bring up something like "gun restrictions", people tend to assume that means the absolute most disagreeable thing it could possibly mean. Chrkeller said:
Being born and raised here. Knowing how my friends and family vote. Oh and I am a registered democrat and vote as such. I'm just telling the truth, which upsets people. The core beliefs of the average american isn't what people think it is. This is especially true in the mid-west and south. Personally I think Republicans pick up sets this November... if the average american believed what people think they do.... republicans would get decimated at the polls... fact is, Republicans are not and are doing quite well over the last decade. |
No one here is upset by the truth. But these things are more complicated than you're talking about. A major issue at hand here is that there is a big difference between what most Americans think Republicans and Democrats are, and what the reality actually is.
Republican voters tend to be more moderate than Republican politicians.
Now, a new study finds that members of Congress also believe that they represent staunchly conservative electorates that do not actually exist. If you actually ask people about their positions, a lot of times they have positions that are very in line with a typical Democratic politician, and yet they vote Republican. And then they start talking about Democrats, and they have very extreme views on where they think Democrats are. There is a big perception difference between where the typical Democratic and Republican politician is, and where their voters think they are. Republicans think Republican politicians are less extreme than they really are, and they think Democrats are much more extreme than they really are. |
As somebody who does statistics for a living, polls are questionable. |
That is true, but it is still the most accurate method that exists, and lightyears more indicative than citing your own personal experiences.
Poll after poll shows that universal healthcare is something most people in the US wants.
And that really says something when the GOP and right wing media spread misinformation about it every single day, fearmongering people into thinking USA will become socialist, Venezuela, communist, etc.
Every single developed capitalist nation on the planet has universal healthcare.
Because of that, it's very difficult to convince the majority of Americans that this is not normal or a bad idea.
Regarding working conditions. USA is also the only developed nation to not have guaranteed paid vacation. I imagine most ppl want that instead of their taxes going to bombs, etc. Though I haven't checked any polls on that.
Chrkeller said:
If people were anti gun, pro free college, universal healthcare, etc.... elections results would be a lot different. |
Not neccesarily, because elections are not about just one issue. If it said "Universal healthcare: Yes or No?" on the ballot, then maybe. But elected officials represent many different political issues.
There's also gerrymandering and electoral votes (instead of popular vote) to consider. So even if someone/something gets the most votes, it doesn't neccesarily win in the US.
But lets say the Democrats get the majority of votes. Now you have more obstacles passing these bills through the house/senate.
Because again, it's not about who gets the most votes, but now it has to get two-thirds of the vote or get filibuster'd, etc.
And now people who voted for these politicians to make these changes see that nothing happened, and lose their trust in them (even though it was the Republicans who blocked the vote) because most voters don't fully understand how it all works.
