NEWS AND OPINION:
Pay attention: The number of Democrats who identify as politically liberal has reached a new high, says a Gallup poll.
“After hovering near 50% in recent years, the percentage of Democrats who identify as politically liberal rose four percentage points in 2022 to 54%, a new high for this group. At the same time, the 10% describing themselves as conservative is the lowest to date. Thirty-six percent say their views are moderate, which is typical of the level recorded for Democrats over the past decade,” wrote Lydia Saad, a Gallup analyst.
“Longer term, Democrats have been growing more liberal since at least the mid-1990s when Gallup regularly began tracking party groups’ ideological views. The percentage identifying as liberal was 25% in 1994; it rose to 40% by 2010 and 50% by 2017,” she said.
Ms. Saad cited the responses of 10,736 U.S. adults as revealed in the combined data from 11 separate Gallup polls conducted in 2022 between January and December. Results are based on responses from 2,943 Democrats, 3,296 Republicans and 4,307 independents.
DESANTIS/SANDERS 2024?
Does a certain governor have an eye on the presidential election in 2024?
“Let’s look ahead to 2024. Your bio on our official page as governor describes you as a, quote, trusted confidant of former President Trump. Have you talked to him about his ‘24 run? Will you endorse him?” Fox News anchor Shannon Bream asked Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Sunday.
“My focus has been on 2022, winning the election in November, preparing through transition and getting ready to take office,” the governor replied.
“I love President Trump. I have a great relationship with him. I know our country will be infinitely better off if he was in office right now instead of Joe Biden,” she said.
“But, right now, my focus isn’t 2024, it’s focusing here, in Arkansas, in doing what we can to empower the people of this state, and make sure that I’m delivering on the promises that I laid out over the course of the last two years,” the governor said.
Ms. Bream, however, cited a New York Times report which suggested Mrs. Sanders was “auditioning for vice president” in a possible “Trump-Sanders ‘24” match up, or even a ticket led by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“The only thing that our team, and that I am focused on, is delivering on what we laid out to do,” Mrs. Sanders replied.
She served as the White House press secretary from 2017 to 2019, and is the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who ran for president in 2008 and 2016.
MLK DAY, OFFICIALLY
On Nov. 2, 1983, then-President Ronald Reagan signed a bill designating a federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr., to be observed on the third Monday of January.
“The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. We commemorate as well the timeless values he taught us through his example — the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s character and empowered his leadership. On this holiday, we commemorate the universal, unconditional love, forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit,” advises GovInfo.gov — a service of the United States Government Publishing Office.
“Dr. King imagined a different future for America — an America he called the ‘Beloved Community.’ Building the Beloved Community required a key shift in human understanding. It meant looking beyond external differences to see the union of all humankind. It also meant finding a way to deal with our grievances without animosity, in a way that recognized the interconnectedness of all humanity and allowed us to move forward together,” advises a 2023 White House proclamation.
“On this day of commemoration, service, and action, let us hold up a mirror to America and ask ourselves: What kind of country do we want to be?” the proclamation asked.
Meanwhile, 69% of U.S. adults think that King’s “I have a Dream Speech” given in 1963 is “still relevant today,” according to an Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 8-10.
MEANWHILE IN SWITZERLAND
Former Vice President Al Gore is a member of the board of trustees for the 53rd annual World Economic Forum, set to begin Monday in Davos, Switzerland, and centered on the theme “Cooperation in a Fragmented World.
Among other things, the forum will introduce the concept of a “Global Cooperation Village” — described as “a presence in the metaverse to strengthen global cooperation.”
Lest we forget, Mr. Gore won a Nobel Peace Prize for his climate activism and is described as an “agenda contributor” for the event, which will host 2,658 attendees.
“The world today is at a critical inflection point. The twin triggers of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine rattled an already brittle global system. Economic growth in the world’s largest economies is stalling, while navigating headwinds from rising food and energy prices. For the first time since the 1970s, the world is facing a precarious disequilibrium with growth and inflation moving in opposite directions,” the host organization said in a statement.
It predicts the planet could be heading for a “decade of uncertainty and fragility” — but vows to “reaffirm the value and imperative of dialogue and public-private cooperation” and to “drive tangible, system-positive change for the long term.”
Curious? Follow the event at WeForum.org.
POLL DU JOUR
• 44% of U.S. adults say they “never” have worn a face mask outside their home in the past seven days; 61% of Republicans, 44% of independents and 30% of Democrats agree.
• 26% say they have worn a face mask “some of the time” outside their home; 22% of Republicans, 26% of independents and 29% of Democrats agree.
• 15% say they wear a mask “most of the time”; 8% of Republicans, 16% of independents and 21% of Democrats agree.
• 15% say they “always” wear a mask; 9% of Republicans, 14% of independents and 21% of Democrats agree.
SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 8-10.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
Source:Washington Times
