Taegan Goddard's Political Wire

August 09, 2005

Cultural Issues are Biggest Obstacle

According to Democracy Corps focus groups, the biggest problem for Democrats "is not Republican popularity -- indeed, most voters in these groups were tremendously upset over the current direction of the country and saw little difference between Democrats and Republicans in Washington."

The dissatisfaction with Republican leadership is overwhelmed by "the introduction of cultural themes -- specifically gay marriage, abortion, the importance of the traditional family unit, and the role of religion in public life -- which quickly renders [Democrats] almost irrelevant in terms of electoral politics at the national level."

"Particularly among non-college voters, cultural issues not only superceded other priorities, they served as a proxy for many voters on those other issues."

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Taegan D. Goddard is the creator of Political Wire, a political column updated around the clock with the most interesting news, buzz and commentary.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and Christian Science Monitor.

This is a personal site and does not necessarily reflect the views of any company, political campaign or advocacy group.

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