Portland Oregonian columnist Elizabeth Hovde writes today about rising skepticism of Obama’s lurch to the left. She extensively quotes yesterday’s Libertarian Party press release on polling showing political independents aren’t buying into Obama’s Big Government rhetoric.
The Oregonian is the largest newspaper in the Pacific Northwest. Hovde, a Sunday columnist, worked for a decade as an editorial writer and columnist for The (Vancouver) Columbian and is the winner of several Society of Professional Journalists awards.
Hovde writes, in part:
A press release from the nation’s third-largest political party today says that independents reject Obama’s "promises of prosperity through big government."
The release adds, "Despite a deep financial crisis and the election of a left-wing president, political independents still see ‘big government’ as a greater threat than ‘big business’ by an unchanged two-to-one margin."
The release quotes (Donny) Ferguson, Libertarian National Committee Communications Director, saying that political independents "still believe the same Big Government that Obama promises as our global salvation will be America’s undoing," and adds, "Obama and the Republicans have us spiraling towards national bankruptcy."
The fuel for the Libertarian Party’s fire is a Rasmussen Reports poll that shows 59 percent of politically independent Americans view big government as the greatest threat to the country, which is similar to the 60 percent of independents who said the same thing in 2006, before the financial crisis and before Obama’s election.
Also in the study: Democrats in 2006 feared "big government" more than "big business" by a 55 percent to 32 percent margin. "Following in lockstep with Obama," the Libertarian Party writes, "they have flipped their views. Now, Democrats fear job creators more than government by a 52 percent to 32 percent margin."
As for Republicans, the Libertarian Party says, "Opposition to ‘big government’ grew among grassroots Republicans, though their party leadership doesn’t seem to share that view, based on their ‘alternative budget.’ In 2006, Republicans feared ‘big government’ more than ‘big business’ by a 68 percent to 18 percent margin. That grew in 2009 to 80 percent to 10 percent."
Hovde offers a link to the Libertarian Party website. You may read her column online here. If it’s offered in your area, pick up a copy of The Oregonian.
