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Zogby: GOP Faces Extinction Risk
Saturday, July 25, 2009 10:48 AM
By: Jim Meyers
Pollster John Zogby tells Newsmax that the Republican Party could be "teetering on the brink" of extinction as it fails to appeal to the fastest-growing demographic groups in America.
He also said the GOP is not taking advantage of Democratic setbacks because it has not put forth alternative policies of its own.
Zogby is CEO of Zogby International, a market research and opinion polling firm he founded in 1984. See Newsmax.TV's interview with John Zogby - Click Here Now http://video.newsmax.com/?bcpid=20972460001&bclid=22770166001&bctid=30214326001
He wrote an op-ed piece for the July edition of Campaign and Elections' Politics magazine, headlined "An Endangered Party?" The article asked whether the GOP will go the way of the Federalist Party and eventually disappear as a viable national party.
Newsmax.TV's Ashley Martella asked Zogby whether the Republican Party could become extinct.
"Let's face it, it could be teetering on the brink," he declared.
"There's been maybe a bit of a resurgence since I wrote what I wrote a few weeks back. However, there still is a lack of a program in a time of change. I'm not sure the Republicans are addressing change."
Zogby also observed in his article that Republicans are "swimming against the tide of demography."
He told Newsmax: "That's very true, and that's got to be a cause for concern. Look at the fastest-growing groups in the electorate. Those groups are Latinos, African-Americans — even though the numbers of African-Americans are not growing, the number who are voting is certainly growing — young people 18 to 29, and what we call the creative class, people who work in the world of ideas."
These are college-educated professionals such as software engineers, graphic designers, attorneys, and workers in the healthcare technology field. They make up 20 percent of the workforce, Zogby said, and "make up critical parts of the population in states like North Carolina, Florida, New Mexico, and so on.
"Republicans are not appealing to those groups, and yet those groups are on the upswing."
Martella noted that the United States is still said to be a center-right nation, and polls have been showing that Americans increasingly believe President Barack Obama is a liberal. "Could that pave the way for a possible Republican resurgence?" he asked.
"The premise of your question is true," Zogby responded.
"About 40 percent of the electorate does in fact consider themselves to be conservatives; 20 percent or 22 percent [consider themselves] liberals. It's that big middle that's a concern.
"And for conservatives, there have been some that have been turned off over the [George W.] Bush years, for a variety of reasons.
"But the issue is, winning the middle. It's still a long way to go from 40 percent to 51 percent, and that's a difficulty.
"Republicans certainly score points by being critical of Obama, by raising questions about spending. But for now, there is no pro-active program. There's just putting up a hand as a stop sign and saying halt."
Martella asked whether Obama's declining approval ratings could be good news for Republicans.
"It certainly could be for the GOP," he said.
"I have the president at about 50 percent . . . Good news, but always think of the horizon — what's the next act for the Republicans? And is this a factor of just saying no to a change program, putting up the yellow light for caution, or is this a response to a Republican conservative agenda? Right now I don't think it's a response to a Republican conservative agenda."
Martella pointed out that the cap-and-trade program to curb carbon emissions and the major healthcare overhaul both appear to be stalled, and asked if that too could be good for Republicans.
"Potentially it could be, so long as there is an alternative," Zogby said.
"But where is the alternative energy policy, the alternative environmental policy? Remember that centrist voters, including young Christian conservatives, are very concerned about the environment and global warming. Where's the pro-active agenda? Same thing with healthcare."
Zogby said that, if these two programs had been presented in isolation, without other spending programs, they would have a much better chance of surviving. But after the stimulus package, TARP, corporate bailouts and the like, and with Americans not seeing progress just yet, "American voters are sacrificed out.
"That kind of gives pause to the additional reforms. But I think the sentiment for reforms is still there."
See Newsmax.TV's interview with John Zogby - Click Here Now:
Zogby: GOP Faces Extinction Risk
Saturday, July 25, 2009 10:48 AM
By: Jim Meyers
Pollster John Zogby tells Newsmax that the Republican Party could be "teetering on the brink" of extinction as it fails to appeal to the fastest-growing demographic groups in America.
He also said the GOP is not taking advantage of Democratic setbacks because it has not put forth alternative policies of its own.
Zogby is CEO of Zogby International, a market research and opinion polling firm he founded in 1984. See Newsmax.TV's interview with John Zogby - Click Here Now http://video.newsmax.com/?bcpid=20972460001&bclid=22770166001&bctid=30214326001
He wrote an op-ed piece for the July edition of Campaign and Elections' Politics magazine, headlined "An Endangered Party?" The article asked whether the GOP will go the way of the Federalist Party and eventually disappear as a viable national party.
Newsmax.TV's Ashley Martella asked Zogby whether the Republican Party could become extinct.
"Let's face it, it could be teetering on the brink," he declared.
"There's been maybe a bit of a resurgence since I wrote what I wrote a few weeks back. However, there still is a lack of a program in a time of change. I'm not sure the Republicans are addressing change."
Zogby also observed in his article that Republicans are "swimming against the tide of demography."
He told Newsmax: "That's very true, and that's got to be a cause for concern. Look at the fastest-growing groups in the electorate. Those groups are Latinos, African-Americans — even though the numbers of African-Americans are not growing, the number who are voting is certainly growing — young people 18 to 29, and what we call the creative class, people who work in the world of ideas."
These are college-educated professionals such as software engineers, graphic designers, attorneys, and workers in the healthcare technology field. They make up 20 percent of the workforce, Zogby said, and "make up critical parts of the population in states like North Carolina, Florida, New Mexico, and so on.
"Republicans are not appealing to those groups, and yet those groups are on the upswing."
Martella noted that the United States is still said to be a center-right nation, and polls have been showing that Americans increasingly believe President Barack Obama is a liberal. "Could that pave the way for a possible Republican resurgence?" he asked.
"The premise of your question is true," Zogby responded.
"About 40 percent of the electorate does in fact consider themselves to be conservatives; 20 percent or 22 percent [consider themselves] liberals. It's that big middle that's a concern.
"And for conservatives, there have been some that have been turned off over the [George W.] Bush years, for a variety of reasons.
"But the issue is, winning the middle. It's still a long way to go from 40 percent to 51 percent, and that's a difficulty.
"Republicans certainly score points by being critical of Obama, by raising questions about spending. But for now, there is no pro-active program. There's just putting up a hand as a stop sign and saying halt."
Martella asked whether Obama's declining approval ratings could be good news for Republicans.
"It certainly could be for the GOP," he said.
"I have the president at about 50 percent . . . Good news, but always think of the horizon — what's the next act for the Republicans? And is this a factor of just saying no to a change program, putting up the yellow light for caution, or is this a response to a Republican conservative agenda? Right now I don't think it's a response to a Republican conservative agenda."
Martella pointed out that the cap-and-trade program to curb carbon emissions and the major healthcare overhaul both appear to be stalled, and asked if that too could be good for Republicans.
"Potentially it could be, so long as there is an alternative," Zogby said.
"But where is the alternative energy policy, the alternative environmental policy? Remember that centrist voters, including young Christian conservatives, are very concerned about the environment and global warming. Where's the pro-active agenda? Same thing with healthcare."
Zogby said that, if these two programs had been presented in isolation, without other spending programs, they would have a much better chance of surviving. But after the stimulus package, TARP, corporate bailouts and the like, and with Americans not seeing progress just yet, "American voters are sacrificed out.
"That kind of gives pause to the additional reforms. But I think the sentiment for reforms is still there."
See Newsmax.TV's interview with John Zogby - Click Here Now:
http://video.newsmax.com/?bcpid=20972460001&bclid=22770166001&bctid=30214326001
© 2009 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
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