Polls Say What?

Eric Alterman declares victory for liberals:

"Liberals and progressives, however, are in the opposite position. Obama has proven an inspirational messenger, speaking to and for a public eager to embrace the kind of politics that has been demonized and trivialized for the past eight years by mainstream media desperate to deflect the right's accusations of "liberal bias." According to the Pew Center's extensive national survey, released well before this endless election got under way, roughly 70 percent of respondents believe that the government has a responsibility "to take care of people who can't take care of themselves." Two-thirds (66 percent)--including most of those who say they would prefer a smaller government (57 percent)--support government-funded health insurance for all citizens. Most also regard the nation's corporations as too powerful, while nearly two-thirds (65 percent) say corporate profits are too high--about the same number who say "labor unions are necessary to protect the working person" (68 percent). When it comes to the environment, a large majority (83 percent) back stricter laws and regulations, while 69 percent agree "we should put more emphasis on fuel conservation than on developing new oil supplies" and 60 percent say they would "be willing to pay higher prices in order to protect the environment."

How does this square with David Boaz's polling figures?

"Fifty-nine percent of voters call themselves “fiscally conservative and socially liberal"

Well, I tend to agree with everything listed by Alterman. So, when questions are this general, they don't determine actual policy proposals. I don't talk about polls at all, largely for this reason. They don't address policies or argue policies. They're often Rohrshach tests for political biases.