Identifying the real views and values of a politician is never easy. Voter perceptions may not reflect the reality of a politician’s views and changing events may alter a politician’s previously held views. Voters who judge a politician’s views as extreme are indicating the extent to which the politician’s views differ from their own and, by inference, the likelihood of voting for that politician.
An interesting new poll from Rasmussen Reports reveals that the politician considered to have the most extreme views by 55% of voters is Sarah Palin.
Other results of the poll show that:
- 48% of voters view President Obama’s views as extreme.
- 35% of voters view Secretary of State Clinton’s view as extreme and 51% see her as mainstream.
- 57% of voters view the congressional agenda as extreme.
- 81% of liberals see Obama as mainstream, while 75% of conservatives see him as extreme.
Not surprisingly, with the economy weakening and the unemployment rate remaining in double digits, 65% of voters are at least somewhat angry at the policies of the Federal Government. Unless things improve quickly, voters are likely to be in a surly mood come election time.
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