Is America Really A Conservative Country? The Progressive Change Institute Doesn't Think So

++For the past week or so Thom Hartman has been referring to a poll taken by the Progressive Change Institute about "likely voters" in 2016 positions on a variety of issues. In summary, Hartman says this reveals America to be a Center-Left country.

++So I finally discovered the poll on line. To read it clearly, you have to access the Pdf file.

++The poll was conducted on Jan.9- 15th, 2015 by GBA Strategies. 1,500 "likely voters'" in the next election were polled. 38.9% were self-described Democrats,25% were Independents, and 33.8% were self-described Republicans.

++Now I'm only going to list the percentage who support an idea. But no ideas had a majority negative view. 

++Allow the government to negotiate drug prices. 79% approve
++Students having the same interest rates as banks. 78% approve
++Universal pre-K education.
77% approve
++Fair Trade to preserve jobs.
75% support
++Fix Tax Loopholes on companies that ship jobs overseas.
74% approve
++End gerrymandering.
73% support
++Let homeowners use 401 (K) to pay down mortgages.
72% support
++Have a Medicare Buy-in for All
71% approve
++Disclose corporate spending on politics and lobbying.
71% support
++Require NSA to get warrants.
71% support
++Debt-free College at Public Universities.
71% approve
++Expand Social Security Benefits.
70% support
++Green New Deal for clean energy jobs.
70% support
++Retrain Coal Miners and oil workers for clean energy jobs.
67% support
++Full Employment Act.
66% Support
++Transparency in Trade Negotiations.
66% support
++Full minimum wage for Tipped workers.
64% support
++Free Community College.
63% support
++Ensure Net Neutrality
61% approve
++Tax The Rich--50% Reagan Rule
59% support
++Minimum guaranteed income 
59% support
++Financial Transactions Tax
55% Approve
++Tax The Rich--A Millionaires and billionaire's tax
54% Support
++Free High Quality Public Child Care.
53%  Support
++Glass-Steigel 
47% Approve

++Now there is no major opposition in the poll to these items. These are affirmative statements and the remaining answers are low levels of disapproval or those polled did not know.

++This poll mirrors polls on Obamacare if you break the Affordable Care Act down in its component parts.Polls on Obamacare usually have a majority opposing but one-third of the respondents don't think it goes far enough.

++In a blind poll , Americans were asked their choice of the country with the ideal income distribution. They choose Scandinavian models and did not recognize the American reality.

++That's why I found it refreshing that Bernie Sanders didn't shrink from bringing up Scandinavia on 
the major news networks, when they tried to dismiss this.

++It looks like you have a pretty progressive set of attitudes with a polling sample that mirrors the political demographic of the country.

++Now Thom Hartman raises the issue, "How much of this do you think the Republicans would deliver on?" He answered his own question "Nothing."

++I think this is an important poll for all of us to remember as 2016 comes upon us.