It can be argued that Republican control of Congress came about in 1994 because Americans underwent a change in attitudes and values that brought them closer to what the Republican Party supposedly stood for. This shift led to twelve years of Republican control in Congress, which came to a screeching halt in November 2006. But was it simply the result of an unpopular president and an advantageous political environment? A new poll by the PEW Research Center suggests that the 2006 election was not a sheer anomaly but the beginning of a nationwide shift in values and concerns back to those of the Democratic Party.
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Another important aspect of changing American values indicated by the Pew poll is the deteriorating religious fervor of the American public. In 1994, the Christian right wing led the charge, through the Christian Coalition and other conservative religious groups, that knocked Democrats out of power. Following recent revelations concerning the hypocrisy of some of the leading members of that movement, including Newt Gingrich, the public is less beholden to traditional social attitudes. For example, the poll finds greater public acceptance of homosexuality and less desire that women play only their traditional role in the household.
http://www.ncec.org/insider/insider_4_04_07.html There's hope, but we must continue to work hard to get our message out without it being muddled in someone elses frame.
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