Importance Of 'Moral Values' Replaced By Economy, Health Care For Voters, Washington Post Columnist Says
Since the 2004 election, issues relating to the economic recession and health care have replaced "moral values" as the most important political topics in the U.S., columnist E.J. Dionne writes in a Washington Post opinion piece. He cites a survey released in May by the Pew Research Center that offered respondents the same list of issues that appeared on the 2004 exit poll and found that the importance of moral values had decreased by more than half. Dionne writes that concern over the economy and jobs had more than doubled on the survey, while issues such as health care and education also had "gained substantial ground." According to the survey, "The drop in concern over moral values was particularly sharp among older working-class voters who have been trending Republican for years," Dionne writes.According to Dionne, "Conservative moral values voters have become the heart of the Republican coalition, and if their ranks are shrinking, so is the GOP"s base." He writes that it "is no accident that President Obama takes every opportunity to shift the public debate to issues -- the economy, health care and education -- that the populist conservatives ... find appealing."According to Dionne, "[f]ew recent survey findings are more enlightening about what"s happening in American politics -- and what is likely to happen to the debate over the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor." He adds that it is "striking that while some antiabortion groups issued stinging press releases against Sotomayor, her views on abortion remain a mystery -- to the consternation of abortion-rights supporters." According to Dionne, "Both sides in the abortion debate want to have a confrontation that Sotomayor may not give them the opportunity to stage." He adds that the "vast majority of Americans are not clamoring for this particular battle" (Dionne, Washington Post, 6/1).
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