So Conservatism Is Dead, Huh?

That sound you just heard was heads popping in newsrooms from coast to coast.

Thus far in 2009, 40% of Americans interviewed in national Gallup Poll surveys describe their political views as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal. This represents a slight increase for conservatism in the U.S. since 2008, returning it to a level last seen in 2004. The 21% calling themselves liberal is in line with findings throughout this decade, but is up from the 1990s.

Expect most of the media to interpret this poll as 56% call themselves moderates of liberal, while just 40% call themselves conservative. Just a hunch. Now, if we could just bump that 40% up...

Of course it's no time for the GOP to celebrate and clearly there's some ground to make up.

Thus far in 2009, Gallup has found an average of 36% of Americans considering themselves Democratic, 28% Republican, and 37% independent. When independents are pressed to say which party they lean toward, 51% of Americans identify as Democrats, 39% as Republicans, and only 9% as pure independents.