Several times today I heard the idiotic NPR commentators--apparently in an attempt to make sense of their bizarre analogy between the nominations of "moderate liberal" Ruth Bader Ginsberg and "moderate conservative" Samuel Alito (which by the way Ginsberg was suggested to Clinton by Orrin Hatch as someone Clinton could be sure to get confirmed)--make the unqualified claim that one had to acknowledge the general conservative drift of the country since the blowjob-ridden heydey of liberal decadence and excess when Ginsberg was considered an A-OK candidate (even by Orrin Hatch's standards!).

I assume when they make these claims they're referring to the "social issues" so important to the ever-swelling ranks of the values-voters and warriors-on-warriors-on-Christmas.

Well, I just looked through the archives at pollingreport.com, and here are the numbers on four of the "hottest" social issues, a decade ago and now. See for yourself if you can discern the sea-change so obvious to the librul media:

Abortion

CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll.

"Do you think abortions should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances, or illegal in all circumstances?"

11/11-13/05

26 Always Legal

56 Sometimes Legal

16 Always Illegal


9/96

24 Always Legal

52 Sometimes Legal

17 Always Illegal


Same-Sex Marriage

CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll.

"Do you think marriages between homosexuals should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages?"

4/29 - 5/1/05

39 Should Be Valid

56 Should Not Be


3/96

27 Should Be Valid

68 Should Not Be


Affirmative Action

CNN/Gallup/USA Today Poll.

"Do you generally favor or oppose affirmative action programs for women and minorities?"

1/00*

58 Favor

33 Oppose


3/95

55 Favor

34 Oppose

* Most recent date for this question. A more recent 2003 question which mentions only "racial minorities" but not women has, not surprisingly, lower numbers for "favor."


The So-Called Death Penalty

ABC News/Washington Post Poll.

"Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of murder?"

4/21-24/05

65 Favor

29 Oppose


8/96

77 Favor

19 Oppose


That said, enthusiasm for protecting the environment and restricting gun sales seems to have waned significantly since the early 1990s. The guns numbers are obviously attributable to money spent; also the gun-loving crowd doesn't always overlap with the theocrats. I don't know what accounts for the environment numbers.