Stick Around for Organized Labeling of Political Issues
AgeVenture News Service August 11, 2004
Just in time for the political mudslinging that traditionally accompanies presidential elections, a national survey
has uncovered some surprising facts about the way voters “label” their own politics - as well as the views of their political rivals.
The new study, commissioned by DYMO, the leading producer of labelmakers
for the home and office, polled Democrats, Independents and Republicans
across the country and examined the many labels associated with political
affiliation.
Here's how the DYMO survey helped organize our, otherwise complicated, political landscape.
- The People Behind The Labels
Three-quarters of Americans reveal that they are a member of a traditional
political party - registered as either Democrats or Republicans.
Surprisingly, upwards of twenty-five percent of registered voters label
themselves as Independent.
- Independent voters
are almost evenly divided along gender lines, but the
traditional parties aren’t nearly as uniform - while Republicans are more
likely to be male, 2 in 3 Democrats are women. In terms of age, Republicans
average three to four years older than their Democratic and Independent
counterparts (50, as opposed to 47 and 46, respectively).
- Labels We Love
Democrats overwhelmingly see themselves as “idealistic” and “patriotic” -
nearly 80 percent choose these descriptors to define their point of view. In
describing their political nemesis, 2 in 5 Democrats are quick to label
Republicans as “pro-military.” Their view of Independents? While 40 percent
of Democrats feel that Independents are “unpredictable,” many apparently don
’t know what to make of the party - 39 percent claim not to have any opinion
of Independent voters.
- Republican Reputations
More than half of Republicans feel the label that best describes their party
is “patriotic.” Nearly one-third of Republican voters view their Democratic
rivals as “idealistic,” while a significant minority (16 percent) also view
their liberal counterparts as “pacifists.” While nearly half of Republicans
see Independent voters “unpredictable,” 31 percent just don’t have an
opinion of the group.
- Enigmatic Independents
The majority of Independents - 40 percent - don’t think about labels, though
a full third of the party is quick to label itself as “unpredictable.” Not
surprisingly, 2 in 5 Independent voters don’t have an opinion of either
traditional political party. Among those that do, Democrats are most
commonly seen as “idealistic,” and Republicans are considered
“pro-military.”
- Labels We Love To Hate
‘Traditional’ party labels (including “right wing” and “liberal”) can be a
point of contention for all political parties. Republicans dislike the
“neocon” and “right wing” monikers, while Democrats are sensitive to being
called “left wing.” For their part, Independent voters feel the “undecided”
and “wishy washy” labels associated with their party are unfair.
- Labeling Politics By Geography
Surprisingly, the deep South isn’t the Republican stronghold many assume -
Democrats are more likely to be found in the Southeast than their Republican
counterparts. For their part, Republicans have a significantly higher
likelihood of living in the Southwest than their Democratic rivals. And
Independent voters? They are most likely to call the Northwest home.
Now that you've organized your understanding of political labels and how each group sticks to the issues, maybe it's time to organize your personal and business environments. DYMO, the sponsor of the political labels study, has some strategies for getting organized.
The average U.S. executive wastes six weeks annually searching for important documents lost in clutter. On any given day, American workers spend nine million hours collectively searching for misplaced information.
In response to this profit-draining disorganization, DYMO is dedicated to offering innovative solutions that help people organize their world. Solutions include a broad range of labeling products (photo left) for home, office and industrial use.
In addition, DYMO produces innovative identification products for home, office and commercial use.
More information on DYMO is available at www.dymo.com
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