From CQ Politics Poll Tracker
Centrism and the increasing number of independent voters are emerging as hallmarks of the Obama era although the growing political middle is steadfastly mixed in its beliefs according to a
Pew Research Center analysis of its polling data it has been collecting since 1987. It includes surveys this year between March 31 - April 6 and April 14-21.
Pew says the proportion of independents among the electorate is now at its highest level in 70 years. In the last five months the percentage of independents has risen from 30 percent to 39 percent while Democrats have slipped from 39 percent to 33 percent and Republicans from 26 percent to 22 percent.
Some independents are more conservative on several key issues because they are defectors from the Republicans. Thirty-three percent describe themselves as conservative up from 28 percent in 2007.
They like and approve of
President Obama but are cooler than they were two years ago to expanding the social safety net and increased government involvement in the private sector Pew says. However independents continue to track more closely with Democrats on social values religion and national security. Overall they lean towards Democrats over Republicans by 17 percent to 12 percent.
As far as the major parties Pew finds that the partisan gap between them is the widest ever. The average percentage of difference between answers from Republicans and Democrats on 48 values questions asked by Pew reached 16 points this year compared to a low of 9 points in 1987 and again in 1997.
*This story is from www.blogs.CQPolitics.com
