
<p>Recent polls have indicated that the future of democracy is among the top issues in voters’ minds. ; It generally comes in near the top three critical issues – with immigration and the economy alternating between one and two. ; The best showing for the “future of democracy” has been a third place showing in a single poll. ; Regardless, it is an issue of significance in the voters’ minds.</p>



<p>That is generally interpreted as a good issue for Democrats – who have been pumping it as the existential issue. ; Nothing – not immigration, the economy, crime, wars overseas nor even abortion – is as important as their alleged threats to the Republic posed by the reelection of President Trump.</p>



<p>A recent CNN poll showed that REPUBLICAN voters in New Hampshire place the democracy question as the second most important issue – just behind immigration and ahead of economic concerns. </p>



<p>CNN’s election analyst David Chalian declared that to be good news for the Democrat political narrative. ; He said it puts those voters on the progressive side – “if you can put a philosophic label on the issue.” ; (Memo to Chalian: ; It IS a philosophical issue.) ; Anchor Dana Bash doubled down by calling the polling outcome “surprising.” ; ; But is it?</p>



<p>Apparently, Chalian and Bash are so myopically committed to the Democrat narrative that neither apply logic nor understanding to the meaning of those polling numbers.</p>



<p>In terms of logic. ; Chalian and Bash would have you believe in the Democrat version – essentially that electing President Trump will put an end to American democracy … period. ; Why would Republican voters who are overwhelmingly casting their votes for Trump think he is a threat to the Republic? ; That does not pass the smell test.</p>



<p>No, there was no flaw in the polling. ; What Chalian and CNN could not explain is easily explained. ; When the voters of New Hampshire say the future of democracy is an important election issue, the question is which party do they believe is the greatest threat. ;</p>



<p>Conservatives, like me, have long said that progressivism is an evolving threat to democracy. ; We fear that the left’s imposition of an ever more powerful, more regulatory, more expensive and expansive federal government ruled over by a Washington elitist establishment is the real threat to personal freedom – ergo THE long-term threat to American Democracy. ; We do see democracy as an important issue, just from a different perspective. ; And it is on the ballot for conservatives.</p>



<p>This is a frequent problem in polling. ; We often see that the general public has an overwhelming lack of confidence in Congress. ; But that does not tell us which side of the aisle they distrust the most. ; In the past – when the more informative questions are asked – the party in charge tends to get more blame than the “outs”. ; The current polling data that has been reported does not indicate the reason behind the polling number.</p>



<p>Any competent political strategist knows that such a general question – without an indication of the partisan or philosophic breakdown – is useless for planning purposes. ; The way Chalian and CNN spun the story could lead democrats to wrongly believe that THEIR democracy narrative is a winning issue. ; That is not necessarily true.</p>



<p>Based on my 50 years of dealing with politics and polls, it is my opinion that the vast majority of those Republican voters who placed the future of democracy as a major consideration are not buying into the Democrats’ narrative or the Chalian/CNN spin. ; They see the increasingly radical leftwing Democratic Party as the danger.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Voters say democracy is on the ballot … but whose democracy?
