New Poll: No Mandate For Bush

Click here [1] for a webcast, transcript and graphs from the Greenberg poll presentation

WASHINGTON – The electorate is far more in tune with progressives than with conservatives on issues like the economy, health care and the war in Iraq, according to an Institute for America's Future post-election poll conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research that was released at a news conference today at the National Press Club.

Today's data shows that a majority of voters who returned President Bush to office believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.

Kerry adviser and Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg said that Bush succeeded in making the election about something other than his performance, and won the battle over which issues drove voters' choices.

"These voters were waiting for a different kind of election focused on economic issues and they didn't get it," said Greenberg.

Robert Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for America's Future, urged Democrats not to capitulate and noted that a majority of voters still support progressive positions.

"After waging the most divisive campaign possible, the president now claims that he wants to reach out," said Borosage. "Progressives won't go down that path. On the president's declared policy priorities, progressives will fight. This fight has just begun."

In a poll conducted Nov. 2 and 3, a majority of voters said that the country is on the wrong track by a margin of 51 to 41 percent. Voters said that the war in Iraq has made us less secure, not more secure by 49 to 45 percent. Voters favored preserving the Social Security system and guaranteeing current benefit levels over allowing individuals to invest in private retirement accounts by 57 to 40 percent. Voters favor fundamental reform of the health care system by a margin of 72 to 24 percent.

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