MoveOn polled its mailing list for a couple days to ask what issues should be the organization’s top goals for 2009. Each member was able to pick three from the list. How’d the voting turn out?
1. Universal health care 64.9%
2. Economic recovery and job creation 62.1%
3. Build a green economy, stop climate change 49.6%
4. End the war in Iraq 48.3%
5. Improve public schools 21.6%
6. Restore civil liberties 16.8%
7. Hold the Bush Administration accountable 15.2%
8. Gay rights/LGBT equality 8.6%
9. Increase access to higher education 7.6%
10. Reform campaigns and elections 5.7%
Less than half no longer care about the War In Iraq as much as other issues, though that may be because American presence there is entering its final couple of years. What genuinely surprises me is that fewer than a quarter care about improving public schools and less than 8% care about increasing access to higher education. The basis of a strong population is a strong education, but maybe that creates a class of people less likely to be dependent on the government for health care, job creation and a government mandated green economy.
The most interesting points are 6 and 7. As much screaming as there has been about the actions of the Bush Administration and the evils of the Patriot Act, now that Barack Obama is in power it’s not that big a deal. Either it’s a matter of trust or a matter of the power now being wielded for their purposes. Mwa ha ha ha!
That LGBT rights came in 8th is odd as well, though that could show more the mood of MoveOn or order of priorites than their complete dismissal of the issue. At least, the LGBT movement should hope that’s the case.
So the next year our legislators and airwaves should expect to be flooded with issue advocacy from MoveOn for universal health care and the development of a green economic recovery that will be paid for with what exactly?
