The concept of the "majority" seems very strange to me these days (in the US).  Everyone seems to think the majority of people agree with them. I know I do, LOL.

Now I did not think this 2 years ago or even a year ago but as of today, I most definitly believe I am in the majority as far as public opinion on things go but note that so does everyone else!

Have you noticed this?  Everyone claims to be part of a "sleeping giant" or the "silent majority".

Do you think there has been a political shift in this country or is the shift imaginary?

Oh! I should have added, if you do think there has been a shift... in what direction?

It's almost impossible to tell! People cite surveys, and how you perform a survey has EVERYTHING to do with what conclusions you have.

I can tell that my views are at least better represented than they used to be, in that you actually hear people TALKING about them on TV and the like, which would not have happened 3 years ago or so.

Personally, I don't think that my politics are majority. The person I wanted to vote for in the last election was running with about .5% popularity. LOL.

I think there has been a shift to the center. There are loud mouths on the extreme sides, but I feel like the majority is going to the middle. (I could be totally wrong though!)

"Do you think there has been a political shift in this country or is the shift imaginary?"

The point is moot, this country and it's politics are bought and paid for. The whole damn thing is an illusion.

let me ask a real question, do you really think you are free?

@tatkins start a new thread?

I hope to hell alicia is right and we're all moving more towards "center" with really loud objections from the fringe.  :)

In my state, there has always been and will likely always be a vast conservative majority that squeals like it's on fire over the slightest progressive flare (unless it involves being on the guv'mint teet, in which case they're fine with it).  Nationwide, I have no clue; I've been in this area all my life.

I think that the majority of people are much more conservative on political and socials issues than I am on most issues. However, it is not a cohesive group. Certainly most people's beliefs do not align with either GOP or DNC party lines. My brother usually votes GOP, I usually vote DNC. He has a different view of the role of govt than I do. On social issues, we are much more alike. This is true of the majority. Right now, I think a lot of people regardless of political views are realizing that both parties have sold out the people for the corporate buck. It might be time to stop voting for your favorite brand GOP or DNC, because neither party represents the voters.

Politically if there is a shift, around here anyways.  There are slight variations regionally.  For example: at work there is more conservative types, and around home there are less conservative types.  Luckilly no extremes in my sphere.  I'd say it's disassociating one's self with political parties.  As people realize both parties use the same tactics and the folks that run do not represent those that send them to power.  To the middle maybee, also potentially to either activism/revolution or abject apathy.  I think the whole sacrifice freedoms for security thing is getting very old with the public and perhaps freedoms will ebb again in the future, I also see the growing separation between those that go without food, heat, medicine and the folks with so much excess they can embarass small countries with their hedonism, gluttony and greed.  I fear that stereotypical politcs may swing toward the disparagee between the castes or classes soon only two ultra super rich and ultra super poor.  The Royal Mighty and either their slaves or the savages that do not agree to their interpretation of the perfect social order.

"@tatkins start a new thread?"

Sorry about that Elsa. I tend to peel more layers off the onion than most care to smell.

No, we just try to stay on topic. You have a good topic there, please consider giving it it's own thread.

Being in Arizona is like living on a roller coaster.  Every morning we wake up and our "leaders" are making decisions for us and putting us on a national stage without asking us!  It's frustrating!

@ Annalisa - kinda like what just went down in Wisconsin? 

As to the original question, all I feel is unrest.  I don't think any side is really "satisfied" right now.  For example, my husband and I rarely agree on much when it comes to politics, but both of us think the new healthcare mandate is crap.  No one seems to be happy about it, so why is it still here in its present form?

I feel like I have no way of telling with Pluto hitting my Neptune in Cap. I probably have a ton of illusions/naivete about the government that I don't even realize.

One thing is, it's really easy to filter and delude yourself. For example, I LOVE twitter.  You can easily filter content so all the streams you read are from people who agree with you.

I think this is dangerous by the way, at this point.  Dangerous due the Aries on the way.

Yeah, I agree. I get the majority of my news from NYT and NPR, so right there I am exposing myself to a limited substrate of the media.

"Time to Make Wall Street Pay" Jordan Estevao

http://rt.com/usa/news/usa-make-wall-street-pay/

At the end of this guy's speech, he says that they will win because the majority is on their side.  Is that true?  I ask as someone from outside the USA who would like to try and understand what's happening in the world.

No telling, Korellyn. Everyone thinks they are speaking for the majority.  To me it's like light-skinned women thinking they were better looking than dark-skinned. This was universal prior to black models showing up on runways a few decades ago. Those women thought everyone agreed with them but it was never the case.

This is why it's s important not to filter info. http://www.elsaelsa.com/astrology/2011/03/10/filtering-content-deluding-yourself/

I really think hordes of people are deluding themselves.

There are a few things I think people do agree on - namely reducing the budget but it doesn't really matter because no one can agree on what to cut.

The basic song and dance, repeated over and over is cut ANYTHING/EVERYTHING as long as it does not affect ME, as if anything that happens won't affect us all.

Do you think there has been a political shift in this country or is the shift imaginary? and if so in what direction is the shift?

Well, I've been following politics since Reagan was in office and.....it seems to shift back and forth between to "opposing" poles from time to time. When someone is elected that's "liberal" people breath a sigh of relief from the tight grasp of "conservativism" being lifted from them.

But eventually, from what I've noticed, a scandal is cooked up for the "Uranian?" president, and after the country's "morality and values" (shudder-ekh) are taken too far, says some; some concerned citizens, and a few scared one's will gratefully vote in a more conservative "strong" type of leader to clean up the carousing, and play a rather Saturnine father figure to our nation that's been led astray. (not all, I didn't vote for some of our presidents when I was old enough to vote and they won. a whole other topic there ; )) 

But that's what I've seen. A Republican gets elected after people think a Democrat is too "forgiving/running us into the ground." Then when people get worried that their freedoms might be taken away, and need their space back, a Democrat is "elected." And there's some sardonic humor surrounding the election process in my mind. Pot stirrir is up. *angelic grin*

I will say that I feel some of my views are better represented now then they were five years ago. But many are swept under the rug, and not talked about yet. I'm liberal in some ways that it's still pretty unacceptable to talk about how I feel or what I want for myself at work, but my friends get it. And it's really nice living in PDX, as the city "fits" me about as well as I think I can find a home that fits in the country that has weather I like too. ; )

P.S. and I'd agree with Elsa that filtering all my news and content to agree with me might not teach me about the world, just pat me on the head in validation.

And from my personal perspective the shift has it's imaginary lines.