Behind the Numbers

Of all the numbers trending in the GOP's favor perhaps the most signifigant this: In April 2008, 75% of Independents believed there was solid evidence for Global Warming. Today only 53% do.

One of the important emerging political trends is increasing Democratic competitiveness in the Mountain West: Three 2004 Mountain Red States turned Blue for Obama, and a fourth was friggin close. In April 2008, the region polled 75%-21% believing in global warming. Today the region -- at 44% - 42% -- is the most skeptical in the nation.

Another, similar trend involved college graduates. In 2004, their vote was split, in 2008 they went 53% - 45% for Obama. In April 2008, 75% of Independent college graduates believed in Global Warming, today only 56% do.

In both cases, a strong contributor to increasing Democratic support was the perception that the Republican Party, personified by W & Sarah Palin, stood, blinded by, or hostage to, ideology and theology, increasingly anti-science and even anti-thought. The Democrats with increasing success portrayed themselves as the thinking person's alternative. The success of this perception was reflected in the public trust for Global Warming science vouched strongly for by Democrats and questioned, with equal fervor, by Republicans.

Republicans have done precious little in the past year and a half to counter the perception that they couldn't think less. In these numbers lies rapidly falling public faith in the reasonableness of Democrats.