[Publib] Them Liberals, Us

[Backwage at aol.com]

As we approach the 300 mark in the Librarian Presidential Survey, some  
things have become obvious, others less so:
 
To nobody's surprise, most librarians have turned up on the  
liberal/Democratic side of the ledger.  57.5 percent self-identify as  Democrats, with 3.1% 
Green.  I would imagine that a fair proportion of the  21.9 percent who identify 
as Independent or without affiliation would tend to  lean more to the left as 
well.  
 
The interesting thing here is how tightly packed the three leading choices  
of our librarians are.  Clinton carries 28.3 percent,  Edwards 19.8 and Obama 
21.6 percent.  In one national  poll, Clinton is off in the distance with 47 
percent, Obama 21 and Edwards 12  points.  Another very recent poll has Clinton 
at 53 percent.  
 
Compare this to schoolteachers.  In 1980, 46 percent  of teachers voted for 
Ronald Reagan, 41 percent for Jimmy Carter, and 10 percent  for John Anderson.  
I would love to see some more up-to-date figures if  anybody has them, by the 
way.  
 
Are we, as a body, that much more liberal than even public school  teachers?  
It seems so.  
 
Something else that our survey reveals:  34 percent named the War  in Iraq 
the most pressing issue (the leading choice) and 9.3 percent chose  
International Relations.  This is in line with the more left-leaning  stances of the ALA's 
governing Council--and believe me, many more anti-war  Resolutions are 
proposed than actually pass through that body. 
 
So there you have it.  It's a lonely profession for a conservative  
librarian--just as some of them have been saying for years.  
 
Michael McGrorty
Who will write in Adlai Stevenson, again



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