From the Trail

From the Washington Post’s campaign coverage:

“Mitt Romney caught some flak in conservative circles when he was quoted this month telling an Iowa audience that the U.S. should learn from the popular social service functions of groups like Hezbollah and invest more in delivering medical services abroad to build goodwill and weaken the hold of extremists.

But it turns out the former Massachusetts governor may just have been practicing smart politics. A poll of New Hampshire voters released yesterday found that voters in both parties — even the Granite State’s famously penny-pinching conservatives — are open to presidential candidates making a case for a surge in spending on foreign aid.

The poll, of 1000 likely primary voters, was conducted by ONE Vote 08, a $30 million effort that is funded in large part by Bill Gates and linked to the ONE Campaign of U2’s Bono, and intended to make global poverty and global health a major issue in the 2008 presidential race. It found that 70 percent of Republicans believe that the America’s standing has suffered in recent years; that 70 percent of Republicans agree that reducing poverty, treating preventable diseases and improving education in poor countries will make the world safer and the U.S. more secure; and that 67 percent of Republicans believe that it is important for presidential candidates to discuss their plans for addressing global hunger and poverty. (The percentages were not surprisingly even higher among Democratic voters.)

While it might seem as if many voters would find it hard to admit themselves uninterested in fighting global poverty, those advising the ONE Vote 08 campaign said they see real significance in the figures.

“The numbers make a compelling case for a sea change in the way the electorate is thinking about how we address these issues,” said former Clinton spokesman Mike McCurry, in a conference call with reporters. “Instinctively, many Americans see that this would be a smart thing to do.”

And notably, this goes for Republican voters too, said Tucker Eskew, who oversees global communications strategy for the Bush Administration. “It’s in our enlightened self interest, and I believe Republican candidates will enunciate on that and lead on it in the months ahead,” he said.

–Alec MacGillis”

Consider Yourself Encouraged

Last month, ONE enlisted the help of Peter D. Hart Research Associates and McLaughlin and Associates to conduct a bipartisan survey of likely Democratic and Republican New Hampshire primary voters. ONE will release the full results this afternoon, but as an exclusive to our ONE Blog readers, some key findings are below.

*Nearly all Democrats (97%) and 70% of Republicans agree that America’s standing has suffered in recent years. In addition to a strong military, Democrats (91%) and Republicans (78%) agree that the United States also needs to improve diplomatic relations by doing more to help improve health, education and opportunities in the poorest countries around the world. Both Democrats (81%) and Republicans alike (70%) agree that reducing poverty, treating preventable diseases and improving education in poor countries around the world will help make the world safer and the United States more secure.

*Democrats and Republicans agree that America has a moral obligation as a compassionate nation to help the world’s poorest people through foreign assistance. More than nine in ten Democrats (93%) and 84% of Republicans agree that when millions of children around the world are dying from preventable diseases and hunger, we have a moral obligation to do what we can to help. Similarly, Democrats (90%) and Republicans (85%) agree that it is in keeping with the country’s values and our history of compassion to lead an effort to solve some of the most serious problems facing the world’s poorest people.

*When it comes to addressing these issues, Democrats (86%) and Republicans (67%) agree that it is important for Presidential candidates to discuss their plans for addressing global hunger and poverty issues in this campaign. Additionally, eight in ten Democrats (81%) and Republicans (80%) agree that the next president should keep the commitments made by President Bush to prevent and fight the spread of AIDS in Africa.

Check back a little after 2pm EST when I can post the full survey memo.

Consider Yourself Encouraged

Last month, ONE enlisted the help of Peter D. Hart Research Associates and McLaughlin and Associates to conduct a bipartisan survey of likely Democratic and Republican New Hampshire primary voters. ONE will release the full results this afternoon, but as an exclusive to our ONE Blog readers, some key findings are below.

*Nearly all Democrats (97%) and 70% of Republicans agree that America’s standing has suffered in recent years. In addition to a strong military, Democrats (91%) and Republicans (78%) agree that the United States also needs to improve diplomatic relations by doing more to help improve health, education and opportunities in the poorest countries around the world. Both Democrats (81%) and Republicans alike (70%) agree that reducing poverty, treating preventable diseases and improving education in poor countries around the world will help make the world safer and the United States more secure.

*Democrats and Republicans agree that America has a moral obligation as a compassionate nation to help the world’s poorest people through foreign assistance. More than nine in ten Democrats (93%) and 84% of Republicans agree that when millions of children around the world are dying from preventable diseases and hunger, we have a moral obligation to do what we can to help. Similarly, Democrats (90%) and Republicans (85%) agree that it is in keeping with the country’s values and our history of compassion to lead an effort to solve some of the most serious problems facing the world’s poorest people.

*When it comes to addressing these issues, Democrats (86%) and Republicans (67%) agree that it is important for Presidential candidates to discuss their plans for addressing global hunger and poverty issues in this campaign. Additionally, eight in ten Democrats (81%) and Republicans (80%) agree that the next president should keep the commitments made by President Bush to prevent and fight the spread of AIDS in Africa.

Check back a little after 2pm EST when I can post the full survey memo.