Polarizing election finds Oklahomans trending more conservative and liberal

A look at SoonerPoll data from this years election cycle shows that fewer respondents identify themselves as moderate, as more respondents consider themselves as either conservative or liberal.

In almost every poll, SoonerPoll asks respondents whether they consider themselves a liberal, a moderate, or a conservative in their political beliefs. 2004 was the first year we began tracking label and there have been many ups and downs for all ideologies in the state since then, as many political events have taken their toll.

Since March of 2009, the percentage of respondents who identify themselves as moderate have dropped while the percentage of respondents who identify themselves as conservative or liberal has increased.

Though the number of moderates has dropped, it has not dropped at the rate necessary to maintain the increase in liberals and conservatives. This suggests that many respondents who did not know their political beliefs in previous polls have become either liberal or conservative over the course of the election cycle.