Why They Cheer Or Boo: A thumnail guide to RNC demographics

A few things that might be useful to keep in mind about the GOP delegates as you watch the convention speeches, courtesy of a CBS News/New York Times poll:

--Only 32% are women (down from 43% in 2004)

--93% are white

--72% are self-described "conservative" (up from 63%)

--34% are millionaires (up from 27%)

--30% are Catholic (highest in survey history, beginning 1976)

--57% say the economy is currently in good shape

--80% say that in retrospect, invading Iraq was the right thing to do

--48% say the Iraq War is going very well, and another 47% say it is going somewhat well; 96% say the surge has made things better

--Nearly half say US troop levels in Iraq should be kept the same or increased

--By an 11-to-1 margin, they oppose expanding health care coverage to everyone if it means raising taxes

--Only 3% say protecting the environment should be a higher priority than developing new sources of energy

--89% consider illegal immigration a "very serious" or "somewhat serious" problem

--91% want the 2001 Bush tax cuts made permanent

--By a 3-to-1 margin, more of them are concerned that anti-terror laws are too weak, than that civil liberties are being restricted

--Less than one in five believe abortion should be permitted in cases other than rape, incest, and saving the mother's life; more than a third would also exclude rape and incest

--Close to half oppose any legal recognition of same-sex marriage; just 6% say same-sex couple should be allowed to legally marry