This is a scary map if your a GOP strategist!

[Citizen James]

I consider it a myth that people become more liberal with age, at least in absolute terms.   Society becomes more liberal with time, and though people change they don't do so as quickly as society does. 

Very few people support anti-interracial marriage laws any more, though back in the 1940's it would have been considered the norm.

Support for slavery is now limited to a few utter loons, but once was accepted by a large portion of society.

Though I am only one example, I can say quite certainly that I have become more liberal with age.   The rigid, black and white thinking that pervades modern conservatism just doesn't cut it for me anymore - and life experience has made me less judgmental and more tolerant.   (Amusingly, I can see echos of my  past self in some of the young right wing posters)

That said, saner voices will eventually come to power within the GOP, and the equilibrium may even flip over again like it did in the 1960's. 

[Citizen James]

The thing most Democrats and left-leaners on this forum seem to forget is that demographic trends don't last forever. About 100 years ago, Republicans had the lock on the black vote while the Democrats had southern social conservatives.

That's because parties change.  A century ago, the Republicans were the liberals/progressives and the Democrats were the social conservatives.  Things flipped in the '60s with Johnson's great society program and civil rights legislation along with Nixon's Southern strategy.

However, I agree with the main point that demographics do change over time.  Patrick may have a point on ebb and flow, though I still believe that at least as far as semi-recent history goes (the past few centuries) the overall trend has been toward liberalization.  (and a mea culpa on using the term liberal when I meant conservative - good catch)