Republican Conservative Base Shrinks

[Torie]

Per a Gallup poll. The break among Pubs is 52%-44% conservative on social issues, and 62%-34% conservative on economic issues. From the chart is appears that the split on social issues last year was 61%-39% conservative, so that is a rather large 10 point or so swing towards moderation on social issues.

[RINO Tom]

Great news!  Probably not welcome on Atlas, as a more moderate Republican Party would render Landslide Johnson's reporting job obsolete.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Olds are at greater risk of dying off. Who knew?

[Torie]

Olds are at greater risk of dying off. Who knew?

The speed of the attitudinal change is far more rapid than the speed of the demographic change.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Olds are at greater risk of dying off. Who knew?

The speed of the attitudinal change is far more rapid than the speed of the demographic change.

True. I suppose a lot of it comes from movement from Republicans who "leaned" conservative on social issues, no?

[warandwar]

But this poll just asked people how they would describe themselves. I'm sure what one person sees as conservative positions on economic issues could very well be seen as moderate by another person. It could also mean that positions that were previously seen as conservative are becoming mainstream in the Republican party.

[DrScholl]

Conservatives are becoming independents, so they aren't necessarily just going away.

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

The Tea party has normalized radicalization among the Republican party. So anybody to the left of Louie Gohmert or Ben Carson would be seen as moderate.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

There's certainly been some movement on opinions on gay marriage. Quite possibly police brutality, too.

[RFayette]

Great news!  Probably not welcome on Atlas, as a more moderate Republican Party would render Landslide Johnson's reporting job obsolete.

Until the Deep South starts voting Democratic, I think he will still have plenty of material, unfortunately.

[Mr. Reactionary]

The Tea party has normalized radicalization among the Republican party. So anybody to the left of Louie Gohmert or Ben Carson would be seen as moderate.

Yup. And a Socialist totally isn't running in the Democratic primary because they are so moderate. Muh Bloo dawgs and what not.

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

The Tea party has normalized radicalization among the Republican party. So anybody to the left of Louie Gohmert or Ben Carson would be seen as moderate.

Yup. And a Socialist totally isn't running in the Democratic primary because they are so moderate. Muh Bloo dawgs and what not.

bernie sanders is hardly a radical

[Mr. Reactionary]

The Tea party has normalized radicalization among the Republican party. So anybody to the left of Louie Gohmert or Ben Carson would be seen as moderate.

Yup. And a Socialist totally isn't running in the Democratic primary because they are so moderate. Muh Bloo dawgs and what not.

bernie sanders is hardly a radical

Nor are Tea Partiers who want to shut down the Export-Import bank.

[Rockefeller GOP]

The Tea party has normalized radicalization among the Republican party. So anybody to the left of Louie Gohmert or Ben Carson would be seen as moderate.

Yup. And a Socialist totally isn't running in the Democratic primary because they are so moderate. Muh Bloo dawgs and what not.

bernie sanders is hardly a radical

To act like Bernie Sanders isn't as far left of center as Tea Partiers are right of center is ridiculous.  Quite frankly, the political spectrum other countries have is laughably irrelevant.  I do not give a S**T what Sweden does, LOL.  I'm not going to judge our politicians based on the political climate of a tiny and irrelevant country thousands of miles away.

[RFayette]

There are a bunch of ways to measure ideology quantitatively, often delivering different results.  DW-Nominate, for instance, doesn't weight social issues heavily, whereas something like OnTheIssues is 50/50.  This obviously affects how we assess whether the Democratic Party has moved to the left (or whether the GOP has moved to the right, though this assertion is generally left uncontested). 

But in both the GOP and the Democratic Party, there is a move to the respective extremes in how ideology is vocalized.  Calling oneself a "socialist" would have been absolutely unacceptable during much of the Cold War and the Democratic Party wouldn't allow it.    Certainly the terminology has changed...

[Ebsy]

There are a bunch of ways to measure ideology quantitatively, often delivering different results.  DW-Nominate, for instance, doesn't weight social issues heavily, whereas something like OnTheIssues is 50/50.  This obviously affects how we assess whether the Democratic Party has moved to the left (or whether the GOP has moved to the right, though this assertion is generally left uncontested). 

But in both the GOP and the Democratic Party, there is a move to the respective extremes in how ideology is vocalized.  Calling oneself a "socialist" would have been absolutely unacceptable during much of the Cold War and the Democratic Party wouldn't allow it.    Certainly the terminology has changed...

It's still not acceptable to call yourself a socialist in the Democratic Party... It's hardly acceptable to call yourself a liberal.

[RFayette]

There are a bunch of ways to measure ideology quantitatively, often delivering different results.  DW-Nominate, for instance, doesn't weight social issues heavily, whereas something like OnTheIssues is 50/50.  This obviously affects how we assess whether the Democratic Party has moved to the left (or whether the GOP has moved to the right, though this assertion is generally left uncontested). 

But in both the GOP and the Democratic Party, there is a move to the respective extremes in how ideology is vocalized.  Calling oneself a "socialist" would have been absolutely unacceptable during much of the Cold War and the Democratic Party wouldn't allow it.    Certainly the terminology has changed...

It's still not acceptable to call yourself a socialist in the Democratic Party... It's hardly acceptable to call yourself a liberal.

Sanders is well-liked by many Dems....

[Ebsy]

There are a bunch of ways to measure ideology quantitatively, often delivering different results.  DW-Nominate, for instance, doesn't weight social issues heavily, whereas something like OnTheIssues is 50/50.  This obviously affects how we assess whether the Democratic Party has moved to the left (or whether the GOP has moved to the right, though this assertion is generally left uncontested). 

But in both the GOP and the Democratic Party, there is a move to the respective extremes in how ideology is vocalized.  Calling oneself a "socialist" would have been absolutely unacceptable during much of the Cold War and the Democratic Party wouldn't allow it.    Certainly the terminology has changed...

It's still not acceptable to call yourself a socialist in the Democratic Party... It's hardly acceptable to call yourself a liberal.

Sanders is well-liked by many Dems....

He's notably not a Democrat.

[Mr. Reactionary]

It's still not acceptable to call yourself a socialist in the Democratic Party... It's hardly acceptable to call yourself a liberal.

A majority.

[Simfan34]

That's honestly surprising. Even more surprising is that a quarter of Republicans have a positive view of socialism.

[Lief 🗽]

The Tea party has normalized radicalization among the Republican party. So anybody to the left of Louie Gohmert or Ben Carson would be seen as moderate.

Yup. And a Socialist totally isn't running in the Democratic primary because they are so moderate. Muh Bloo dawgs and what not.

bernie sanders is hardly a radical

To act like Bernie Sanders isn't as far left of center as Tea Partiers are right of center is ridiculous.  Quite frankly, the political spectrum other countries have is laughably irrelevant.  I do not give a S**T what Sweden does, LOL.  I'm not going to judge our politicians based on the political climate of a tiny and irrelevant country thousands of miles away.

It's not comparable. The "radical" things Bernie Sanders supports are mostly supported by a majority of Americans. The same is not true of teabaggers.

[All Along The Watchtower]

The Tea party has normalized radicalization among the Republican party. So anybody to the left of Louie Gohmert or Ben Carson would be seen as moderate.

Yup. And a Socialist totally isn't running in the Democratic primary because they are so moderate. Muh Bloo dawgs and what not.

bernie sanders is hardly a radical

To act like Bernie Sanders isn't as far left of center as Tea Partiers are right of center is ridiculous.  Quite frankly, the political spectrum other countries have is laughably irrelevant.  I do not give a S**T what Sweden does, LOL.  I'm not going to judge our politicians based on the political climate of a tiny and irrelevant country thousands of miles away.

It's not comparable. The "radical" things Bernie Sanders supports are mostly supported by a majority of Americans. The same is not true of teabaggers.

Additionally, Bernie Sanders is one Senator. The Tea Party is like, half or more of the GOP.

[Torie]

That's honestly surprising. Even more surprising is that a quarter of Republicans have a positive view of socialism.

True. But what the F does "socialism" mean these days anyway?

[Murica!]

That's honestly surprising. Even more surprising is that a quarter of Republicans have a positive view of socialism.

True. But what the F does "socialism" mean these days anyway?

Same as 100 years ago, the collective(be it worker or collectively by society) ownership of the means of production.

[Del Tachi]

That's honestly surprising. Even more surprising is that a quarter of Republicans have a positive view of socialism.

True. But what the F does "socialism" mean these days anyway?

Same as 100 years ago, the collective(be it worker or collectively by society) ownership of the means of production.

Except I doubt that's how 23% of Republicans and 55% of Democrats in that Gallup poll saw it.