Related to this topic, concerning declining membership in the GOP, Gallup is now reporting a change in the composition of the GOP:
The percentage of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who describe themselves as both social and economic conservatives has dropped to 42%, the lowest level Gallup has measured since 2005. The second-largest group of Republicans (24%) see themselves as moderate or liberal on both social and economic issues, while 20% of all Republicans are moderate or liberal on social issues but conservative on economic ones.
What does it mean? Hard to say, since the historical graph indicates an even larger dip in 2005, followed by a local peak four years later. Gallup still claims, though, that this is symptomatic of the GOP’s oldest voters basically dying off, since conservative on both issues correlates with age. Given that just a year ago, the percentage was 51, I would want to see a continued trend down next year before declaring a big trend.
However, this does correlate, in some dubious manner, with this Gallup poll concerning general social leanings of voters:
Thirty-one percent of Americans describe their views on social issues as generally liberal, matching the percentage who identify as social conservatives for the first time in Gallup records dating back to 1999.
If these trends continue to hold up, then the GOP is going to have to change in order to remain a nationally important political party – and that can only be a good thing for voters. As an independent, the ideal situation for myself is to see balance and reasonableness in both parties. The GOP has not resembled a reasonable party since at least the impeachment of President Clinton, if not longer. Governance is an important subject requiring intelligent, sober people, not folks like … well, go ahead and supply your own names. And balance and fair competition – not this (“Court says Va. must end gerrymandering”) – leads to the creativity necessary to survive in this new age of global threats. Steadfast denial of reality does not count as creativity.
