The Gallup poll showed Americans aged 65 and older moved from reliably Democratic supporters to Republicans supporters between 1992 and 2012. The Gallup story cites race as a primary factor because older Americans are predominantly non-Hispanic whites while younger age groups of Americans are more racially diverse and tend to support Democrats.
Whatever the reason for the shift, Gallup's contention that yesterday's Democrats support today's Republicans jibes with a Democracy Campaign finding in 2011. A review of campaign contributions from retirees to candidates for governor and the legislature from 1993 through 2010 showed parity between Republican and Democratic candidates early on, and then a sharp shift to Republican candidates since the 2006 election cycle.
An updated Democracy Campaign analysis of large campaign contributions - those who contributed $100 or more in a year - from retirees by decade found this:
2 comments:
I cannot fathom why working class folks are now trending GOP--though we traditionally are less wealthy--when the GOP/teaparty is so outrageously fascist. Are Americans so stupid they cannot see the trees for the forest?? History does say that the German people supported Hitler's rise to power in the 1930s. Are Americans as dimwitted as the Germans were???
I think Americans are just as or more dimwitted... When ordinary folks are duped by the GOP, manipulated by the super-wealthy into thinking that the GOP has their interests in mind, it's puzzling unless you view it as just plain ignorance. And as the article points out, race is a factor more than ever now that we have a mixed race prez. It has touched a nerve for older more fearful people.
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