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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Republican Base Might Not Be As Scary As It Looks
The GOP base is shrinking https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/the-pro-trump-republican-base-that-many-politicians-fear-may-be-shrinking.html
According to the Pew Research Center, Republican Party identification fell 3 points, to 26 percent, from 2016 to the end of 2017. The number of self-identified independents increased at the same time, from 34 percent to 37 percent, while the number of Democrats remained steady. Gallup shows a similar change: From November 2016 to November 2017, there was a 5-point drop in the number of people who called themselves Republicans, from 42 percent to 37 percent. Democratic self-identification remained unchanged at 44 percent.
The sheer size of the United States makes it easy to find vocal support for anyone and anything, and Donald Trump has his vocal supporters. But their staunch commitment overshadows the reality: a shrinking base for a president who won by the skin of his teeth, reliant on a small group of voters in just a handful of states. His scandals and outragescontroversies and improprietieshave had an effect. Even rank-and-file GOP reactions to Helsinki are revealing; according to CBS, 21 percent of Republican voters disapproved of the president, a striking number given typical partisan loyalty.
A smaller base is still a base, and depending on their locations and constituencies, Trump-skeptic Republican lawmakers may see a backlash if they challenge the president. John McCains anti-Trump defiance has earned him real anger from Arizona voters, even as he prepares to leave office.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)there's even some shrinkage among Trump's base? VERY interesting! Of course we know those who remain are effectively batshit-crazy, but still. They thought they'd elected a strong man.
A HERETIC I AM
(24,381 posts)That assumes one thinks they are scary in the first place.
Frankly, I'm not impressed.
C_U_L8R
(45,031 posts)They seem more ridiculous and laughable. Sure they get all red faced and yell horrible racist stuff. But these are real bottom of the barrel dead enders here. They contribute nothing. They have no creativity or economic clout. Intellectually nobodies. They are retro everything and going nowhere. Flops, fascists and feckless couch potatoes. Thats what happens when you conserve and stew in your own tribal fears. You get the angry toads. Pepe, whatever.
stopbush
(24,398 posts)that means maybe, maybe 23% of the voting population.
Good to remember as the media tries their best to discourage us.
The Blue Flower
(5,450 posts)40% of a shrinking base isn't a lot of voters
MyOwnPeace
(16,949 posts)that a shrinking base, plus newly-disillusioned and independents, along with GETTING OUT THE VOTE, especially those that stayed at home because they thought that there was no way that IQ45 could possibly win, will be enough to get rid of him - unless Mueller does it first!