GOP's embrace of extremist Trump supporters is driving mainstream Republicans to become Democrats...

[DonViejo]

GOP's embrace of extremist Trump supporters is driving mainstream Republicans to become Democrats: pollster

Tom Boggioni
March 05, 2021

According to the pollster who coined the 'Reagan Democrat" label applied to longtime Democrats who switched parties due to the appeal of former President Ronald Reagan, the current Republican Party is facing a similar exodus of voters who have been turned off by Donald Trump and the crowd he brought into the GOP.

In an interview in Politico with legendary pollster Stanley Greenberg, he revealed the subtle racism that led to Democrats joining the GOP in 1984 no longer appeals to the upper-middle class suburbanites who have been turned off by a party now steeped in what was described as "white grievance."

Describing "Reagan Democrats," Greenberg wrote, "the leaders who were supposed to fight for them seemed to care more about the blacks in Detroit and the protesters on campus; they seemed to care more about equal rights and abortion than about mortgage payments and crime. The old politics has failed them. What they really want is a new political contract — and the freedom to dream the American dream again."

That was then and this is now, he said, explaining: "In leaning too hard into white identity politics — and perhaps being too focused on what he thought Reagan Democrats wanted — Trump accelerated the rise of a new voting bloc that is, in many ways, the mirror image of the Reagan Democrats. Call them the Biden Republicans.

"Historically, they identified with the Republican Party as their political home," the Politico report from Zack Stanton elaborates. "But the leaders who were supposed to fight for them seem to care more about white grievance and keeping out immigrants; seem to care more about social issues and 'owning the libs' than about childcare payments and college tuition. They don't consider themselves Democrats — at least not yet — but they are voting for them, delivering them majorities in the House and Senate, and making Joe Biden just the fourth candidate in the last century to defeat an incumbent president."

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https://www.rawstory.com/racist-republicans/

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. And we welcome these Biden Republicans with open arms! ♥

[aocommunalpunch]

2. And they will be catered to, since they are willing to hold back their support

and play hardball, even if they never mean it. They will threaten, cajole, and whisper sweet nothings about a big tent. Meanwhile, the shift rightward continues.

[Eyeball_Kid]

4. That depends on Dem leadership.

Biden Republicans are not only moving away from Trump, but they're moving TOWARD a party that is more responsive to their ECONOMIC NEEDS. The GOP has abandoned that aspect of politics and is only engaged in a culture war. They are marketing beliefs, not government policy. Democratic leadership doesn't have to bend to the right. In terms of bread and butter politics, they're the only show in town.

[NotAPuppet]

3. I welcome them as well,

but I don't want my party to turn into the GOP 2.0 to please the defectors.

[Eyeball_Kid]

5. The risk of that happening is present, but IMO, it's low.

There are benefits to be gained by all voters and citizens by appreciating the improvements in government functioning that the Dems are offering. It takes elementary marketing to get the message across.

[uponit7771]

6. "extremist" Why is America so warry of saying the word racist assholes in articles?

[zipplewrath]

7. This is a problem

We can't have grand debates if we are all "on the same side". Look at the trouble AOC gets into when she argues with members of her own party. We need the "Rockefeller republicans" to go back and get control of their party so we can have great debates on the issues. Right now we have the rational people trying to discuss issues, and their opponents holler "Q-Anon!". We can't move forward in this country operating this way. I'm sorry life is so tough in their party. Fix it, don't just come over and screw up ours. You're partially responsible for what is going on over there. You coddled and cajoled the racists and misogynists for decades and guess what, they listened to you. And now YOU'RE confused?

[Midnight Writer]

8. On the other hand, Trump got millions MORE votes in 2020 than in 2016.

If Republicans are leaving the Party in droves, those numbers are being more than replenished by, I'm assuming, previously inactive citizens.

[lagomorph777]

9. And Biden got millions more than that.

[Cha]

10. Well that's encouraging!

[Maru Kitteh]

11. Wowsa. That was "subtle" racism?