Pic Of The Moment: Grave News For Republicans

[rpannier]

90. I think there is a decent percentage that do and some that don't, but...

By but, I mean they don't change at all. They may have been a pro-environmentalist, pro-choice, pro-civil rights person who opposed something like gay marriage.
As more and more people have become in favor of it, they are now in the conservative camp. Not because they shifted, but because the majority did.
Example: My father was an Eisnehower, Rockefeller, Ford, right of center Republican. As the neo-con movement has taken control of the Republican party he seems to many to be left-of-center. None of his views have really changed, the definitions and policies changed.

I think others move in one or the other directions when they perceive their views as being targets. If they're opposed to gay marriage and people call them bigots or close-minded, they begin to shift towards people who share that value. The new group reinforces their belief that gay marriage is wrong and 'reminds' them that another group they have supported (Unions or public employees or whatever) support gay marriage and they slide away from their support for that group and so on.

Look at how desegregation soured so many on the Democratic Party in the south.

IMO it's a variety of things. And as I said, some people never change, it's just the center shifted left or right