"... Americans are shifting left on a number of social issues."

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*  The fact is; the Repug party is doomed to extinction in America, along with their bankrupt ideology.
*  Lets the purges begin. The hardcore won't go for any "libruls" in their party.
*  The people are probably the same. The party has moved so far right anything short of burning heretics at the stake is now considered "liberal."
    *  True. I remember when the Tea Party put out a list of "purity tests" for candidates and journalists pointed out that Reagan failed 10 of the 11 tests.
*  The current GOP is nothing more than the John Birch Conspiracy Society, now with more money (Koch) and a bigger megaphone (Fox). They'll never go away as long as there is someone to hate. As Black and Hispanic minorities are assimilated, they'll find someone else to hate--witness their support for Pam Geller. Ignorance and superstition are, unfortunately, eternal.
*   I would count myself among the GOP refugees. I guess I could be identified as an Eisenhower Republican. I want my government to do stuff but I want it done efficiently. A good motto would be "Austere but adequate." But my home state of Kansas has shifted so far right that I feel like the GOP slid out from under me. I find myself voting Democrat which doesn't bother me all that much. Given the choice between tax and spend or borrow and spend, it seems to me that tax and spend is the conservative path.
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The Republican Conservative Base Is Shrinking
By Janie Velencia, June 3, 2015

The Republican conservative base -- defined as Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who say they are both socially and economically conservative -- is the smallest it's been since 2005, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday.

Forty-two percent of Republicans now describe themselves in these terms, a 9-point drop from one year ago and a 15-point drop from 2012. The percentage of Republicans who describe themselves as socially and economically moderate or liberal has jumped 5 points in the last two years, reaching 24 percent.

Where do the rest of the Republicans fall on the scale? Twenty percent describe themselves as socially moderate or liberal and economically conservative. This group has remained relatively unchanged in the last six years. The fourth category, those that describe themselves as socially conservative but economically moderate or liberal, represents the smallest portion, making up just 10 percent of the party.



These findings indicate that Republicans are part of an overall national trend: a record number of Americans now describe themselves as socially liberal.

In fact, Americans are shifting left on a number of social issues. Same-sex marriage has reached a record level of support, as has marijuana legalization. Americans are also becoming increasingly less religious, according to a Pew Research study released in May.

Gallup notes that although the shift is significant, it is not unprecedented. But it may present a unique challenge to 2016 GOP candidates, as they now face a conservative base that is less than 50 percent of the party.

Gallup surveyed 1,024 adults between May 6-10 via live interviews on landlines and cell phones.
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