GOP in Dramatic Slide: Gimme Gore

A survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, found a "dramatic shift" in political party identification since 2002, when Republicans and Democrats were at rough parity. Now, 50% of those surveyed identified with or leaned toward Democrats, whereas 35% aligned with Republicans.
Fewer pledge allegiance to the GOP
A poll says 35% of those surveyed identify with Republicans. Public attitudes seem to be drifting toward Democrats' values.
By Janet Hook, LA Times Staff Writer
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-shift23mar23,1,4233...
"WASHINGTON — Public allegiance to the Republican Party has plunged during George W. Bush's presidency, as attitudes have edged away from some of the conservative values that fueled GOP political victories, a major survey has found.

The survey, by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, found a "dramatic shift" in political party identification since 2002, when Republicans and Democrats were at rough parity. Now, 50% of those surveyed identified with or leaned toward Democrats, whereas 35% aligned with Republicans.

What's more, the survey found, public attitudes are drifting toward Democrats' values: Support for government aid to the disadvantaged has grown since the mid-1990s, skepticism about the use of military force has increased and support for traditional family values has decreased..."

Pew findings full report:
http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=312
"Over the past five years, the political landscape of the nation has shifted from one of partisan parity to a sizable Democratic advantage. But the change reflects Republican losses more than Democratic gains. Compared with 2002, Democratic Party identification is up just two points (from 31% to 33%) and has not grown at all since 2004. Republican Party identification, meanwhile, has fallen precipitously, from 29% as recently as 2005 to just 25% in the first quarter of 2007.

The shift that favors the Democratic Party is among independents. The share of Americans who describe themselves as independents who “lean” toward the Democratic Party has gradually risen from 12% in 2002 to 17% in the first quarter of 2007. Meanwhile, the share leaning toward the GOP has dropped, but only slightly (from 13% to 11%). But the survey suggests that even these Democratic gains reflect independents’ dissatisfaction with the Republican Party more than any greater liking for the Democrats."

It is a long, detailed study but a big gist is folks are not so much lovin' Democratic as much as they are NOT lovin' Republican.

While I think that this may lead to a win for any DEM candidate in 2008 I also believe that it may grease the wheels of a Gore candidacy.