I thought I would expand on my comment on Prairie Weather’s post below. We have heard a lot about how demographic changes are impacting the Republican party but most of it has been about non whites.  Well here is another demographic change, seniors are turning against the GOP.  Old people die and new people become old.  My parents were conservative and I have always been pretty liberal.  My parents are both dead and I am 67 years old and receiving Social Security and Medicare benefits – Yes, I’m officially a senior but I’m still not conservative.  When it comes to seniors the baby boomers like me represent a major demographic change.  We grew up in a New Deal world and accept government.  Certainly not all of us but a majority.  And there is more:

What do seniors care about now?  Our Democracy Corps July National Survey found that:

—89 percent of seniors want to protect Medicare benefits and premiums.

—87 percent of seniors want to raise pay for working women.

—79 percent of seniors think we need to expand scholarships for working adults.

—77 percent of seniors want to expand access to high-quality and affordable childcare for working parents.

—74 percent of seniors want to cut subsidies to big oil companies, agribusinesses, and multinational corporations in order to invest in education, infrastructure, and technology.

—66 percent of seniors want to expand state health insurance exchanges under Obamacare.

And this:

—On almost every issue we tested — including gay rights, aid to the poor, immigration, and gun control — more than half of seniors believe that the Republican Party is too extreme.

I might add race to this.  Most of us have gone to school and worked with non whites and don’t have the prejudices of our parents.

So this demographic shift should not come as any surprise.  As the boomers enter the ranks of seniors and their parents die seniors will become less likely to support Republicans.