According to a new Gallup Poll, Arkansans “who identify as conservative Democrats has dropped from 15 percent six years ago to 9 percent today.” The Washington Post,
“That might not sound like a huge shift, but look at it this way: In 2008, nearly half of Arkansas voters — 47 percent — identified as Democrats. That number is down to 40 percent today, and it’s because those conservative Democrats left.
“A similar shift is happening in North Carolina; Gallup also recently crunched the numbers there and found a significant drop in people who identify as Democrats. In 2008, when Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) was first elected, North Carolinians identified with or leaned toward Democrats by a 49 percent-to-39 percent margin. Today, it’s just a one-point margin, 42 to 41…
“Most of the defectors appear to have become independents rather than Republicans, which means they have essentially moved into the “free agent” column. That’s not as good for Democrats as if they were still on the blue team, but it does mean that their votes are attainable for the right kind of Democrat.”
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