How the dynamics of the Obama presidency have pushed Republican voters to the right

[HomerRamone]

http://prospect.org/article/cycle-republican-radicalization

Immigration is a perfect example. Before this latest immigration controversy, Republican voters were at least favorably inclined toward a path to citizenship. But then Barack Obama moves to grant temporary legal status to some undocumented people (and by the way, nothing he's doing creates a path to citizenship for anyone, but that's another story). It becomes a huge, headline-dominating story, in which every single prominent Republican denounces the move as one of the most vile offenses to which the Constitution has ever been subjected. Conservative media light up with condemnations. And because voters take cues from the elites on their own side, Republicans are naturally going to think the order was wrong while Democrats are going to think it was right.

...it's safe to say that the average Republican voter didn't have much of an opinion on that particular kind of health care reform prior to Barack Obama becoming president. They did, however, have opinions on the underlying question of whether it's the responsibility of the government to make sure that everyone has health coverage. You'd expect most Republicans to say no, since they believe in the free market and aren't favorably inclined toward the safety net. And most did — in Gallup polls, the number of Republicans answering no to this question has consistently been over 50 percent. In 2006, for instance, it was 57 percent. But since then the rejection of government having this responsibility has gone from a majority position among Republicans to near-unanimity. In 2013, it reached 86 percent...

This movement hasn't happened on every issue; for instance, you might be surprised to learn that substantial numbers of Republican voters appreciate the reality of global warming and favor taking steps to address it; in some cases, even a majority of them do, depending on what specific question is being asked (see here for some examples). My guess is that there are two reasons we haven't seen a similar movement to the right on climate. First, there is some diversity of opinion within the GOP elite, from outright climate denialism on one end to acknowledgment of reality on the other (without, it should be said, accepting that anything ought to be done about it). Second, and perhaps more important, the issue has never been at the top of the news agenda for an extended period in recent years, particularly in a conflict that pits all Republicans against Barack Obama.

But when an issue like immigration or health care does meet those criteria, you get a particular cycle. Elite Republicans take their place in the fight against Obama; then rank-and-file Republicans follow along; then pushed by their constituencies, the officeholders harden their positions, which in turn pulls their voters farther to the right, and on it goes. The particularly intense loathing Republicans at all levels have for Obama feeds the cycle, pushing them toward not just disagreeing with him on particular courses of policy but rejecting the underlying principles he holds.

Is this cycle going to continue after Obama leaves office? If Hillary Clinton wins in 2016, it probably will.

[upaloopa]

1. Well I can tell by the turn out in the last election

that Dem voters don't want Dem policies to be based on wether they push republicans further right. Fuck republicans an the horses they ride around on.

[Stargazer99]

2. the Republicans had plenty of time to create a program to cover health care for low income people

It takes over 8 yrs (Bush's time) to figure many in this nation are in extreme need medically? I personally think the conservatives really don't give a damn about the poor an low income. It seems like they wish we would just die quietly and quickly so as not to bother them.
Where in the hell was your " Christian" concern for the poor?
If Republican conservatives really are concerned about global warming why are they supporting the energy companys which refuse to advance to less destructive sources of energy? We know, someone's corp profits will die and wither, no matter how many human lives must be sacrificed to our great god "Mammon".

This so called "richest nation in the world" either cannot or will not take care of its own. Corruption in this nation smells to high heaven
A Republican's "family values" will make this nation stronger....go sell it somewhere else. If you Republicans really cared you would not be supporting policies that destroy even the least of us.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. Republican voters have always been far to the right. They were not pushed, they started there.

Trying to tell me that in the past, Republicans were super moderate good guys is not going to fly. They were far to the right in the 1980's. People who voted for Republican policy then voted for war, against choice, against any rights for LGBT people, they responded to racist rhetoric and supported the gutting of the middle class, the busting of Unions and inaction in the face of the greatest pandemic of our lifetimes.
If that's uncomfortable for people who want to promote Reagan voters as supreme liberals, I don't give a shit. They were not pushed to the right, that's where they always were.

[cheyanne]

4. Another reason climate change has not followed this movement is

that it can't be construed as a "give away" to the "takers", as is the usual fear mongering by the Republicans.

Regarding the popularity of immigration reform before the 11/7 elections polls showed that 52% of Americans favored reform. That percentage dropped once Obama actually initiated reform. Could this drop be same reason that ACA polls more favorably when it is not called Obamacare?

[Rod Beauvex]

5. The problem for me is...

The Democrats seem to assume they should follow the Republicans rightward, and they think they can still be Democrats because they are still to the actual left of Republicans, even if they long centers moved to the right of the center.

There is no real left party for the left voters.