How many people buy into the whole Democratic or GOP program?

[andym]

Certainly core activists do for both parties. But how many people just care about a few key issues or even personality factors or party identity in a vague way and nothing more. Could it be a large number of people? I think it must be, given the complete party turnover from Democratic to GOP in the last 8 years. And the large movement in the opposite direction from 2006-9.

I think people on DU, DK and also conservative sites tend to overlook this political reality. But the vote manipulators like the Koch brothers have perfected ways to influence these people.

Also, this assumes there is a unified program, which for argument's sake I would think is close to the platforms of the two parties in the last Presidential election. Do people agree?

Thoughts? Anyone have any relevant polling data?

[MineralMan]

1. Precious few.

Even people who are very active, politically, are often very narrow in their actual interests. Single issues and related issues are the primary focus of what is probably a majority of people. Among Democrats, we have many who are uninterested in any issues other than the ones they personally feel are most important. Those could be environmental, economics, social justice or other specific issues.

On the Republican side, the same thing happens, but with different issues.

It's a small minority of Americans who pay close attention to a wide range of issues.

So, I'd guess that most people not only don't buy into a party's entire platform, but most don't even know what the party's position is on more than one or two issue categories.

[Amishman]

2. I see the Republicans primarily as a coalition of single issue voters

They care so much about one issue that they vote against their own best interests in others.

Marijuana, guns, and abortion are all good examples. Some people will vote these issues despite being in disagreement on the rest of the platform