60er-40er:

Special Report: Ideologically, Where Is the U.S. Moving?: Nearly 4 in 10 Americans say their views have grown more conservative (Lydia Saad, 7/06/09, Gallup)

Despite the results of the 2008 presidential election, Americans, by a 2-to-1 margin, say their political views in recent years have become more conservative rather than more liberal, 39% to 18%, with 42% saying they have not changed. While independents and Democrats most often say their views haven't changed, more members of all three major partisan groups indicate that their views have shifted to the right rather than to the left.

These findings, from a June 14-17 Gallup Poll, somewhat conform to Gallup's annual trends on Americans' self-defined political ideology. Thus far in 2009 (from January through May), 40% of Americans call themselves conservative, up from 37% in 2007 and 2008, and the highest level since 2004.

Which is why rebuilding the GOP isn't even heavy-lifting. The fact of Democratic governance alone will fuel the GOP's return to power.

Posted by Orrin Judd at July 6, 2009 5:36 PM