The Democrats left the middle class behind when in the 1970s they consciously shifted to their current support for what can only be characterized as "Ewwwwww! causes" like gay marriage, abortion on demand, trans-gendered whatever and the like. Today's Republicans act like yesterday's Democrats, and today's Democrats act like they are insane. I don't see much room for conservatives anywhere in the spectrum anymore.
Fact is the RATS took the entire country to the left, except for the Conservatives. The chart I like to use is this:
Conservative = Conservative
Republican ---> Democrat
Democrat ---> Liberal
Liberal ---> Marxist