My Father was a “Yellow Dog Democrat” which meant he would vote for a yellow dog before a Republican. He was generally conservative but voted for Roosevelt, Truman and many local Democrats. Back then if you won the Democratic primary in our area of the state, you won the election.
I never heard the term “Blue Dog Democrat” until a few years ago but I guess it means the same thing.
Jimmy Carter did the impossible. He turned Daddy into a Republican. He and Mother voted for Reagan and never looked back.
They weren’t Reagan Democrats. They completely changed. They were Reagan Republicans.
I think Obama has had a similar effect on many people ay today Carter did on your dad back then. Once people see a true dyed-in-the-wool Lefty in the White House and see how complicit the media is in forwarding an agenda that most Americans disagree with, it causes (honest and/or intelligent) people to ask questions and consider other options.
A “Yellow Dog Democrat” was not much different than today’s Democrat voters. They were culturally conservative but their hands were out for the free government handouts. That was true in the 1930’s and it is still true. I honestly believe we lost the election because we promised to create millions of new jobs, that scared the hell out of lot of people. The 53% want disability payments not jobs.