The right has pretty much stayed where it was since 1994 on all the issues.
The Left has moved far, far, far Left.
And taken the GOPe with them.
Remember all those good Republican Senators that voted for Ginsberg?, Souter?, against the marriage amendment? That wanted to vote for Myers? That wanted to vote for Amnesty (twice).
Yep. The pretty graphs posted elsewhere in the thread ignore that it’s “middle” has been consistently been moving relative to the left, which is to say that what the lefts is willing to consider “moderate” is left of where it used to be.
Much left in fact.
But that means that those who might have previously been considered moderates are now (if they’ve not moved left) part of the right wing to the left.
Self identification then imposes a problem. Moderates who have moved leftward along with the culture probably still consider themselves moderates. Consistent liberals who have not moved left wards may now consider themselves moderates. Effects like these should compress the left towards the left while expanding the right to occupy its former distribution if corrected for.
Yes!