The study recounted in this op ed piece is really remarkable. The key point:
Barber and Pope found that people who identified themselves as strong Republicans were among the most malleable voters. When told Trump had adopted a liberal stance, these voters moved decisively to the left; when told Trump had taken a conservative position, they moved sharply to the right, as the accompanying chart shows.It would be interesting to see how far these "strong Republicans" are willing to follow Trump. I mean, if Trump ever did make some policy move to the left (like push for the DREAM Act, a tax reform package that really does raise taxes for the richest Americans or, much less likely than those unlikely possibilities, sign onto a single payer effort), would they follow along even if it meant watching their president stand next to a smiling Nancy Pelosi? Somehow I doubt it. But I would love to find out!
