The
Gallup polling organization
reports that seniors, those over 65, have become much more Republican than formerly. They also report that race is becoming a key factor in political orientation:
U.S. party preferences are strongly polarized along racial lines. (snip) Whites 18 to 29 are slightly Democratic, but whites in all older age groups lean Republican by 10- to 13-point margins. At the same time, nonwhites in all age groups are overwhelmingly Democratic.
Gallup concludes this trend may be evaluated 4-5 years from now:
Once Obama leaves office, his influence on party preferences among racial and age groups may become clearer, if he is succeeded by a white president from either party. Should the current trends in party preference by age persist, it suggests a political realignment among seniors has taken place. If the current trends by age shift in the other direction, it suggests the shift was temporary, likely tied to the Obama era.
Two things are going on here: seniors are becoming more Republican, and whites are becoming more Republican. The confounding factor is that 85% of seniors are white.
