Santorum talks about winning the support of "Reagan Democrats" in MI, but won't most of them be dead by now?

This is incredible, showing that the only people voting for Santorum, are democrats who have publicly stated they are doing so to cause turmoil in the GOP and give Obama a better chance.

It's been 23 years since the end of Reagan's second term in January of 1989. I'm sure some Reagan Democrats have passed on while others have retired and relocated to Florida, in which event there main concern is probably the solvency of Social Security, COLAs and Medicare. Some may remain in Michigan working 9-5 Monday through Friday and some may be in Michigan and find themselves unemployed or underemployed. But it's hard to imagine Reagan Democrats actually voting for a Republican in the general election, so if Santorum's pursuit of their vote wins him the Michigan primary it's likely an illusory victory.

What is worth contemplating is the demographics in 2016. There will be fewer white male conservative evangelical voters in 2016. There will be more Latino voters inclined to vote for the Democratic candidate because their party is more sympathetic on such matters as immigration policy and drug policy. (American drug policy had contributed substantially to what appears to be a never ending drug war between ruthless paramilitary drug cartels and the Mexican military and national police that has cost thousands of lives.) Not to mention that such issues as gay marriage equality and women's access to reproductive health services, including abortion referral, through Planned Parenthood will be less divisive social issues in 2016. So one can make a fairly convincing case that the Republican party is on the verge of extinction by 2016 unless the Democratic party utterly fails to exercise the fiscal conservatism that will be required in the future. This is a distinct possibility since entitlement reform and fiscal responsibility, i.e., balanced budgets that do not rely on David Copperfield-like sleight of hand, are not the traditional strengths of the Democratic party.

The demographics in 2016 should favor Democrats more than they do in 2012. These GOP candidates seem to be doing all they can to alienate Independent voters in 2012, voters they will find more difficult to woo in 2016 as a result. If the Democrats find a sensible and appealing candidate to run in 2016, they should lock up the White House through 2024.

Any talk of a Republican winning the votes of Reagan Democrats is a red herring. Ronald Reagan would be a moderate and unwelcome in this Republican party. So until Republicans figure out soon that a party which would exclude Ronald Reagan is a party that has no future in a rapidly changing America, then it will in fact have no future unless the Democrats lose serve. And maybe not even then.

Have a great free market private sector secular Wednesday!

Reagan Democrats would never vote for anyone like Santorum. That man is a nightmare.

I don't know if he said that but no, they wouldn't be dead now.

Reagan was elected in 1980 and re-elected in 1984. That about 30 years give and take.

So, no, they wouldn't be dead. If they were in their 30s back then, the would be in their sixties now and many would be younger than that if they were in their 20s back then.

Try thinking a bit more abstractly. It supposedly separates humans from the primates, but you might be an exception.