The number of self-identified Republicans in North Carolina is dropping.
According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, the number of North Carolinians identifying as Republican has dropped from 35 percent in 2004 to just 26 percent today.
Bush won North Carolina handily, 56 to 44 percent.
"Of the large states Bush won by more than five points in 2004, North Carolina has seen the greatest drop in GOP identification," Pew's researchers wrote.
The interviews were conducted with registered voters during the first two months of 2008. Overall, researchers found that nationally, 36 percent identified as Democrats and just 27 percent as Republicans.
Among voter registration, the number of independent voters has increased, Democrats have gone up slightly and Republicans are static.
In 2004, 46.8 percent of voters were registered Democrats, 34.5 percent were Republicans and 18.5 percent were unaffiliated, and two-tenths of one percent were Libertarian.
As of Saturday, 44.8 percent were registered Democrats, 34 percent were Republicans and 21.2 percent were unaffiliated. There are no registered Libertarians.
Hat Tip: Tom Jensen
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Re: GOP identification dropping in N.C.
Top ten reasons many do not register as Republicans:
10. Republicans have to take a literacy test. I failed because I could not spell Arnold's last name.
9. While it is easy to register as a Republican it is hard to act rich and grumpy.
8. Being a laid-off Republican is hard on your ego.
7. Democrats eat fried chicken and Republicans eat bagels. Ordering a bagel may get you labelled as a Yankee sympathizer.
6. I was told last week that if I registered as a Republican I would get drafted.
5. The puppet master eats his own kind. You are safe as long as you are a Democrat, I think.
4. Speaker Black was doing fine until he consorted with those Republicans. Duh!
3. Most of us are confident that the Republicans caused the drought because they do not go to church.
2. The News & Observer makes it clear that the Democrats are the chosen people. And the N & O ain't ever wrong.
1. More Democrats are willing to answer the phone than Republicans. The Republicans are too busy counting their money and don't like to talk on the phone due to the Patriot Act.