Jonathan Martin, in an article in the New York Times, states that the Republicans now are at the same place as the Democrats decades ago. Quoting Al From, founder of the centrist Democratic Leadership Coalition, he says that what is happening with the Republicans is that a very conservative, evangelical wing is still trying to drive the party in the same way that activists really drove the Democratic Party in the 1970' and 1980's. But Democrats came to more of a consensus. Now the country has changed dramatically, and clinging to outdated social views have put Republicans in a difficult place.
We feel that in the Democratic Party, activists were working to mostly break down hierarchies. In the Republican Party, current activists are working to maintain and strengthen hierarchies.
With the trends towards dismantling hierarchies over the past centuries, we know the Republicans are now in a very tight position. Listening to their extremists will steer them to support hierarchies, even those hiding behind the cloak of religion, which are increasingly less supported by our society.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/04/us/politics/parties-trade-places-in-culture-wars-over-rights-measures.html?emc=eta1&_r=0
