McCain & the Base [Rich Lowry]

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=Njg1MTYxMWY4MTRkYjVjMzFmNjgzMGFkZGVjM2FjYTI=

If you believe the exit polls (I know, I know), Bush in 2004 got 84 percent of conservatives, 45 percent of moderates, and 13 percent of liberals. McCain lost ground among everyone. He got 78 percent of conservatives, 39 percent of moderates, and 10 percent of liberals. Also, the ideological composition of the electorate was almost exactly the same this year as in 2004—34 percent conservative, 44 percent moderate, 22 percent liberal. On party ID, the same story. McCain performed slightly worse than Bush across the board. Bush won 93 percent of Republicans, 48 percent of independents, and 11 percent of Democrats. McCain won 89 percent of Republicans, 44 percent of independents, and 10 percent of Democrats. Here, though, the composition of the electorate changed. In 2004, Republicans were 37 percent of voters, in 2008 32 percent.