Did Dukakis 1988/Dole 1996 voters like this exist?

[darklordoftech]

Were there voters who opposed the death penalty and strict incarceration, but also disliked the Department of Education and opposed tobacco regulations and gun control, and therefore voted for Dukakis in 1988 but for Dole in 1996? This is what I would have done for the reasons I listed.

[Podgy the Bear]

I am sure there had to be some voters like that.  Obviously, there were quite a few that switched from Dukakis to Dole.  These would be in states like Iowa (where Dukakis won big and the margins diminished somewhat) and South Dakota  (which was close in 1988 and didn't move whatsoever in 1992 and 1996).

Also, I would think that many were turned off by the Clinton character issue as early as 1992--and this sentiment intensified throughout his presidency years.

[SingingAnalyst]

According to polls, particularly Gallup, such a voter would likely be aged 50 or older in 1996.

[MarkD]

Yes, that kind of voter exists; that's the way I voted -- for Dukakis, then Bush, then Dole.
In 1989 I had a sort of epiphany that my politics are not actually as far left as Dukakis and I shouldn't have voted for him for the reason that I voted for him. My realization was that I am much more ideologically fit for the Republicans.