What contributes to a state's elasticity?

[IceSpear]

And the opposite of the "socially liberal but fiscally conservative"? They exist?
Are there voters who are social conservative but support a big welfare state?
Do they also contribute to state's elasticity?

Yes, but they're on the decline. In the past decade the Republicans have succeeded in convincing poor Appalachian whites that siphoning their money to the 1% actually helps them. They're so opposed to abortion and gay marriage that they figure Republicans MUST be correct about that as well.

[IceSpear]

And the opposite of the "socially liberal but fiscally conservative"? They exist?
Are there voters who are social conservative but support a big welfare state?
Do they also contribute to state's elasticity?

Yes, but they're on the decline. In the past decade the Republicans have succeeded in convincing poor Appalachian whites that siphoning their money to the 1% actually helps them. They're so opposed to abortion and gay marriage that they figure Republicans MUST be correct about that as well.

Please, tell us how contemptuous you are of Appalachian whites and just how thick you think they are? "Oh, they only vote Republican because they've been convinced by unscrupulous men to give their money to the rich".

Well, they were solidly fiscally liberal until the gay marriage/abortion issues became contentious. And until the face of the Democratic Party became a black man. I was being generous in assuming the issue was the former and not the latter.