after 2009, the voter base of the gop changed in directions opposite from national trends. it became older and less hispanic or asian than the general population. in 2013, jackie calmes of "the new york times" reported a dramatic shift in the power base of the party as it moved away from the northeast and the west coast and toward small-town america in the south and west. during the 2016 presidential election, the republicans also gained significant support in the midwest.