About 20 percent of the federation's 13.1 million members call themselves Republicans.

Only slightly more Michigan residents call themselves Republicans than Democrats.

Some Democrats call Republicans who make these arguments unpatriotic.

"I call Republicans because I can talk outside the box with them," she said.

He doesn't make a good case that homosexuals should call themselves Republicans.

Most alarming for the Democrats, however, was the survey's finding that 37 percent of the swing voters call themselves Republicans.

"It would suggest that those who would call themselves Republicans are quite possibly breaking ranks."

Some members of the Democratic leadership have even been calling Republicans, particularly those who favor gun control.

People who called themselves Republicans made up 19 percent of the electorate on Tuesday, compared with 17 percent four years ago.

They claimed to discuss politics more often, perhaps because it's a safe subject in a city where only 12 percent of people call themselves Republicans.