Interesting thoughts. Though I'd be curious whether its just an ebb and flow of economic cycles that change peoples political leanings. Such as growing debts and a debt crisis from a progressive governments leading to the pendulum swinging right, and then a period of muted growth and feelings of inequality lead to the pendulum swinging left. Not counting modern republicans as conservatives here of course.
What happened in the 60s and 70s to turn a large number of "great society" voters towards Reaganomics?