It's a mixed bag and confusing. The Democrats attract the scientific enlightened because of the history of science persecution by the conservative religious. It's also the case that conservatives are far more likely to reduce scientific grants. The relationship between openness and genius also tends to make innovators leery of conservatives.

The situation is further complicated by the appeal of populism to the less educated. Freedom is a complicated subject. Freedom to do research and freedom to live your life free of excessive regulation are very different. Regulations in general are more ominous for the lower classes as they don't have the ability to circumvent them or buy their way out. The upper classed also tend to use their leisure time in ways unaffected by regulation.

The same pattern of disproportionate affects apply to social liberalism. The upper class tend to have the intellectual and financial means to avoid the worst consequences of things like drug abuse and sexual promiscuity and can maintain decadent lifestyles.

The popular idea among the "elites" that the underclass is stupid and selfish may superficially seem reasonable to an educated person. The lower class do seem unconcerned about pressing issues such as climate change or pandemics but the elites are extremely narrow minded. Were the elites subject to the same costs in terms of life satisfaction that the underclass suffer from regulations that force expensive environmental regulations or pandemic restrictions politics would be very different.

@wolfhnd

Democrats have become socially conservative. They resemble the 16th century Catholic Church and they're re-enacting the Spanish Inquisition.

Republicans have become socially liberal.