How long does it take for the Dems to adopt GOP policies? About 20 years usually

The GOP's image is divorced from its reality. Many people seem to believe that the GOP is the party of the wealthy, of monied interests plotting in board rooms and country clubs. I don't see it that way at all, voting patterns don't support that and policies don't support that. To understand how Republicans think of the Republican Party, and how I think the Republican Party should be understood, I think you have to look at it as the party of ideas. The Democratic Party certainly seems to think so, since that appears to be where they get all their new ideas. It seems to take about 20 years for the Dems to adopt republican insights.

The Democratic Party for many years has been focused on the set of policies laid out and partially implemented by President Johnson as the Great Society. Their loyalty to forcible wealth redistribution and strengthening unions has been strong. Therefore they haven't been the party of new ideas. They have ideas, but all of them would be entirely recognizable by John Dewey.

Republicans having been out of power for so long became the party of new ideas in the 70s and searched for new ways to accomplish societal goals, orienting themselves toward developing new solutions.

As Obama said in the 2008 campaign, “I think it’s fair to say that the Republicans were the party of ideas for a pretty long chunk of time there over the last 10-15 years in the sense that they were challenging conventional wisdom.” (link)

What are we talking about?

Nuclear power
Republican idea: 1975
Democratic adoption: 2010 (Obama SOTU speech)
Time for Dems to catch up: 35 years

Welfare Reform
Republican Idea: 1975
Democratic adoption: 1996 (Clinton, Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act)
Time for Dems to catch up: 21 years

Teacher incentive pay
Republican idea: 1985
Democratic adoption: 2009 (Arne Duncan)
Time for Dems to catch up: 24 years

It is possible that the Republicans should not be labeled "conservative," as it is the Republicans who appear to be innovating and the Democrats who seem to be the conservative supporters of the old ways.