The GOP's deep hole

[bemildred]

It is notable that even after 2006, the Pubbies did next to nothing to change their image. And then the economy kicked them in the nuts.

Note the source, BTW.

Reporting from deep red South Carolina the day after the election, Anne Hull of the Washington Post wrote: "On the road, cars still had South Carolina license tags that said 'In God We Trust.' The utility pole on U.S. 29 was still tacked with the 'Jesus Saves' sign. ... The textile mills were still empty, and dogs still barked at the ends of their chains. ... But everything was different."

In so many respects -- culturally, ethnically, sociologically, internationally -- the election of Barack Obama has altered the landscape. It also has changed the political terrain, making the path for Republicans to return to majority status in the electorate daunting -- an uphill climb akin to scaling Mt. Everest. Without pitons.

The geographic coalition Obama was able to craft is certainly exhilarating for Democrats. He held every state John Kerry captured in 2004 and added a slew of states that had seemed out of reach. That gave a kick to congressional Democrats as well. With some races still undecided, they will pick up 20 or more seats in the House and seven or more in the Senate, coming on top of seats won in 2006. It is exceedingly rare for a party to make back-to-back gains of this magnitude. (We'd have to go back to the 1950s for a comparable swing.)

In the most immediate analysis, this election marked the combination of Obama's appealing persona with a national paroxysm of desire to turn the page totally on the Bush years. But long term, the results signal political shifts that have to be sobering, even chilling, for Republican partisans looking to a brighter day.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-oe-ornstein9-2008nov09,0,7258593.story

[Cirque du So-What]

1. They're in a hole, eh? Throw them some shovels!

What Republicans need now is a leader and a message that resonate with minority and young voters.

Good luck with all THAT!

I hope Democratic party leadership are pondering these questions as well, because we need to never take any demographic for granted. Such benign neglect allowed the 'Reagan revolution' to occur unhindered.

[47of74]

3. Yeah, and tell 'em to dig up!

[BlueManDude]

2. The days when GOPer candidates can show up at the Elks Club...

or the VFW Hall and attract voters by spouting out the boilerplate stuff they've been spewing since 1968 (government bad, new york times, eastern elites, aclu yadda yadd yadda) are over. Gingrich made it "cool" to be a Republican in 1990s and they completed the chain of events that started in 68 when the Dems starting losing presidential votes in the south but held on to Democratic congressional seats. But after a few election cycles even Bible Belt voters are asking for more than negative bromides that have nothing to do with the issues at hand.