GOP-Leaning Majority Seen Fading in U.S.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: The Washington Post

There has been much chatter about who now speaks for the Republican Party and whether the GOP has a message or agenda to combat President Obama's popularity. Those questions are important to the party's future, but the most serious problem remains the deeper demographic and political forces at work in the country.

For the past few months, political analysts and demographers have been poring over the results of the 2008 election and comparing them with presidential results from the last two decades. From whatever angle of their approach -- age, race, economic status, geography -- they have come to a remarkably similar conclusion. Almost all indicators are pressing the Republicans into minority status.

Republicans are still capable of winning individual elections, but until they find a way to reverse or at least minimize these broader changes in the country, their chances of returning to majority status will be severely reduced.

The American Enterprise Institute and the Brookings Institute convened a stellar cast on Friday to review what has been learned since last November. The panel included Robert Lang of Virginia Tech, Ruy Teixeira of the Center for American Progress, William Frey of the Brookings Institution, Bill Bishop, a Texas writer and author of "The Big Sort," Scott Keeter of the Pew Research, and Ronald Brownstein of Atlantic Media. They presented a wealth of data about what happened in 2008 and offered a series of conclusions that would alarm any Republican hopeful of a quick turnaround in the party's fortunes.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/13/AR2009061301209.html?hpid=topnews

[Happyhippychick]

1. Ironic - the party of old white homophobes is now "minority status"

:rofl:

[Jawja]

10. that's the party of old white homophobes

AND RACISTS.

[Atman]

2. This demographic shift was known about BEFORE the 2000 "election."

There was at least one book written about, but I can't recall the name of the book that was discussed quite a bit back then, when it first came out. I have long surmised that this irreversible demographic shift was a much of the reason the neo-cons and Republicans went to such extraordinary lengths to steal the election(s); they knew it was their last chance to ever be in the positions of power they'd long been accustomed to, through which they'd systematically been looting America for years. They had eight years, that's it, then they were outcasts. Just as anybody with "nothing left to lose," they went for it all. And you know what? They pretty much got it. They won't have keys to the vault anymore, at least not directly. But the legacy of Bush's endless wars and no-bid contracts to run them will help keep the GOP and neocons fat cats rolling in our cash for generations to come. Heck, they're even STILL working to further reduce the Estate Tax (which their Ministry of Fear Communications Dept advised them to call the "Death Tax"), to help make sure their stolen wealth lives on and on, untaxed.

.

[Arugula Latte]

5. One book that got a lot of play was "The Emerging Democratic Majority" by Ruy Teixeira & John Judis

After the 2004 election, I remember posting comments like: "Come ON! Emerge, already!" ... And it did. :)

http://www.amazon.com/Emerging-Democratic-Majority-Lisa-Books/dp/0743226917

http://www.thedemocraticstrategist.org/

[Merlot]

3. They can blame it on age, race, economic status, geography....

but the real reasons repubs are unpopular is financial mismanagment, criminal activities, sexist nd racist attitudes.

The repubs can try all they like to "reverse or at least minimize these broader changes in the country" but unless they change their platform, they will continue to shrink.

[Arugula Latte]

6. That schtick worked for them for a few decades, but the gig is up.

They've got nothin'. Simply "rebranding" or "re-messaging" won't help their sinking ship.

[Robbien]

4. GOPers don't have to win majority, they could do what they did in Albany

get some GOPer billionaire to pay elected Dems to switch their party.

[bluestateguy]

7. I want a one party country. No apologies.

Just like during James Monroe's presidency. The Era of Good Feeling.

[Speck Tater]

8. The longer one party stays in the majority, no matter WHICH party, the more corrupt it becomes.

Be careful what you wish for.

[bluestateguy]

9. Not a priority for me

If we get universal health care, a better educational system, a sound economy and a sound foreign policy again, then you know what, I'm willing to look the other way if a few politicians are dipping their hands into the cookie jar.

[No Elephants]

15. We already have one party--the Republicrats. Some run as Republicans, some run

as Democrats, but the differences between them are marginal.

The dissenters are those right and left of the Replicrats, but they have no majoriy, little money and no organization, especially those on the left ( the right is the religious right, which has the Church structure to work through).

[ThomWV]

11. I call HORSESHIT on the title - There never was a "GPO-leaning majority"

This nation hasn't had a GPO leaning majority since Reagan was elected - they may act like they are the majority but they are not and have not been in dam near 30 years. Just because they make the most noise doesn't indicated that there are more of them.

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. Good quote from article:

"Republicans can't reverse the demographic trends; their only solution is to increase their share of the minority vote." HAH! Good luck with that!

[cpompilo]

13. Fade into the sunset already and take

your actor/politicians with you.

[KharmaTrain]

14. But The "Center-Right" Myth Persists

Most of it astroturfed by the corporate media who prefers that where the American political mindset to be...just enough "conservative" to let the profits flow and keep the regulators and federal government on the defensive.

Many rushpublicans still believe that this is a "center-right" country and their "center" is a boooshie or mittens or mccain...a Palin thus appears to be a "moderate". Their perceptions are now their downfall...sucks to be thm.