Conason: The Republican coalition has an unhealthy pallor (90% white) for a permanent majority party

http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2008/11/10/realignment/print.html

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Meanwhile, the Republican coalition, if it still deserves that description, is increasingly constricted, with little space for growth. Not only is the GOP's power largely confined to the South, but the party's complexion displays an unhealthy pallor.

It is, in a word, white -- in an era when America is becoming more diverse, colorful and multiethnic. Nine out of 10 McCain voters were white, in fact, while the supporters of Obama had that more fashionable rainbow look: Out of 10, six were white, two or three were black, one was Hispanic, and the rest were Asian or "other" (perhaps biracial, like the president-elect himself).

Of course, Obama's sweep of African-American voters is hardly surprising. They have been the most reliably Democratic part of the voting population for nearly 80 years. But he also drew two-thirds of Hispanic voters as well, improving on the record of Democrats in the past two presidential elections and his own record in the primaries. Those groups represent the demographic future -- and the Republicans so far have no prospects or plans as the nation enters a period of ethnic change.

Equally ominous for the Republicans is the powerful Democratic preference of young voters, now expressed forcefully for the third national election in a row. Many political scientists believe that adult voting patterns tend to be established before age 30, which if true could lock in a new generation of Democrats. Again, it is not surprising that young minority voters supported Obama or chose Democratic candidates down-ticket, but they attracted a big majority of young white voters as well. Obama defeated John McCain by 10 points in that group, contributing heavily to the overall 2-to-1 Democratic margin among voters under 30.

Thanks in no small degree to the incompetence and corruption of the Republicans who have held power over the past decade or so, almost 40 percent of voters now call themselves Democrats. But just as important is the diminishing burden attached to the "liberal" label, which has been used to such great effect against Democrats over the past three decades.

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gop should listen up but i hope they don't.

The Right will prop him up as a Rethug version of Obama...call it the 'Obama Effect.' Problem is their base. But hey, if Jindal can win in Louisiana of all places...he may just have a legitimate shot.

Jindal is a witchfinder like that Kenyan witch hunter who blessed Sarah Palin's run for the Alaska governorship. Bet we could have serious fun with that! Is there enough popcorn in the world?

I'm glad Hispanics finally found out what the republican party really stands for, bigotry and xenophobia against anyone who isn't a white, rural christian. The GOP can no longer count on Nevada, Colorado, or Arizona and soon we're going to take Arizona and Texas!

The country is getting younger, browner and more educated/tolerant. The only Repuke President today's young people have known is the colossal and catastrophic failure that was His Chimperial Highness. A majority of that generation is probably lost to them. If Obama is a successful two-term POTUS, they will have lost another generation. Doubly troublesome is that younger religious people are not moved by the old boogeymen of scary Negroes, unholy gays and threatening immigrants. Even they know black, brown and gay people and the scare factor isn't there. The only group that the Repigs left to plausibly (in their minds) demonize are Muslims.

There is no way that the fundie base of the Repukes will nominate Jindal. They want the votes of brown people while continuing to piss on them and it will be a generation or two before they nominate a non-white candidate.

I don't know how the multi-layered cake of nationalities who comprise Hispanic and Asian Americans feel about the Republican party, but they have decided that racial harmony means getting people who look like each other to speak for EVERYBODY whether or not other groups AGREE.


If they don't fast forward, they are going to lose the credibility they have left after Newt, Delay, George, and Dick.

:hide:

in looks and tone