If demographics is destiny, the Republican Party has a rendezvous with irrelevance — unless its policies change. This is the message some Republican leaders have been sending in the closing weeks of the presidential campaign. “The demographics race we’re losing badly,” Senator Lindsey Graham recently told the Washington Post with characteristic bluntness. “We’re not generating enough angry white guys to stay in business for the long term.”
The numbers tell the tale. Minorities have accounted for 85 percent of the country’s population growth over the past decade, according to the US Census Bureau. A record 24 million Hispanics will be eligible to vote in the 2012 presidential election, up 22 percent since 2008. Meanwhile, nearly 87 percent of registered Republican voters are white. And whites have declined as a portion of the electorate in every presidential election since 1992.
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The GOP does not have a demographics problem. They have an ideology problem. It is ill fitted to people's real struggles. They advocate the monied class as the protectors of the economy and give little attention to the contribution of working people. They are not political leaders for a livable life. "The poor are always with us" is a refrain that just drips off their lips as an excuse to limit their responsibility as a member of a society that is suppose to ensure "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." As long as profit and property supersede economic security and freedom from harm they will lose votes. The growing demographics that is going from minority to majority status have endured these struggles for years. Those that oppressed them should start building bridges to make better connections than they do now or face the consequences of their past ill will. Abraham Lincoln is his second inaugural when addressing the "woe" of slavery wisely predicted that until such destructive beliefs are removed we will all continue to suffer its consequences. It is time to heed these wise words.
The left wing would love for this to be true. But alas, it is not. The idea that pandering to the special interests of certain groups (the tactic favored by the the Democrats) is an abomination against principle.
Latinos who favor lax immigration laws are only those who have recenlty emigrated, and may be kin to those who are here illegally. But 2nd generation Latinos and beyond are far more likely to support the enforcement of our borders, and sensible immigration laws. Anything less, is pandering.
Voter ID laws are not about suppressing votes, but supressing voter fraud. Democrats have won too many elections by gaming the system (does anyone think Al Franken actually won his senate election?), and requiring voters to prove they are registered voters at the booth is no more a racial move than requirng an ID to cash a check or board an airplane. But when Democrats have lost the argument, cries of racail motives are quite predictable.
The GOP would be wise to stick to its principles, and it will continue to win elections. Pandering should be left to the Demorats, who cannot win voters with their ideas, and must make promises to any special interest that it can.
Richmond 12, you're pandering to the base by repeating the right-wing lie about Al Franken.
This is not a party line problem. Remember George Bush and Senator McCain, Republican stalwarts tried to get this problem solved in a humane manner. Richmond you advocate the bogy man approach to this issue. Until solutions that address better unity by paying attention to everyone's real concerns and dismiss false concerns we will continue to make little progress. Richmond you can not speak for all immigrants but you can speak as a fellow citizen who wants this country to work for as many as possible. Presently you are stuck in the muck of tainted information.
The problem for the Rejpublican Party goes beyond demographics but does indeed include demographics. "Richmond12" can go on all he wants about "voter fraud" but we have no big history of the problem. I understand what the Republican's are trying to do but it is like sticking a finger into a leaking Hoover Dam.
Why did I leave the Republican Party. First the introduction of the religious right during Reagens term the person who brought me into the Party. But that was okay RR used them but didn't really believe in them so we were all comfortable with it. The fact is once he let them in we couldn't get them out. Then comes the "libertarians" with their insanity, we buy into that a little group of fruitcakes for the votes and now we can't get rid of them.
Real conservatives for political expediency sell out to this motley crew and hence a Republican Party only a ticked off old white guy could really like. It's not a question of lefites wishing it were true it is a questin of those of us who were business type Republicans blanching at the insanity taking over the Party. I fully understand trying to appeal to a dull mass of voters who think all of this religious nonsense is important, but my god the party is selling its soul for this stuff.
In the end these "angry white guys" as the article calls them, I'd call them something else will get out numbered. Whether "Richmond12" or anyone else wishes to remain in denial is up to them. But in the not to distant future "white guys" will be the minority and the Republican Party does not appeal to a diverse educated population. This fact is why so many of us would like to see a new Party, a rational conservative Party come into existence. One that knows the difference between religion and politics, science and ignorance, one that opposes monopolies and foreign adventures.
A conservative party that is conservative not some conglomeration of fringe elements. There is no doubt if Obama were other than what he is and I'll leave you to fill that in this would be a massacre and if he loses the one bright thing that could come out of this is the Republican House will pass its insane legislation and will merciful wreck the party enough so that we might get our Republican Party back.
I left the GOP for the same reason. I will disagree about one thing. My opinion of 'St. Ronald' is that he was very much an ideologue.
There's always voter suppression and deception of voters-when desparate there's outright lies. Romney-Ryan have been doing well in the polls. Even many of the voter suppression laws defeated this time will be in effect after the election,Meanwhile there is voter intimidation,purging of the voter rolls in FL etc. In Ohio,the latest ruling in favor of voters is being defied.
Women don't get married anymore and they don't have children anymore. Traditionally, single females haven't had a clue about politics and haven't had a clue how Democrats use and manipulate them with scare tactics. Women grow out of this when they get married and have kids. The Democrat nonsense no longer makes sense after they have a family and children. As women remain single longer, single women increase as a percent of society, and stupid decisions are made at the ballot box (Obama and Liz come to mind- older people aren't this dumb...)
I have a constitutional right to have my vote counted equally! When people are allowed to vote multiple times in the names of dead people and when people vote who don't have the right to vote, that is an infringement of my constitutional right to have my vote count equally. I support the crackdown on illegal voting!!!!!!
I want to know how to get rid of the "My Saved" section at the bottom of my browser window. There is less and less page devoted to content and more to adds and gimmicks like this. At least I should be able to disable this "feature". And you faqs and help should tell me how.
upper right hand corner of the bar has the feature you seek.
You can't completely get rid of it, but you can "diminish" it by clicking on the "squiggle" at the far right of the "My Saved" bar. Unfortunately, every time you refresh a page, you go back to the very top of the page, and the full bar returns until you diminish it again. {Sigh} These Globe websites are pretty disheartening for a major organization that's located a scant few miles from a center for major computer experts. You'd think they could've done better. I haven't accessed the site from a smartphone, but maybe it works better on one of those devices. They should really do some consumer research, now that it's been a year since they launched this site, and get some feedback on how people think it's working.
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Gee, I wonder why Hispanic voters (and other minorities) are pretty much in the can for the Democrats? That's a tough one to figure out. Maybe Rene can help us out.
LOL, "Incy". Scroll down to the various posts from "Attaturk" and maybe you'll get an inkling why the GOP may be sliiiiiiiiding toward extinction in its present form. No, it may not come tomorrow (or on November 6th), but unless they shift gears soon, it will come.
I agree w/ the data, but not the conclussion. Despite the lack of coverage, the Republican party has a number of well qualified "minority" candidates. Hispanic governors Susana Martinez of New Mexico and Brian Sandoval of Nevada, Texas Senate candidate Ted Cruz, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rica and Utah congressional candidate Mia Love. Also, what has the dem party really done for minorities. Black unemployment? Once yu get into future generaations of hispanic voters, and they start to vote on more than immigration, my guess is you will see more vote republican.
Ted Cruz has absolutely no connection whatsoever with the Hispanic community.
"begolfing" The problem I have with your statemnt is that it implies you have no real interest in the Party, at least my old Party coming back. Fine the Party has some hispanic candidates. But the party has nothing but an anti-hispanic agenda. Do you really think the average Hispanic or Black beleives the new voter ID laws are anything except to make them feel unwelcome at the polls. Themoderate comes up with some nonsense regarding Hispanics in Florida. We know for a fact outside of the Cuban community it is a slaughter. I watch the rabid zealots on these postings constantly heading in a dorectopm that is destructive to the Party. All you can seem to see is Obama and the Dems. You don't seem to see the dead end you are taking the party into. I don't think you realize the insanity of the southern leadership in the Party. But I guarantee you if Mitt wins you'll get to see it.
Democrats falsely assume they have the market on the minority vote, yet they only make life more difficult for ALL OF US. Look at the unemployment rates under Obama--he reduces them by people giving up working! Romney is attracting MORE of the Hispanic vote in Florida than Obama now--because they know who can best fix this dismal economy. Getting Hispanic support involves much more than "Hispandering" instead of enforcing the US Constitution. They care about the future of their children, unlike Mr. Obama.
"user" Regarding the election of JFK and Chicago. Do you know anything about a discussion without the use of insulting words. Do you lack the temperment to discuss as an adult. If you read my comment you would recognize that I nodded to that particular election as one of the few known instances, but never documented or confirmed beyond speculation. That does not imply it never occured it merely states that it is speculated upon. It does not even mean that I don't believe the old man was fully capable of it as was daily. It merely means what it says. I seriously doubt by the tone of your writing that you were alive for that election, so I will merely consider the source of your uncalled for language and leave it at that .
sorry "Daley"
The topic of this article was about demographics.My comment was about demographics. Is it not politically correct to say that religion and paternal attitudes stand against women? What a bunch of fearful cowering rats.
I didn't see your remark "Giermund" but I always remain hopeful that the string can remain; one: civil and two: open to reasonable discussion. Given your short remark here I can only assume you raised a reasonable issue. For some that is merely unacceptable. You can usually tell them by their insulting or juvenile remarks. Perhaps the moderator should do a better job of keeping the kids out.
@attaturk -- Did you catch this from 'user'? It's why today's GOP is irrelevant in a nutshell : "Women don't get married anymore and they don't have children anymore. Traditionally, single females haven't had a clue about politics and haven't had a clue how Democrats use and manipulate them with scare tactics. Women grow out of this when they get married and have kids. The Democrat nonsense no longer makes sense after they have a family and children. As women remain single longer, single women increase as a percent of society, and stupid decisions are made at the ballot box (Obama and Liz come to mind- older people aren't this dumb...) "
User,it's views like yours" Women don't get married anymore or have children anymore" that doom the GOP. This patronizing, "we know better than the womenfolk" plays better in the 1950s than the 21st century. Mind you,there are conservative women who like being told what to do and who to vote for who vote the GOP because they believe that's the way they can preserve their lifestyle, but there are plenty of women who want control over their bodies and their lives and the GOP needs to listen to them.