No one expects the Spanish Inquisition…
As we ramp up to a Presidential election year, articles are coming out looking at the long term viability of the major political parties. As many know, our country has been undergoing a demographic change. We’ve seen this in the outcome of the last two presidential elections, where the last one ended with Republicans having the rug pulled out from under them when a whole lot of infrequent, newly registered, and largely minority voters, turned up to an election where they were not expected. At least not by the GOP. This trend to more minorities and minority voters is only increasing.
Two articles are making the rounds with a tale of two parties, the GOP and the Dems. First is pollster Stan Greenberg who has a book out on the demographic changes, and how it’s a death knell for the GOP. In this article, the GOP is stuck appealing to their base on social issues (like marriage equality) and immigration. Meanwhile, the more they appeal to their base, the less they appeal to the general electorate. The only way out of this is for the party to shift their stand on these issues which their base will not stand for. He lays out the case well, and as a pollster, he knows the numbers.
Next, we have Matthew Yglesias on Vox, saying it’s the Democrats who are Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » No one expects the Spanish Inquisition…:
