Samhain \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Fallowturn Moon<\/p>\n
You wanna know the lessons from the Democratic win? \u00a0And the Republican loss? \u00a0So do I. \u00a0Hard to figure. \u00a0The handwringing and the moaning and the posturing in the Red locker room has only just begun. \u00a0See the new conservative blogs I just added under Politics: \u00a0ConservativeHQ, Redstate and The Weekly Standard.<\/p>\n
This one will repay a good deal more thought and attention. \u00a0The self-critiques of the Republican party will provide important information to the Democrats. \u00a0I’ve already picked up two that reinforce current Democratic strategy, at least in part. \u00a0The first? \u00a0Republicans believe they have to change their attitudes on immigration.<\/p>\n
Why? \u00a0Because there are, they’ve discovered, just so damn many Americans of Latin descent, immigrants or children of immigrants. \u00a0They vote, too. \u00a0Democrat for the most part. \u00a0The real bugger here for the Republicans? \u00a0They have lots of babies.<\/p>\n
It may be true these Americans, focused on family values and the Roman Catholic church, are, as Ronald Reagan said, “…conservative, they just don’t know it yet.” \u00a0History though can trump instinct and memories of who treated you well early on linger in the minds of the electorate. \u00a0Not forever. \u00a0But for a good while. \u00a0This one means the Democrats will have to pay attention as well. \u00a0A good thing.<\/p>\n
Second self-critique. \u00a0“We’ve got to stop being a regional party of old white men.” \u00a0Hmmm. You think? \u00a0This happens to lace into the first one. \u00a0It turns out whites are a shrinking part of the electorate and those pesky women (a part of the equation for sure, but I’ve not seen anything on this yet among Republican self-critiques), many of whom are white, also vote Democrat in large numbers. \u00a0So, if you’re primary appeal is to wealthy older white men and folks who believe female bodies self-heal after the rape that God intended, well then…<\/p>\n
Even so. \u00a0Any of these insights has to be chastened with the fact that this was a close, very close election. \u00a0That’s why the Democrats had better notice what the Republicans notice and work out their own strategies. \u00a0This bumpy ride, in a time of rapid political transition, is far from over.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Samhain \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Fallowturn Moon You wanna know the lessons from the Democratic win? \u00a0And the Republican loss? \u00a0So do I. \u00a0Hard to figure. \u00a0The handwringing … Continue reading OK, Quick Studies. What Did You Learn From the Election?<\/span>