Is the GOP losing the West?
The GOP is losing its hold on the rural vote according to a poll reported by NPR.
A new national poll indicates rural Americans are no longer reliably Republican, and the Bush administration's conduct of the war in Iraq seems mainly to blame."I think there are two big headlines out of this poll," says Anna Greenberg of the Democratic polling firm of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. "The first is 'Republican Collapse in Rural Areas.' And the second is 'Rural is the Battleground in 2008."
But Iraq is not the GOP’s only problem.
Nick Kristoff of the New York Times zeros in on the Southwest and how the nativist wing of the GOP is alienating both Hispanics and moderates on immigration.
…the closer you get to the border, the more voters back politicians who are looking for middle ground — and punish those who follow the rant-for-ratings route.
He sees Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico and their combined 29 electoral votes (more than Florida’s 27 or Ohio’s 20) as potentially the biggest battleground in next year’s presidential race. And he notes that Hispanics are the fastest growing part of the electorate and make up 28% of the population in Arizona, 24% in Nevada, 20% in Colorado, and 43% in New Mexico.
Kristoff cites Democratic congressional gains in Colorado and Arizona in 2004 and 2006 as evidence that Democrats can assemble a new Western majority and quotes David Waid, Chairman of Arizona’s Democratic Party:
“Arizona is in play like never before…and the Republicans are literally handing it to us.”
Republican strategist Clint Bolick sees the same trends.
Hispanic support for Republican candidates plummeted by 10 points, to 30 percent from 40 percent, between the 2004 presidential election to the 2006 congressional election debacle, costing the GOP as many as four congressional seats. In next year's presidential election, Hispanic votes could make the difference in four Western states, including Arizona. If Republicans continue chasing Hispanic voters away, they can kiss their national electoral prospects goodbye.Here at Western Democrat, we have always believed that the future of the Democratic Party lies in the West. The GOP is doing their part to hasten that future.
Leo Brown | June 22, 2007 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) |
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Dear Readers,
Who is this God sent man, Mike Huckabee, that’s offering America a huge sigh of relief where others promise, but are incapable and powerless to deliver? Ask yourself, “How many decades have we lived without a moral compass?” For decades we’ve struggled with Social Security, Health Care, Employment and Taxes, etc. The world continues to be amused at our inability to solve issues at home and abroad. Our adversaries consider us weak and unable to defend against their threats. Where will it end?! It ends when we put a godly man in office that is not ashamed to get on bended knees and seek godly wisdom. Thus far, standing alone, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is a man of uncommon leadership, moral character and conscience who provides a proven record of seeking godly wisdom. His candidacy is not motivated by selfish ambition or power, but to resolve real issues and reinstate morality and righteousness. Mike Huckabee is more then exciting--he’s exceedingly necessary!
Posted by: T.M. | Nov 5, 2007 9:58:51 AM
The above comment is off topic, but I reply as follows:
The last time the GOP urged on us a man who would keep God in the White House, we got the catastrophic Bush presidency.
If our adversaries find us weak after seven years of Bush, perhaps the fault lies with our embrace of pre-emptive war, torture, and other follies brought to us by the Republican President once (and still?) beloved of the religious right who calls himself “the Decider.”
If we are looking for a man of religious convictions, Romney for the Republicans and Obama for the Democrats, seem to be sincerely committed and motivated by their faith, and that may be true of several of the other candidates as well. A religious test for public office, however, is fraught with danger.
Here is a post that raises some serious questions about Huckabee.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bonnie-erbe/why-is-huckabee-left-stan_b_70261.html
Here is a link from an evangelical on how the religious right distorts the faith and threatens America.
http://chronicle.com/free/v52/i42/42b00601.htm
Posted by: Leo Brown | Nov 6, 2007 7:41:15 AM
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(and yes, we know that sometimes they're very, very wrong. Other times, they're right on.)
