Time for a GOP Northern Strategy

[DC Al Fine]

The problem is, love em or hate em, the evangelicals are probably the safest voting bloc the GOP has. Abandoning them would be like the Dems throwing blacks or under the bus.

Consider this graph.



White protestants voted 70% GOP in 2012, while whites in general voted 60% GOP. Given that some whites will never vote GOP, (Just like some blacks and Hispanics will never vote Democrat), there isn't that much of the white vote left to pick up.

Following a "northern strategy" as you describe it would be risking a large, loyal voting bloc for relatively little gain.

[DC Al Fine]

San Mateo, Santa Clara and even Marin (of all places) were Republican strongholds before the 80's as well. Envisioning Marin County as actually being a Republican county is even harder for me to imagine than envisioning the Pioneer Valley as a Republican stronghold.

What % Hispanic were those areas in the 80's compared to now? I suspect that's the reason for the change. The GOP's future lies in doing well with Hispanics, not secular Northeastern liberals who would never vote for them.

[DC Al Fine]

Question Re the chart in Reply 3:

What is 'Other Orientations'? Of which Romney got 32%

I'd guess trans people, but I really don't know.

[DC Al Fine]

Also, follow the CDU's playbook on re-brandng enviromental policies as conservative (in the original meaning of the term), i.e. recognising climate change as an issue fur immediate and energetic policy action, promote private-sector, small-scale investment in energy conservation and renewable energy, work on new mobility concepts, etc. Should help with currently Dem-leaning groups like university post-graduates, tourism etnerprises / areas (Berkshires, Colorado Rockies, etc.), and may even bring in Iowa as special bonus (IIRC, the state with the highest share of employment in the renewable energy sector).

That's something that I've never understood about the GOP. If you think God created this planet, shouldn't it be our duty to do our utmost to protect and preserve it for future generations? Moderate Republicans should try to link environmentalism to religion, that might work.

It's that awkward grafting together of big business types and the religious right. Some inconsistencies are bound to crop up and this is one of them.