What can Republicans do to be competitive in the Pacific Northwest again?

[Sumner 1868]

Well, since this thread is dangerously close to going off the rails, I conclude by restating they can do nothing and nothing shall succeed for the foreseeable decades.

[smoltchanov]

Well, since this thread is dangerously close to going off the rails, I conclude by restating they can do nothing and nothing shall succeed for the foreseeable decades.

I disagree. Yes, Democrats will win a solid majority of statwide and congressional races in Pacific Northwest in foreseable future. But - far from all. Republicans were close in number of statewide races in Washington, Oregon and California recently, and even won some of them (like Washington SoS). They surely will do it in the future too. From time to time..

[bobloblaw]

Someday, the Republicans might actually run a moderate for a major statewide race. They'd probably also need a favorable climate as well. Even then, it would be pretty close.

What you guys dont get is this. A moderate loses more conservative votes than they pick up in moderate votes. In a state with NO conservatives like NJ that can happen. But WA has lots of conservatives in Eastern WA who sit home on election day if there is no conservative on the ballot.

Washington has mail-in ballots.

So theyd toss their ballots

[smoltchanov]

Someday, the Republicans might actually run a moderate for a major statewide race. They'd probably also need a favorable climate as well. Even then, it would be pretty close.

What you guys dont get is this. A moderate loses more conservative votes than they pick up in moderate votes. In a state with NO conservatives like NJ that can happen. But WA has lots of conservatives in Eastern WA who sit home on election day if there is no conservative on the ballot.

Washington has mail-in ballots.

So theyd toss their ballots

Do it, please. In EVERY election.

[Replicator]

Mathematically, those states aren't as far left as Democrats think. Looking at numbers OR was roughly 8 points left of center in 2012 while WA was a few more to the left. That makes them light blue states or perhaps in the case of OR purplish blue. Looking at the most recent GOP presidential wins, those states aren't too far apart. Too much emphasis is placed on recent results without any thought given to trends or distance from center.

[Cobbler]

Someday, the Republicans might actually run a moderate for a major statewide race. They'd probably also need a favorable climate as well. Even then, it would be pretty close.

What you guys dont get is this. A moderate loses more conservative votes than they pick up in moderate votes. In a state with NO conservatives like NJ that can happen. But WA has lots of conservatives in Eastern WA who sit home on election day if there is no conservative on the ballot.

Washington has mail-in ballots.

So theyd toss their ballots

They didn't toss their ballots when McKenna ran for governor, and didn't lose because of lack of eastern Washington votes. But I'm glad you seem to be able to speak on behalf of all of them.

I'd argue that if Washington had its gubernatorial elections in midterm years like Massachusetts, someone like McKenna would've won.

[smoltchanov]

Someday, the Republicans might actually run a moderate for a major statewide race. They'd probably also need a favorable climate as well. Even then, it would be pretty close.

What you guys dont get is this. A moderate loses more conservative votes than they pick up in moderate votes. In a state with NO conservatives like NJ that can happen. But WA has lots of conservatives in Eastern WA who sit home on election day if there is no conservative on the ballot.

Washington has mail-in ballots.

So theyd toss their ballots

They didn't toss their ballots when McKenna ran for governor, and didn't lose because of lack of eastern Washington votes. But I'm glad you seem to be able to speak on behalf of all of them.

I'd argue that if Washington had its gubernatorial elections in midterm years like Massachusetts, someone like McKenna would've won.

McKenna was at least social moderate (if not liberal). Such person really could win in non-Presidential year. Social conservative - not even then...

[justfollowingtheelections]

Abandon their anti-environment rhetoric.  Get rid of clowns such as Inhofe.

[KingSweden]

Abandon their anti-environment rhetoric.  Get rid of clowns such as Inhofe.

I doubt many NW people know who Inhofe is. Local Republicans tend to be pretty moderate on environmental issues

[Skill and Chance]

Abandon their anti-environment rhetoric.  Get rid of clowns such as Inhofe.

But what would happen in Appalachia and the MS Valley if they did that?

[Ebsy]

The price of nationalizing every political race is that you can't compete very well in more liberal states.

[smoltchanov]

The price of nationalizing every political race is that you can't compete very well in more liberal states.

The same for Democrats in conservative one's...

[Ebsy]

The price of nationalizing every political race is that you can't compete very well in more liberal states.

The same for Democrats in conservative one's...

Indeed. But I'm not asking what Democrats can do to compete in Alabama.

[Sumner 1868]

Abandon their anti-environment rhetoric.  Get rid of clowns such as Inhofe.

It's not enough.

[smoltchanov]

The price of nationalizing every political race is that you can't compete very well in more liberal states.

The same for Democrats in conservative one's...

Indeed. But I'm not asking what Democrats can do to compete in Alabama.

Sure. Though the answer here is not too difficult too: run more Richard Shelby-type candidates (at least - for state offices) and slowly restore positions lost in the last 20 years. In many aspects Shelby is exactly an "old style Alabama's Democrat".. And it's unlikely that Alabama will substantially change it's habits anytime soon