Is Virginia now the Democratic Missouri?

[sdu754]

Serious Q for all of the people who voted No:

How do Republicans win Virginia over the next few elections?

GOP has already maxed out its vote in the rural parts of the state and that's proven to be not enough.  At the same time southwest Virginia is losing population and NOVA is rapidly gaining population.

The only way I see the GOP being competitive in Virginia is by making some pretty deep cuts into the D's advantage in Fairfax and a few other NOVA counties.  The only way to do this is to make serious platform changes especially on social issues like abortion and gay marriage.  I doubt they will do this.

I think you're making the mistake of believing that any Democrat will do as well as Obama, and any Republican will be as bad as McCain or Romney. Obama is a charismatic, likeable candidate. McCain & Romney have no charisma what so ever. If looking at two elections by a single candidate were actually an indicator, then the Eisenhower & Reagan elections should have issued in unbeatable Republican electoral majorities.

As far as your "social issues" argument goes, more and more people are actually becoming pro-life.

[sdu754]

When you consider that 8 out of 11 Us Congressmen from Virginia are republicans, and in there state house the numbers are 67 Republicans versus 32 Democrats, it really doesn't make sense for people to believe that a Republican can't win there.

[sdu754]

When you consider that 8 out of 11 Us Congressmen from Virginia are republicans, and in there state house the numbers are 67 Republicans versus 32 Democrats, it really doesn't make sense for people to believe that a Republican can't win there.

You don't understand gerrymandering or political geography.

I understand gerrymandering, but that's a pretty big lead. You're not going to get 67 out of 100 state house seats & 8 out of 11 US House seats through gerrymandering, it's simply not that effective. I'm only stating that Virginia can be won by a Republican. My stance is that it's either in the "swing state" or "leans republican" category.

I think that maybe you don't understand how a lot of people vote for president. They generally vote for the person they'd rather hang out with, watch a game with or have at their barbeque. In the last two elections, that was Obama, in 2000 & 2004 it was Bush, in 1992 & 1996 it was Clinton. If the republicans pick "the candidate you'd rather be friends with" they'll win not only the general election, but Virginia as well. You also seem to forget that Virginia voted Obama at the same rate that the nation did.

[sdu754]

I understand gerrymandering, but that's a pretty big lead. You're not going to get 67 out of 100 state house seats & 8 out of 11 US House seats through gerrymandering, it's simply not that effective. I'm only stating that Virginia can be won by a Republican. My stance is that it's either in the "swing state" or "leans republican" category.

I think that maybe you don't understand how a lot of people vote for president. They generally vote for the person they'd rather hang out with, watch a game with or have at their barbeque. In the last two elections, that was Obama, in 2000 & 2004 it was Bush, in 1992 & 1996 it was Clinton. If the republicans pick "the candidate you'd rather be friends with" they'll win not only the general election, but Virginia as well. You also seem to forget that Virginia voted Obama at the same rate that the nation did.

Since you are a new member, I will be nice.

Look at Michigan. Because of redistricting, Republicans control both houses of the general assembly and the majority of the state's us representatives: so yes, it is that effective, but Michigan is not going to vote for a Republican president any time soon.

Michigan is 59-50, Virginia is 67-32, that's a huge difference. I also wouldn't count Michigan as impossible for a Republican (States along the lines of Mass, NY & Cal.