What Do the Parties Look Like in the Future?

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

The current GOP coalition is not sustainable, and is only being kept on life support thanks to a very well-organized propaganda campaign to vilify the left and keep people in fear. Eventually the GOP will expand its base, because they must. How they do that, I have no idea. The demographic explosion in the Sunbelt is going to keep making former GOP strongholds into purple states. NC, GA, TX, and AZ are slipping away as cities like Charlotte, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Phoenix continue to grow.

The most likely scenario I can see is an emergent GOP movement in urban areas to counter Democratic one-party rule. These Republicans would be ethnically diverse and focus on business, development, and revitalization of urban centers. Social wedge issues would not be on the radar for them. Instead, they would challenge entrenched, corrupt Democratic political machines.

These urban Republicans would not get along very well with their rural counterparts, but needs must, and they will band together.

The Democrats have a much more demographically sustainable base, and probably won't change a whole lot.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Eventually there will be a "cosmopolitan and corporate" wing of the GOP consisting of urban and coastal elected officials looking to oppose the dominant Democrats. We're already seeing this with the governorships in states like Maryland, Massachusetts, and Vermont. As demographics cause rural Republicans to shrink in power, this new moderate wing of the GOP will break through and gain a real voice in shaping the national platform.

It will take a while, however.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Vermont is neither cosmopolitan, nor corporate, nor urban, nor coastal. Phil Scott is from a town of 9,000 people, drives a race car for fun, and worked for his uncle's construction company until he was elected governor.

But who REALLY lives in Vermont? But hey. You are the one who lives there.

So, Vermont has reverted to Larry, Darryl, and Darryl?