Democrats and Republicans have adapted. They shifted their views, beliefs and platforms based on what resonates within American culture.
Democrats were once the vehement pro-slavery party. They now carry over 85 percent of the African-American vote. They were the party that nominated the senator who became the first African-American president.
The Republican party was once the party of archaic anti-regulation economic policies and nineteenth century attitude towards women and minorities.
They have recently opposed the Lily Ledbetter Act, which would guarantee equal pay for equal work for both men and women.
Hold on, that almost sounds like they are still an archaic party holding a nineteenth-century attitude towards women. The Republican Party, as it stands today, is on its way out.
The seismic shifts towards ultra-conservatism that the political right has continually used to try and drum up support haven’t worked.
In the most recent election, Mitt Romney won just one demographic: white males, and he won it resoundingly.
According to analysis by The Daily Mail, if only white males had voted, Romney would have won the election 501 to 37 in the electoral college.
There may have been a time where that would be good enough in America, but that time is over.
When your party continually fails to carry more than 15 percent of any large demographic, like the Grand Old Party (GOP) has with the African-American vote (this trend pre-dates Obama, so please do not even try and make this a racial thing,) they will struggle to win elections.
While the Democrats maintained control over the White House and Senate, some may say that the Republicans maintaining control of the House of Representatives is a sign that we, as a nation, are still ready to hold on the GOP platform; however, the Democrats actually won the combined popular vote between the House races.
There will eventually come a point where the “Old White Male” demographic won’t be able to carry these races anymore.
This election year, we learned that a presidential candidate can explicitly be in favor of marriage equality and win. We learned that our nation is trending toward the left, or as some of us say, “trending toward the future.”
It’s unfortunate that not everyone can keep up.
design my own engagement ring online • Nov 30, 2012 at 8:33 am
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation
but I find this matter to be actually something that I think I would never understand.
It seems too complex and extremely broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
Monty • Nov 29, 2012 at 1:10 pm
Stick a fork in them Republicans, they are done. The majority of Americans have finally embraced socialism and the just and fair social welfare state. RIP capitalism.
Big Bob • Nov 19, 2012 at 4:56 pm
Shots ring out in a Memphis sky. Free at last, free at last..
U.S. Taxpayer Party • Nov 15, 2012 at 6:38 pm
You start with, “please do not even try and make this a racial thing”, and follow up with, “Old White Male”. Irony or bigotry?
This isn’t about racism as most media outlets (apparently now including the North Wind opinion section) would have us believe. It is about have vs. have not’s (as the Democratic platform would have us believe). Let me sum up the last debate:
Pres. Obama- vote for me, and I’ll give you a bunch of stuff paid for with someone else’s money.
Mitt Romney- Vote for me, and I’ll give you less stuff but I won’t have to borrow as much money to do it.
Which is more appealing? Both are pretty poor platforms for vastly different reasons. The divide I see is a 99% vote for the same broken D.C. establishment who keep spending to better their own self-interest. How much of your federal tax dollar for a federal program never makes it out of Washington?
I blame the 1st amendment. The freedom of the press is derelict in their duty to inform the public. Stop picking sides and start reporting the facts.
Ken Renner • Nov 15, 2012 at 6:35 pm
Where do you get the idea the Lilly Ledbetter Act makes pay discrimination based on one’s sex illegal? Perhaps you heard the president make that claim in the debates or during the campaign? Pay discrimination had been banned by law years before Barack Obama became president. The Ledbetter Act only extends the statute of limitations to make claims. There are good reasons to limit that time.
So to sum up. The Republicans didn’t oppose pay equality by opposing Ledbetter.
Obama didn’t make pay equality law by signing it.